Rule 157-5-.03. Acceptable Continuing Professional Education

1. (1) Acceptable continuing professional education activities must meet the requirements of this section and may include activities sponsored by the following approved organizations provided they meet the requirements and criteria of this section:

   1. (a) Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians;
   2. (b) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and affiliates;
   3. (c) Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); or
   4. (d) Other organizations as approved by the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians.

2. (2) The following activities are acceptable, provided they meet the requirements and criteria of this section and may include:

   1. (a) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Academic Coursework and Dietetics-related coursework, including distance learning, at a US regionally accredited college or university.

      1. 1. Academic coursework taken for credit or audit are converted to continuing professional education units as follows:

         Credit Audit

         1. (i) 1 semester credit = 15 CPEUs for credit; 8 CPEUs if course is audited
         2. (ii) 1 trimester credit = 14 CPEUs for credit; 7 CPEUs if course is audited
         3. (iii) 1 quarter credit = 10 CPEUs for credit; 5 CPEUs if course is audited
      2. 2. Official college or university transcripts and a brief course description of academic coursework are required for documentation.

   2. (b) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Massive Open Online Courses. Continuing professional education units may be awarded for time spent viewing recorded online lectures or seminars offered via a regionally accredited college or university.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. Official verification of participation including the course title, name of college or university, proof of the hours of the online lecture or seminar, and date of completion is required for documentation.

   3. (c) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Case Presentations. Continuing professional education units may be awarded for attendance at a dietetics-related case presentation and include but are not limited to grand rounds and patient case studies.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of attendance including date of event, number of contact hours and program agenda, or copy of brochure describing the case presentation is required for documentation.

   4. (d) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Certificate Programs. A certificate program is an intensive training program, with a component that assesses the participant. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a certificate attesting to the mastery of a new knowledge/skill set. The certificate program must be dietetics-related, sponsored by a US regionally accredited college or university or an institution accredited/approved by the Joint Commission (JC), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), or the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of completion including date completed, number of CPEUs and the name, address, phone number, and e-mail address or fax number of the provider is required for documentation.

   5. (e) A maximum of six (6) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for viewing Exhibits. Learning through dietetics-related exhibits such as those presented with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition may be awarded continuing professional education units when properly documented.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs or materials describing the exhibits (with date, timeline, provider and content) is required for documentation.

   6. (f) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Experiential Skill Development training. Guidelines for experiential skill development include: the content must be dietetics-related, the training must include a didactic component, and the providers must be credentialed professionals in the subject area taught or must be a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietetic Technician.

      1. 1. For culinary programs a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietetic Technician must be involved in the planning or presentation.
      2. 2. Examples of experiential skill development training include culinary skills training (where content focuses on food composition, food chemistry, alternative nutrient sources, cultural/social/economic influences, techniques to improve acceptability or compliance), physical assessment training, multi-skill training, and computer/technology training.
      3. 3. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      4. 4. A certificate of attendance/completion, including date completed, number of CPEUs, the provider credentials and issuing organization is required for documentation.

   7. (g) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Interactive Workshops. The workshop content is required to be dietetics-related and should include interactive discussion or participation among attendees.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion, including date completed, number of CPEUs or a CPE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline, and provider) is required for documentation.

   8. (h) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Journal Club activities. The journal club must be preplanned, provide for group participation, and include in-depth discussion of a single dietetics-related topic from pre-assigned articles/papers in professional, peer-reviewed journals.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs with the name, address, phone number, and e-mail address or fax number of the coordinator or a PE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline, coordinator) is required for documentation.

   9. (i) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for attending Lectures/Seminars. The lecture/seminar content is required to be dietetics-related, and the CPE activity should include discussion or participation among attendees.

      1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
      2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs or CPE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline and provider) is required for documentation.

   10. (j) A maximum of twelve (12) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for attending Recorded Pre-Approved CPE. The recorded presentation viewed or listened to must have been either pre-approved by CDR or offered by one of the CDR accredited CPE providers. The recorded presentation must be viewed or listened to within three (3) years of the original date of the live presentation.

       1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
       2. 2. A certificate of completion or agenda/timing outline including the date completed, program title, provider, and number of CPEUs or CPE is required for documentation.

   11. (k) A maximum of six (6) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for attending Poster Sessions. Learning through dietetics-related poster sessions such as those presented at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition can be awarded continuing professional education units.

       1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
       2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs or CPE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline and provider) or program/flyer/brochure describing the poster session is required for documentation.

   12. (l) A maximum of six (6) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Professional Leadership. Holding an elected office in dietetics or dietetics-related national, state, or district organization that contributes to the acquisition of leadership skills and professional development may be awarded continuing professional education units.

