Indiana University Bloomington

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B.S. IN DIETETICS

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH HEALTHY NUTRITION

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
You have a strong interest in food and nutrition.
You want to help people learn to make healthy choices and prevent disease.
You want to work in the community—not in a laboratory.

Dietetics is the science of applying food and nutrition to health. A vital, growing fi eld, dietetics offers numerous career opportunities in clinical and community settings, in private practice, in business and industry, in sports, in health care, in education, in food service, and in research.

“Dietetics is an amazing fi eld. It’s a great way to be a teacher, health professional, and love food all in one! The program, faculty, and staff of Applied Health Science are fantastic. The fi eld of dietetics is growing and the AHS department just keeps stepping up to the plate to keep new information available to its students. What a great place to learn!”
—Heidi Boruff, May ’04

About the Program

The dietetics program prepares students to become Registered Dietitians (R.D.). Focused on dietary intervention, health promotion, and disease prevention, the curriculum includes science courses such as chemistry, biology, and anatomy as well as social science courses such as psychology and sociology. Your nutrition courses can prepare you for such tasks as planning a nutritionally adequate diet for a child with diabetes or evaluating lab data of someone on dialysis.

Solid Preparation and Strong Ties

The Dietetics Program offers you the experience, skills, and support you need to be successful in the field.

  • We are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).
  • We have well-equipped food and nutrition labs for active learning.
  • The student-run Dietetics Club provides volunteer and leadership opportunities, allowing majors to grow academically and professionally.
  • Over the past 10 years, 85 percent of our graduates have passed the Registered Dietitian Exam on their first try.

Educational and Professional Requirements

Students must complete 26 credit hours and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 to be admitted to the program. A minimum of 124 credit hours is required to complete this program. Our program prepares students to become registered dietitians (R.D.), which is the recognized credential in the profession. In order to become an R.D., students must:

  1. Obtain at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
  2. Meet basic educational competencies established by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).
  3. Complete a supervised practice experience (i.e., an internship) at an ADA-accredited institution.
  4. Pass the national R.D. exam.

A dietetics degree from IU fulfills steps 1 and 2. Once an R.D., you’ll complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain your credential.

Tab sheet for major (PDF)

Preparing for the Internship

During the senior year, students participate in a national internship matching system. Internships after graduation are highly competitive. Students who receive internships usually have a GPA, of 3.0 or better, paid or volunteer work experience, and above-average grades in science courses.

Job Outlook and Salaries

With the public’s increasing interest in disease prevention and nutrition— combined with a growing and aging population—employment of dietitians is expected to grow faster than the average through 2014. According to the American Dietetic Association’s 2005 membership survey, the median annual salary for R.D.’s is $49,500. Entry-level salaries range from $34,000 to $44,000. As with any profession, salaries vary by geographic region, employment setting, and job responsibilities. Many registered dietitians—particularly those in private practice, business, the food industry, and consulting—can earn more than $60,000 annually.

Sample of Early Critical Courses

HPER-N 120 Introduction to Foods
HPER-N 231 Human Nutrition
CHEM-C 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry
CMCL-C 121 Public Speaking
PSY-P 101 Introduction to Psychology

Sample of Upper-Division Core Courses

HPER-N 336 Community Nutrition
HPER-N 320/ Food Chemistry
  325 plus Laboratory
HPER-N 321 Quantity Food Purchasing and Production
HPER-N 431/ Medical Nutrition Therapy
  433 plus Application
CHEM-R 340 Survey of Organic Chemistry

Career Opportunities

Registered Dietitians work in a variety of fi elds, educating their clients on the
connection between food, fi tness, and health. On the job, an R.D. might:

  • Administer medical nutrition therapy as part of a health care team
  • Manage food service operations in hospitals, health care facilities, or schools
  • Work in public relations, product development, or marketing
  • Counsel athletes, extended care facility residents, or company employees on
    wellness
  • Work with research teams at food or pharmaceutical companies, universities,
    or hospitals
  • Educate the public on environmental health concerns and alternative therapies

Faculty

Jun Dai, Ph.D., M.D.

Alyce Fly, Ph. D

Victoria Getty, M. Ed., R.D., Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics

Alice Lindeman, Ph. D., R.D.

For More Information

For more information about this program or the Department of Applied Health Science, please contact:

Department of Applied Health Science
Indiana University
HPER Building 116
1025 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405-7109
Telephone: (812) 855-3627
E-mail: ahsinfo@indiana.edu 

or

Dr. Kathleen Gilbert
Director of Undergraduate Education
Telephone: (812) 855-5209
E-mail: gilbertk@indiana.edu 

If you want to know more about becoming an R.D. or about issues in the fi eld,
check out:

Program Brochure (PDF)

Dietetics Redbook (PDF)