Abstract
Registered dietitians (RDs) took an electronic survey regarding the perceived graduate education needs and opinions on pursuing graduate degrees. A sample of 1166 RDs were surveyed. The usable response rate was 39.7%. Respondents were stratified into 3 groups for comparison. Results were reported descriptively, and [chi]2 and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to test relationships. Reasons for pursuing graduate degrees included enhanced knowledge (77.2%) and personal development (61.6%). Reasons for not pursing graduate degrees included no increased compensation/benefits (66.3%) and insufficient time (49.5%). Significantly more RDs with postprofessional graduate degrees than the other groups perceived the need for the following courses: Applied Physiology (P = .006), Clinical Management (P = .028), Applied Clinical Research (P < .001), and Outcomes Research (P < .001).