ligibility Requirements for Initial Certification
To qualify for the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators, the following requirements must be met:
1. Professional Education
A. An active, unrestricted license from the United States or its territories as a registered nurse, occupational therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician (M.D. or D.O.), physician assistant, podiatrist, or registration as a dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
OR
B. A minimum of a master's degree, from a United States college or university accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body, in one of the following areas: nutrition, social work, clinical psychology, exercise physiology, health education, or specified areas of study in public health*.
*Advanced degrees in public health must be in an area of concentration specific to health education, health promotion, health and social behavior, or health communications.
2. Professional Practice Experience
After meeting the education requirement and before applying for the Certification Examination, all (A through C) of the following requirements must be met:
A. A minimum of two years (to the day) of professional practice experience in diabetes self-management education in health care settings within the United States or its territories.*
Only experience occurring AFTER completing the education requirement may be counted toward this requirement.
AND
B. A minimum of 1,000 hours of diabetes self-management education experience within the past five years.*
Work experience is defined as employment in diabetes patient education for compensation.
All experience must be in health care settings within the United States or its territories.
AND
C. Current employment in a primary role as a diabetes educator a minimum of four hours per week, or its equivalent, at the time of application.
* All professional practice experience requirements must be met at the time of application.
The NCBDE's webpage at 
