Bachelor’s
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition may pursue the following career options or health professional school
Hospital/Institution
Health Educator
Work with individuals, organizations, or communities to create health education programs. Develop programs to instill healthy habits and lifestyles and teach people about conditions affecting well-being.
Health/Wellness Coach
Serve as a guide, mentor, and supporter of an individual’s goals for making healthy lifestyle changes to improve overall general health.
Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered*
Work independently under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian in a variety of employment settings, including clinical/health care, community/public health, foodservice, education, & more.
Dietary Aide
Work in food preparation in locations such as healthcare facilities, including hospitals and retirement homes, working closely with chefs, dietitians, and dietary managers to determine and implement dietary requirements for a group or individual patient.
Public Health
WIC Nutrition Assistant or Nutritionist
Assist in determining the eligibility for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) applicants; conduct health screenings and dietary evaluations; develop and provide nutrition and breastfeeding education; and analyze nutritional needs.
Cooperative Extension Associate Agent
Educate the public on topics such as agriculture, horticulture, and nutrition. Develop educational programs, coordinate events, and collaborate with community agencies.
Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Facilitator/ SNAP-ED Nutrition Educator
Teach nutrition education classes on how to stretch Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to last each month, how to prepare food, cook and shop for healthy meals, and how to live active, healthy lifestyles.
Food Bank, Food Pantry, or Farmers Market Nutrition Educator
Design and implement nutrition education materials and programs for food banks, food pantries, or farmers markets.
Food Bank, Food Pantry, or Farmers Market Nutrition Manager
Manage nutrition programs food bank, food pantry, or farmers market and provide training for vendors, as appropriate. Develop and distribute nutrition education materials. Establish and maintain effective relationships with vendors, consumers and community organizations.
Personal Trainer*
Guide small groups or individuals through workouts and exercise routines to improve their health and fitness.
Food Service Management
Food Service Director/Manager
Responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing all daily operations of dining establishments, including restaurants, cafeterias, and any other establishment where food and beverages are served.
Child Nutrition Director
Manage child nutrition services at a school, community center, or other facility. Ensure that all aspects of the program comply with federal, state, and local regulations and policies, as well as sanitation, food production and nutritional guidelines.
Food Safety Coordinator
Work to ensure quality and food safety regulations and standards are compliant for companies in the food production, food distribution, and food service industries.
School Nutrition Manager
Plan, implement, and supervise operations of an assigned school cafeteria for preparation and service of meals and other foods. Follow and ensure adherence to local, state, and federal regulations and requirements, as well as sanitation, food production and nutritional guidelines.
Health Inspector
Investigate and monitor potential health hazards to keep the public safe by ensuring the health and safety of facilities and businesses.
USDA Food Inspector
Ensure that regulated meat, poultry and egg product establishments produce safe products by executing appropriate inspection methods in privately-owned meat or poultry slaughter and processing plants.
Industry
Quality Control Inspector
Ensure products meet quality standards and customer expectations and remove any products or equipment that fail to meet specifications.
Procurement Specialist
Find and obtain all the products, services, and supplies from outside supplies that a company needs to operate.
Corporate Wellness Coordinator
Coordinate, plan, and facilitate health and fitness activities and programs for employees of a company. Plan and implement activities such as classes, speakers, seminars, personal training, and fitness assessments that promote healthy lifestyles.
Food Marketing & Sales
Promote sales by building relationships with customers, raising brand awareness, and developing new products. Using a mix of traditional and digital marketing channels, create content that engages, informs, and motivates the target audience to purchase a product.
Education
K-12 School Teacher*
Plan lessons and instruct students in the subject(s) they teach.
Nutrition Educator
Educate people about healthy eating habits and proper diet and motivate people to adopt food choices and other behaviors that promote health and well-being. Work with clients, communities, and organizations to develop and deliver educational programs.
Health and Nutrition Writer
Create content about health, food, nutrition, wellness, and other lifestyle topics. Research and write engaging and informative content that educates people on how to live healthier lives.
Health Professional School
Doctor*
Meet and talk with patients and caregivers to diagnose, manage and treat diseases, illnesses and injuries.
Dentist*
Diagnose and treat oral health conditions, including tooth decay and gum disease.
Master’s
Graduates with a master’s degree in nutrition may pursue the following career options
Hospital/Institution
Clinical Dietitian*
Provide medical nutrition therapy in healthcare settings such as a hospital, clinic, or long-term care facility. Coordinate with other members of the healthcare team such as doctors, nurses, and speech pathologists to develop customized nutrition programs based on patients’ health needs.
Clinical Nutrition Manager*
Oversee clinical nutrition care and programs in healthcare settings such as a hospital, clinic, or long-term care facility.Coordinate, develop, and direct the operations of the clinical nutrition team. Establish and maintain polices, standards, and programs for providing optimal nutrition care to patients and maintaining appropriate staffing levels.
