Published on 04/10/2008

Usual work environment is:

Career Descriptions: Dietitians and Nutritionists Education and Qualifications

Usual work environment is:
• Clean
• Well-lighted
• Well-ventilated

Some dietitians and nutritionists may work in hot, congested kitchens and many are on their feet for much of the workday.
Work week is:

• 40 hour week for most full-time positions
• Some work weekends
• 1 in 3 worked part time in 2006

Education and training:

• At least a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, foods and nutrition, food service systems management or a related area
• Graduate degrees are available

Courses usually include:

• Foods
• Nutrition
• Institution management
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Physiology

Other suggested courses include:

• Business
• Mathematics
• Statistics
• Computer science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Economics

High school students interested in becoming a dietitian or nutritionist should take courses in:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Health
• Communications

Licensure:

• 35 states require licensure
• 12 require statutory certification
• 1 requires registration

Requirements vary by State. Interested candidates should determine the requirements of the State in which they want to work before sitting for any exam:

• In States that require licensure, only people who are licensed can work as dietitians and nutritionists
• States that require statutory certification limit the use of occupational titles to people who meet certain requirements
• Individuals without certification can still practice as dietitians or nutritionists but without using certain titles
• Registration is the least restrictive form of State regulation of dietitians and nutritionists
• Unregistered people are permitted to practice as a dietitian or nutritionist

Certification and other qualifications:

• The Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association awards the Registered Dietitian credential to those who pass an exam after completing academic coursework and a supervised internship, although it is not required and it is different from the statutory certification regulated by some States and discussed in the previous section.
• To maintain a Registered Dietitian status, workers must complete at least 75 credit hours in approved continuing education classes every 5 years.

The supervised internship that is required for certification can be completed in one of two ways, which are:

• The completion of a program accredited by the Commission on Dietetic Registration
• A second option requires the completion of 900 hours of supervised practice experience in any of the 265 accredited internships. The internships may be full-time programs lasting 6 to 12 months or part-time programs lasting 2 years

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Dietitians and Nutritionists, on the Internet (visited April 10, 2008)

Written by: Connie Limon For more career description information visit http://smalldogs2.com/CareerDescriptions For a variety of FREE reprint articles and special topic articles rarely found elsewhere visit Camelot Articles at http://www.camelotarticles.com

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