       1. 1. A notice, association directory, including name of association, elected office, date completed and number of CPEUs or other documentation confirming the office held and dates of service is required for documentation.

   13. (m) A maximum of six (6) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Professional Reading. Reading dietetics-related articles from peer-reviewed professional journals may be awarded CPE credit. The article must be read within 5 years of the date the article was published.

       1. 1. Reading each article is equivalent to one-half (0.5) continuing professional education unit.
       2. 2. A copy of the article abstract, or first page of the article read, including citation, date completed and number of CPEUs is required for documentation.

   14. (n) A maximum of twenty (20) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved for conducting dietetics-related research as a sole or co-investigator. The investigator must participate substantially in the design of the work, analysis of data, as well as writing of the report. This does not include research conducted to fulfill academic requirements, which receives continuing professional education units under academic coursework, or conducting literature reviews, which are included under professional reading.

       1. 1. A sole investigator, who alone develops the study concept and design, conducts the analysis and writes the report, will receive twenty (20) continuing professional education units. A co-investigator, who participates substantially in development of the study concept and design, the analysis of data and writing of the report, will receive ten (10) continuing professional education units.
       2. 2. A final report to federal, state or other grant providing organization, or a letter verifying acceptance for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, or a copy of a published journal article in a peer-reviewed journal, or a letter verifying acceptance of research at a peer-reviewed professional association conference is required.

   15. (o) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Residency and Fellowship Programs. Programs require completion of a dietetics-related, post-baccalaureate-level residency or fellowship activity with a minimum of thirty (30) contact hours. The program must meet all the following criteria: post-baccalaureate-level, dietetics-related, formalized/structured experiences, and sponsored by a US regionally accredited college or university or an institution accredited/approved by the Joint Commission (JC) or National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

       1. 1. Completion of the program provides thirty (30) continuing professional education units.
       2. 2. The name of the program, address, phone number, and email address or fax number of the provider along with a certificate of completion, including date completed and number of CPEUs are required for documentation.

   16. (p) A maximum of twenty (20) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Sponsored Independent Learning activities. The individualized learning activity must be planned, carried out by the learner and it must be dietetics related. The learner contracts with an individual, who is an expert in a particular area, using the Sponsored Learning Contract available from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

       1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to two (2) hours spent on this activity.
       2. 2. The sponsored independent learning contract with original signatures, including date completed and number of CPEUs is required for documentation.

   17. (q) A maximum of twenty (20) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Study Groups. The study group must be preplanned, provide for group participation, include 3 or more professionals, and include an in-depth study of a specific, dietetics-related topic.

       1. 1. One (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
       2. 2. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs or CPE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline and coordinator) along with the name, address, phone number, and email address or fax number of the coordinator is required for documentation.

   18. (r) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for earning a certification/recertification as approved by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)-Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For approval, the certification/recertification program must be dietetics related. It must require that candidates meet eligibility requirements, pass an examination to become certified initially, and require certificants to pass an examination for recertification to remain certified.

       1. 1. Completion of a certification/recertification provides 30 continuing professional education units.
       2. 2. The name, address, phone number, and email address or fax number of the provider and copy of the document verifying date of issue and duration of the certification including number of CPEUs are required for documentation.

   19. (s) A maximum of thirty (30) continuing professional education units per biennium may be approved/accrued for Pre-approved Self-Study. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)-Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) pre-approved self-study programs and self-study programs offered by Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Accredited Program Providers are acceptable. They may be audio-based, computer-based, printed, video-based, DVD-based, CD-based, or Web-based.

       1. 1. All self-study programs must meet Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) defined content, address a single topic in depth, periodicals must be preapproved, emphasis of the program must be on relevant content, must have a minimum of 1 contact hour that is verified, and there must be a professionally developed test at the end.
       2. 2. For most programs, one (1) continuing professional education unit is equivalent to one (1) contact hour.
       3. 3. A certificate of attendance/completion including date completed and number of CPEUs or CPE agenda/outline (with objectives, date, timeline and provider) is required for documentation.

3. (3) Unacceptable activities for continuing professional education units include, but are not limited to:

   1. (a) Orientation and in-service programs.
   2. (b) Meetings for the purpose of policy decisions.
   3. (c) Non-educational meetings at association or organization meetings.
   4. (d) Entertainment or recreational meetings or activities, and
   5. (e) Activities that do not relate to dietetics services.

Authority: O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-4, 43-1-25, 43-11A-7(2), 43-11A-14(d).

History. Original Rule entitled "Acceptable Continuing Professional Education" adopted. F. Apr. 1, 2002; eff. Apr. 21, 2002.

Amended: F. June 15, 2005; eff. July 5, 2005.

Amended: F. Aug. 29, 2017; eff. Sept. 18, 2017.

Amended: F. Feb. 1, 2024; eff. Feb. 21, 2024.