Public Health
WIC Nutrition Assistant or Nutritionist
Assist in determining the eligibility of WIC applicants; conduct health screenings and dietary evaluations; develop and provide nutrition and breastfeeding education; and analyze nutritional needs.
Cooperative Extension Associate Agent
Educate the public on topics such as agriculture, horticulture, and nutrition. Develop educational programs, coordinate events, and collaborate with community agencies.
Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Facilitator/ SNAP-ED Nutrition Educator
Teach nutrition education classes on how to stretch Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to last each month, how to prepare food, cook and shop for healthy meals, and how to live active, healthy lifestyles.
Public Health Nutritionist*
Work with groups or populations to assess the overall nutritional health needs of the population, design/implement community programs to educate the population, and advocate for public health policies.
Food Bank, Food Pantry, or Farmers Market Director of Health and Nutrition/ Dietitian*
Oversee food bank, food pantry, or farmers market nutrition programs and provide training for vendors, as appropriate. Develop and distribute nutrition education materials. Establish and maintain effective relationships with vendors, consumers and community organizations.
Community Dietitian/ Nutritionist*
Assess the nutritional needs of a specific group or population and provide nutrition education or suggest resources available to help those groups live active, healthy lifestyles. Develop community programs to educate the public on nutrition, food, and other health-related topics.
Private Practice Dietitian*
Own your own company or work for a private company working with clients to offer personalized nutrition counseling and other related services such 1:1 counseling, group counseling, online courses, workshops, and classes.
Researcher
Carries out academic or scientific research. Design studies and utilize various research methods to analyze the relationship between nutrition and health.
Government Agency Nutritionist
Work with one of the many US government agencies that are involved with nutrition, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Government Agency Nutrition Program Analyst
Implement government nutrition programs and ensure compliance with regulations and nutrition standards. Work to analyze program issues, conduct on-site reviews, and develop policy and procedure training.
Nonprofit Management
Manage a nutrition/food-related nonprofit organization or an aspect of that organization.
Industry
Sr. Regulatory Affairs/Quality Manager*
Provide technical regulatory and nutritional support. Ensure products, labeling, and claims comply with FDA and USDA regulations.
Corporate Strategy
Develop and execute or consult on strategic initiatives that drive organization growth and success. Guide sales strategies and tactics, identify opportunities for growth, and analyze market trends.
Doctorate
Graduates with a PhD in nutrition may pursue the following career options
Hospital/Institution
Board Certified Specialist Dietitian*
Board certified in a specialty (Renal, Pediatric, Gerontological, Pediatric Critical Care, Oncology, Sports, Obesity, Weight Management). Board Certification is granted in recognition of an applicant’s documented practice experience and successful completion of an examination in the specialty area.
Administrator
Lead administration of government nutrition programs (such as WIC or SNAP). Oversee the development and interpretation of federal legislation, regulations, and policy guidance and monitoring of state and local program operators.
Public Health
Director of Health
Oversee public health programs, develop policies, manage budgets, and coordinate with government agencies. Could encompass director of public health, health department directors, healthy policy directors.
Research Scientist
Conduct research related to nutritional science. Examine the relationship between food, health, and disease in individuals or populations. Potential employers include government agencies, universities and private companies.
Government Agency Roles
Government agency nutritionists work with one of the many U.S. federal agencies involved with nutrition, such as the FDA, USDA, or HHS.
Nonprofit Management
Manage the daily operations of a nutrition or food-related nonprofit organization.
Industry
R&D Nutrition
Research and development activities focus on the innovation of new products or services in a company through a process of researching, designing, experimenting and testing. In nutrition, this can encompass many areas, including food safety, sustainability, new product development, food preservation, technology, and nutrition research.
VP, Food and Nutrition
A senior executive in a company related to food and nutrition.
Senior Director of Nutrition
A senior director in a company related to food and nutrition. Responsibilities may include overseeing the day-to-day operations, managing and leading a team of employees, and management of client relationships.
Consultant
Provide expert professional advice to individuals or businesses on nutrition-related topics.
Education
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor
Develop curricula and course material and teach classes on food and nutrition-related topics. May also involve writing grant proposals, conducting nutrition-related research, and mentoring students.
Administrator
Lead administration of nutrition program at academic institution. Oversees administrative, academic, and research activities, ensuring the quality of education, fostering faculty development, and managing resources and budgets to advance the department’s goals and mission.
*Additional specialized skills, training, certification, licensure, or school required. For example, completion of an ACEND-accredited supervised practice experience and successful completion of the registration examination allows students with degrees in nutrition to become dietetic technicians, registered, or registered dietitians.
