The Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators ("Examination") is designed and intended solely for health care professionals who have defined roles as diabetes educators, not for those who may perform some diabetes related functions as part of or in the course of other usual and customary duties (See Definition of DSME).

Click here to download the informational brochure for the 2009 Examinations.

 

Eligibility Requirements for Initial Certification 2009

Individuals who have not previously taken or passed the Examination or whose CDE® credentials lapsed prior to 12/31/2008 must meet the requirements.

Note: Individuals applying with qualifying advanced degrees (1.C or 1.D. below) are required to use the paper application method and official transcripts must be submitted with the application. Applicants meeting discipline requirement 1.A. or 1.B. may apply using either the on-line application process or submitting a paper application. Click here for application information.

To qualify for the Examination, the following requirements must be met at the time of application and Examination:

  1. Discipline
    1. Clinical psychologist, registered nurse, occupational therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician (M.D. or D.O.), or podiatrist holding a current, active, unrestricted license from the United States or its territories.

      OR

      1. Dietitian holding active registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, physician assistant holding active registration with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, or exercise physiologist holding active certification as an American College of Sports Medicine Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® (minimum of a master's degree).

        OR

      2. Health care professional with a minimum of a master's degree in social work from a United States college or university accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body.

        OR

      3. Health care professional with a minimum of a master's degree in nutrition, health education, or specified areas of public health from a United States college or university accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body.*

        *Eligibility on the basis of an advanced degree in nutrition, health education, or public health is no longer available, except those qualifying degrees that were completed and conferred by the degree granting institution by the end of 2005, provided that the professional practice experience in diabetes self-management education is also completed and an Application submitted no later than 5 years after the degree was conferred. For the spring 2009 examination, the degree would need to have been conferred no earlier than January 15, 2004 - March 15, 2004 (exact date dependent upon date of application). For the fall 2009 examination, the degree would need to have been conferred no earlier than July 15, 2004 - September 15, 2004 (exact date dependent upon date of application).

        Advanced degrees in public health must be in an area of concentration specific to health education, health promotion, health and social behavior, or health communication. A degree in any other track or concentration, including administration, health policy, epidemiology, biostatistics, or population studies, is not accepted. To verify the program of study specific to the acceptable areas of concentration, an official transcript that indicates that an advanced degree was awarded and the area of concentration must be submitted with the Application for the Examination.

        NOTE: Individuals who meet either 1.A. or 1. B. and 1.C. or 1.D. (above) must apply under 1.A. current license or 1.B. current license/registration.

  2. Professional Practice Experience
    All professional practice experience is defined as employment for compensation as a diabetes educator in the United States or its territories within the past five years. Employment for compensation means to hold a job in which one is actively engaged in diabetes self-management education and for which paid income is comparable to other diabetes educators in the same area or region of the country. Only experience occurring AFTER completing the Discipline requirement can be counted toward the Professional Practice Experience requirement.

    After meeting the Discipline requirement and before applying for the Examination, all (A through C) of the following requirements must be met:

    1. A minimum of two years (to the day) of professional practice experience in diabetes self-management education.

      AND

    2. A minimum of 1,000 hours of diabetes self-management education experience.

      AND

    3. Current employment in a defined diabetes educator role providing diabetes self-management education a minimum of four hours per week, or its equivalent, at the time of application.

  3. Application Fee(s) Payment

 

INITIAL CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO CHANGE IN 2010

The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators Board of Directors (Board) has approved changes to the professional practice experience requirements for initial certification. Implementation of the revised requirements will take effect in 2010. The revisions to the practice requirements are the result of a review of recommendations from a Task Force on Eligibility, made up of a group of Certified Diabetes Educators® from various disciplines that came together in 2008, and a number of other considerations. The Board believes these changes will provide diabetes educators with more flexibility in meeting the requirements, while ensuring that individuals pursuing certification acquire distinct and specialized knowledge and that the knowledge acquired reflects advances in health care for people with diabetes. (No changes were made to the Discipline requirements – refer to NCBDE’s web site for information on current Discipline requirements).

Professional Practice Experience (Effective 2010):

After meeting the Discipline requirement AND before applying for the Examination, all (A through C) of the following requirements must be met:

A) Minimum of 2 years (to the day) of professional practice experience in the discipline under which the individual is applying for certification (examples: if an individual applies for certification as a registered nurse, 2 years experience working as a registered nurse is required; if an individual applies as a registered dietitian, 2 years experience working as a registered dietitian is required).

AND

B) Minimum of 1,000 hours of professional practice experience in diabetes self-management education with a minimum of 40% (400 hours) accrued in the most recent year preceding application.
In meeting the hourly requirement, professional practice experience is defined as employment for compensation as a diabetes educator in the United States or its territories within the past four years. Employment for compensation means to hold a job in which one is actively engaged in diabetes self-management education and for which paid income is comparable to other diabetes educators in the same area or region of the country.
AND
C) Minimum of 15 clock hours of continuing education activities applicable to diabetes within the 2 years prior to applying for certification.
This requirement will follow the same overall guidelines as renewal of certification by continuing education.

NOTE: The requirement identifying the need for current employment in a defined diabetes educator role providing diabetes self-management education a minimum of four hours per week, or its equivalent, at the time of application will no longer apply.

For more information, please visit NCBDE's web site