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Nutrition Career Information


Nutritional Science provides students with a wide range of career opportunities such as:
    • Public Health Nutrition
      • Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
      • Public Health Department with state and county agencies
      • Cooperative Extension
      • Congregate Meals program
    • International Food Organizations
      • Peace Corps
      • Non-governmental organizations such as CARE, Food for the Hungry, or World Relief
      • United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
      • US AID (Agency for International Development)
      • Multi-national corporation
      • Consulting and research collaboration
    • Consultant/Private Practice
      • Private practice consultation to hospitals and long-term care facilities on hourly or "job" basis
      • Client counseling for weight management, eating disorders, sports nutrition, diabetes management, etc. from either physician referrals and/or advertisements
      • Write cookbooks, educational programs, or articles for local newspapers or specialty magazines
      • Food photography
      • Consult at health clubs / spas as a personal trainer-nutritionist
    • Clinical Dietetics
      • Hospitals, long-term care, and outpatient settings
      • Many specialties (pediatric, renal, diabetes, nutrition support, etc.). RDN generally required
    • Food and Nutrition Management
      • Hospitals, long-term care, businesses, schools
      • Work with chefs or at spas
      • Consult regarding healthy choices on menu
    • Business and Industry

      Careers in business and industry include jobs such as sales, marketing, public relations, research and development (labeling, recipes, and product information) and production quality control.

      • Food (eg. Cambell Soup, Kraft Foods, Proctor & Gamble)
      • Information Technology (eg. CBORD, Compu-Cal, Computrition, ESHA Research, First DataBank)
      • Nutritionals (eg. Mead Johnson, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Novartis Nutrition, Ross Products)
      • Nutraceuticals (eg. Archer Daniels Midland, Cooke Pharma, GeniSoy Products)
      • Pharmaceutical (eg. Eli Lily, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer)
      • Food Service Equipment (eg. Diversey Lever, Ecolab, Hamilton Beach Commercial, Hobart)
      • Food Service Contract Management (eg. Aramark Healthcare, Morrison Management, Sodexho)
      • Food Service Vendors (eg. Precision Foods, Super Bakery, Sysco, US Foodservice)
      • Medical Equipment (eg. Bodystat, HealtheTech, Johnson & Johnson)
      • Trade Associations (eg. Cranberry Institute, Dairy Council, Peanut Institute, Pork Producers)
    • Media
      • Commodity groups (trade associations) hire public relations firms
      • Radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines are a major source of nutrition education for the public
      • Cooperative extension agents often write for the local media
    • Public Policy/Government
      • Staff resource to legislator
      • Government agency--USDA, FDA, NIH, etc.
      • Health care reform
      • Supplement labels
      • Regulatory
      • Lobbyist in state or federal government
    • Educations and Research
      • College, university, health professional school, and culinary school
      • Teach K-12 (requires further course work)
      • Create and write curriculum for state board of education, Dairy Council, Cooperative Extension
      • Worksite wellness--teach nutrition, exercise, fitness and other health promotion to employees
      • Manage or assist with clinical protocols, interventions, or clinical trials
    • Related Health Professionals (e.g. M.D., PA, etc.)
      • Chiropractor (DC)
      • Dentist (DDS)
      • Naturopathic Doctor (ND)
      • Physical Therapist (PT)
      • Physician (MD or DO)
      • Physician Assistant (PA)
      • Podiatrist (DP)
      • Veterinarian (DVM)

For more information refer to the list below or seek the counsel of an advisor.