Minimum requirements for directors | Student enrollment 2,499 or less | Student enrollment 2,500-9,999 | Student enrollment 10,000 or more |
Minimum Education Standards (required) (new directors only) | Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with academic major or concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field; | Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with academic major or concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field; | Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with academic major or concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field; |
OR | OR | OR | |
Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with any academic major or area of concentration, and either a State-recognized certificate for school nutrition directors or at least 1 year of relevant food service experience; | Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with any academic major or area of concentration, and a State-recognized certificate for school nutrition directors; | Bachelor's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with any academic major or area of concentration, and a State-recognized certificate for school nutrition directors; | |
OR | OR | OR | |
Associate's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with academic major or concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field, and at least 1 year of relevant food service experience; OR High school diploma (or GED) and 3 years of relevant food service experience. | Bachelor's degree in any academic major and at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience; OR Associate's degree, or equivalent educational experience, with academic major or concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field, and at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience | Bachelor's degree in any major and at least 5 years of experience in management of school nutrition programs. | |
Minimum Education Standards (preferred) (new directors only) | Directors hired without an associate's degree are strongly encouraged to work toward attaining an associate's degree upon hiring | Directors hired without a bachelor's degree are strongly encouraged to work toward attaining a bachelor's degree upon hiring | Master's degree, or willingness to work toward a master's degree, preferred. |
At least 1 year of management experience, preferably in school nutrition, is strongly recommended. At least 3 credit hours at the university level in food service management plus at least 3 credit hours in nutritional sciences at time of hiring is strongly preferred. | |||
Minimum Prior Training Standards (required) (new directors only) | At least 8 hours of food safety training is required either not more than 5 years prior to their starting date or completed within 30 calendar days of employee's starting date |
7 C.F.R. §210.30