Comparison of two methods of educating dietitians

This study investigated whether graduates having a master's degree with 6 months of qualifying experience are as knowledgeable and perceived as being as competent as graduates having traditional bachelor's degrees with a 12-month internship. Twenty-nine graduates (17 with bachelor's degrees and 12 with master's degrees) from San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, participated in the study. Our results showed: (a) The mean registration examination scores of the two groups were not significantly different; the scores of those with master's degrees, however, were more clustered around the mean. (b) No significant difference in graduates' self-ratings was found between the two groups. (c) The supervisors' ratings of clinical competencies were higher for graduates with bachelor's degrees than for those with master's degrees. There was no significant difference in the supervisors' ratings of administrative competencies for the two groups. Other results showed various significant correlations between demographic data, registration examination scores, self-ratings, and supervisors' ratings. This study gave evidence that the university-sponsored master's qualifying experience is a viable route to membership in The American Dietetic Association.