Dietetic Colloquium Registration and Application Process

The Dietetic Colloquium exam is offered by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). Graduates of BS in Nutrition and Dietetics and BS in Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP) can sit for the colloquium after they complete a minimum of 6-months dietetic internship/9-months practicum experience at a Lebanese hospital/medical center affiliated with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and approved by LAU School of Arts and Sciences, Natural Sciences Department.

It is mandatory to pass the exam in order to obtain the Lebanese Dietetic Licensure, apply for a dietetic work permit, and work as a dietitian in Lebanon (applicable only to Lebanese candidates). Non-Lebanese candidates can sit for the colloquium examination and be granted a certificate upon successfully passing the exam. However, they cannot apply for a Lebanese Dietetic Licensure as per the regulations of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

The dietetic colloquium exam is offered twice per year (in Fall and Summer terms. Date to be confirmed every year by the MEHE).

LAU School of Arts and Sciences, Natural Sciences Department is responsible for the dietetic colloquium registration of all LAU students and alumni. Accordingly, the processes (I, II and III) detailed below should be followed in order to apply for the dietetic colloquium examination and obtain the dietetic colloquium certificate. Failure to provide all the needed documents on time may result in postponing the dietetic colloquium examination to the next round.

Important Notes:

• Non-Lebanese students entering the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics and BS in Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP) as sophomores at LAU should complete the paperwork needed to get the equivalency for their non-Lebanese high school diplomas at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants (MoFAE) on their own. The process takes around 2 months and should be performed as soon as possible, prior to proceeding with the BS degree equivalency step stated below
• Students who are not eligible for the NUT500 – Dietetic Internship course and/or those who are completing a dietetic internship on their own at a medical center/hospital approved by LAU School of Arts and Sciences, Natural Sciences Department should contact the Internship coordinator Ms. Joelle Abi Kharma (Joelle.abikharma@lau.edu.lb; +961-1-786456 Ext: 5803) at least 2 months prior to the colloquium exam date, to have their documents facilitated.

I. One month before the dietetic colloquium exam date:

Applicants have to prepare the below documents described in Step 1 (Degree Equivalency) and Step 2 (Colloquium Registration) in two separate files and coordinate with Ms. Hanan Naccache, Natural Sciences Department Academic Assistant at LAU Beirut, Sage Hall, 2nd floor, Room 310.

Step 1. Degree Equivalency process documents:

The following step should be initiated at the MEHE by all graduates with BS in Nutrition and Dietetics, prior to the colloquium registration step in order to receive their BS degree equivalency in the presence of the Nutrition program representative. Accordingly, one date will be set (to be communicated by email) to all students to meet the representative at the MEHE with the documents (المستندات) listed below.

المستندات المطلوبة لمعادلة الشهادات الجامعية الصادرة من داخل لبنان

1. صورة عن تذكرة الهوية (Lebanese ID)
2.  صورة مصدّقة عن شهادة الثانوية العامة (أي البكالوريا اللبنانية) أو ما يعادلها رسمياً
3. (Official Lebanese General Secondary Education-Baccalaureate Certificate or official freshman equivalency)
4.  صورة مصدّقة من وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي لكل من الشهادات الجامعية التي حصل عليها صاحب العلاقة من مستوى الإجازة أو الماستر أو الدكتوراه
5. (Degree authentication from the Registrar’s Office)
6. كشف بالعلامات مصدّقة من وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي لجميع سنوات الدراسية الجامعية حتى تاريخ حصول صاحب العلاقة على أعلى شهادة  
7. (Official Academic transcripts)
8. 8طوابع من فئة10  ألاف  stamps8 (10,000 LBP each)
9.  Filled Equivalency application طلب معادلة الشهادة (found here)

Note: Graduates of the Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP) are able to sit for the colloquium examination without this step as per the agreement with the MEHE (as they might not have their degree by the time this step is completed). However, they will not be able to retrieve their colloquium success certificates before completing this step.

Step 2. Dietetic Colloquium Application process documents:

Applicants have to submit the following documents to Ms. Hanan Naccache, Natural Sciences Department Academic Assistant at LAU Beirut, Sage Hall, 2nd floor, Room 310.

1. Dietetic Colloquium Registration Form (found here) that should be filled as follows:
2. Make sure to write your full name, nationality, date, and place of birth as per your legal document (applicable for non-Lebanese).
3. If you have a Lebanese General Secondary Education-Baccalaureate Certificate, you should specify what it is and the year you obtained it
4. (Example: علوم الحياة ٢٠١٣). Otherwise, you need to fill the certified equivalency number of the foreign degree (French Baccalaureate or freshman equivalency).
5. For the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics students, indicate number of years as 3 and for the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics CP, number of years is 4.
6. Fill for undergraduate diploma: “تغذية”, and specify the year when you finished all your didactic courses.
7. For the degree equivalency number, it is the one that you obtain when you submit your degree equivalency step (This should be left blank for CP graduates).
8. Copy of the Lebanese ID/passport.
9. Hospital/medical center paper certifying that you have completed a minimum of 6 months (try to get three copies or take one and photocopy it yourself). Make sure the original copy has the hospital stamp on it. The copies need to be signed by the chair of the Natural Sciences department, before getting them signed by MOPH. 
10. 3 passport-sized photos stamped by the Mokhtar in the area of residence
11. 160,000 LBP for the registration + stamps.
12. Copy of the Lebanese General Secondary Education-Baccalaureate Certificate or copy of the official freshman equivalency.

II. One week before the dietetic colloquium exam date:

Applicants have to pass by Ms. Hanan Naccache, Natural Sciences Department Academic Assistant at LAU Beirut, Sage Hall, 2nd floor, Room 310 to pick up their dietetic colloquium cards.

III. One month after the dietetic colloquium exam date:

A common date will be set for all candidates (to be communicated by email) to meet the Nutrition program representative at the MEHE as follows:

• Graduates with BS in Nutrition and Dietetics can retrieve both the BS degree equivalency and dietetic colloquium certificates, provided that applicants have the below documents:

1. BS degree equivalency number
2. One passport-sized photo stamped by the Mokhtar in the area of residence
3. 5 stamps (1,000 LBP each)
4. Dietetic colloquium card number (the one used to access the exam)

• Graduates with BS in Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP) cannot retrieve their certificates at this stage. Instead, they can apply for their degree equivalency (check the above-mentioned required documents in Step I) and will be able to retrieve their degree equivalency and dietetic colloquium certificates at the beginning of the next academic term in coordination with the Nutrition program.

For any inquiry pertaining to the colloquium exam registration and application, please contact the internship coordinator, Ms. Joelle Abi Kharma (Joelle.abikharma@lau.edu.lb; +961-1-786456 Ext: 5803)