Guide for Students Pursuing a Career in Nutrition

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INTRODUCTION

Purpose:

This report is designed as a guide for students pursuing a career in Nutrition. It contains answers about whether someone can become a Registered Dietitian with a Bachelor’s or if they need to get a Master’s to become registered. It also includes the process of achieving dietetic credentials with a Bachelor’s degree. This involves undergraduate summer opportunities and internships.

Scope:

In this report you will find steps toward earning a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition. It will also direct students interested in obtaining Dietetic Credentials by giving advice and suggestions. This report contains course work for Nutrition Majors only. It does not have any information about Graduate School.

Methods and Research:

• Primary research for this report includes an interview with a Nutrition professor, e-mails to one of the professor’s assistants and to the Director of the Department of Nutrition, Dr. Hansen-Petric. As well as, a meeting with an advisor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
• Secondary research include the Undergraduate Nutrition Handbook (2011-2012) and other online sources.

Organization or Criteria:

The material presented in this report will start off with tasks for each academic year, starting with sophomore year. During the senior year the key points will be narrowed down in detail for the summer, fall, and spring semesters. The second topic will be important steps toward earning internships. The third will involve tips for acquiring the letters of reference, followed by directions regarding length and content requirements for the personal statement letter.

Background or History:

Last semester, knowing that my GPA was not competitive enough to enroll into a pharmacy school, I needed to find another major. By the end of the semester, I felt overwhelmed and decided to go for a bachelor’s that would lead to a career in at least 3-4 years from now. I want to stay in the health science field because of my strong inclination towards improving peoples’ well-being. After the first couple of weeks of my Nutrition 100 course it was clear that I would love this path, I liked reading my Nutrition book and enjoyed leaning all about the subject. I am worried, however, that a dietitian career will require post-graduate education. A major objective will therefore include obtaining a step-by-step guide toward this career path. At this time, I do not wish to delay my studies. Acquiring a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition will take two and a half years and I would like to take advantage of the summer research opportunities I have heard UTK offers.

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