Nutrition & Dietetics Frequently Asked Questions

A lot! A career in nutrition and dietetics holds a lifetime of opportunity for interesting and diverse employment. We encourage nutrition students to pursue the registered dietitian (RD) credential. This is typically a three step process:

1. Completion of an accredited nutrition/dietetics program, also called Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).
2. Completion of an accredited dietetic internship.
3. Obtaining a passing score on the national registered dietitian examination.

Nutrition program graduates who do not pursue the RD credential most often seek employment in community health, food service management, and medical sales. All graduates of the UNF DPD/nutrition program are eligible to take the examination to become a dietetic technician (DTR). Dietetic technicians typically work under the direction of an RD in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.

Hospitals, health departments, home health agencies, wellness centers, nursing homes, school districts, food companies, dietary supplement companies, clinics, grocery stores, universities, diabetes centers, community agencies and mental health centers all employ RD's. Many RD's have their own private practices as well. Other RD's hold challenging positions in government agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Depending on their place of employment, RD's may do the following: assess the nutritional status of diverse populations and help people implement healthful lifestyle changes; manage health/nutrition programs and supervise staff; manage and direct food service operations; conduct research; teach; manage university nutrition programs; develop and market food and supplement products; oversee school food service operations; and author books and articles.

Courses are typically scheduled during daytime and evening hours Monday through Friday. There are no online degree options at this time. However, individual courses may be offered in an online format. Many program courses are offered only once a year, therefore it's imperative that students follow the proper sequence of coursework.

Yes, many community colleges offer the required prerequisites. You must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all nutrition program courses including program prerequisites. Effective August, 2013, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in three program prerequisite classes: HUN2201, BSC2085C, and BSC2086C. You may contact a Brooks College of Health advisor for additional information regarding course transfers.

Yes, we encourage students to participate in the campus community and to become active and engaged citizens. There are opportunities for membership and leadership positions within the UNF Student Nutrition Club, the Jacksonville Dietetic Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Florida Dietetic Association. Campus and community volunteer opportunities are plentiful. Students are encouraged to seek part-time employment, particularly in the areas of health care or food service.

Acceptance into internships is competitive and cannot be guaranteed. The dietetic internship programs are separate entities from the undergraduate nutrition/DPD program. There are over 200 accredited internship programs throughout the U.S. Typically, students apply to internship programs during their senior year and if accepted they usually start in August following graduation.

A master's degree is not currently required for entry-level practice. However, the profession is moving towards requiring a master's degree in any area for entry level practice. This will become effective in the year 2024 and will be in addition to the 1200-hour accredited internship. About half of all registered dietitians currently have a master's degree.

The MS/DI is an ACEND accredited combined master's degree and dietetic internship for persons who have a verification form from an ACEND accredited DPD program. These persons are not Registered Dietitians but wish to become one.

The ISPP is a pathway within the accredited dietetic internship program. It is designed for persons who applied but were not matched to an internship. The ISPP program is not linked to graduate level coursework.

The online MS in Nutrition is a distance learning degree for those students who wish to emphasize the application of advanced nutrition knowledge in clinical or community based health programs.