Career Information
Employment Prospects in Dietetics
As with any profession, salaries and fees vary by region of the country, employment settings, scope of responsibility, and local labor supply.
According to the American Dietetic Association's 2002 Dietetics Compensation and Benefits Survey, half of all Registered Dietitians (RDs) in the U.S. who have been working in the field for four years or less earn between $33,000 and $42,000 per year.
Salaries increase with years of experience and many RDs, particularly those in management, business, and consulting earn incomes above $50,000.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians is expected to grow about as fast as the average (10 to 20 percent) for all occupations through the year 2012 because of increased emphasis on disease prevention, a growing and aging population, and public interest in nutrition.
Employment in hospitals, prisons, community health programs and home health care are expected to grow 10 to 20 percent. A decrease of 1 percent is expected in government employment and in extended care facilities due to consolidation. Faster growth (21 to 35 percent), however, is anticipated food service facilities, outpatient care and physician clinics.
There are several websites that provide information on your current opportunities in dietetics.
For more information about careers in nutrition and dietetics, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Additional information also is available from American Medical Association Allied Health and the American Dietetic Association.
Opportunities for Degree Holders
If you already have a bachelors degree and want to become a counselor in nutrition, considering becoming a Registered Dietitian.
You need to do four things to become a Registered Dietitian:
- Complete a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
- Meet the current academic requirements set by the American Dietetic Association at an accredited dietetics program;
- Complete an American Dietetic Association accredited supervised field experience; and
- Successfully write the Registration Examination for Dietitians.
You completed the first of the four requirements by earning a bachelors degree. You must next find an accredited dietetics program to complete your academic requirements. There are two kinds of programs available: Four-year undergraduate programs (didactic programs), and coordinated undergraduate programs, which include supervised field experience.
Unfortunately we do not have an accredited didactic program at IUPUI (although some of the required courses are available on this campus). IUPUI offers many of the required science courses and the food service courses. Before enrolling in courses at IUPUI, decide which dietetic education program you will attend. Talk with program advisors to find out which IUPUI courses their program will accept as transfer courses.
We receive many inquiries from people who are interested in nutrition and are investigating the possibility of developing a program to meet your specific needs.
A complete listing of both four-year programs and coordinated programs in the United States is available at the American Dietetic Association website http://www.eatright.org. Links to other dietetic education programs available in Indiana are available elsewhere on this site. Please contact these programs directly.
If you would like information specific to your background, please contact the Department Chair of the Nutrition & Dietetics Department.
Jacquelynn O'Palka PhD, RD
Department Chair
Nutrition & Dietetics Department
Coleman Hall 224
1140 W. Michigan St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5119
Phone: 317.278.0934
Fax: 317.278.3940
jopalka@iupui.edu
Opportunities for Non-Degreed Students
If you do not have a bachelors degree and want to become a nutrition counselor or a Registered Dietitian, you need to do four things:
- Complete a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
- Meet the current academic requirements set by the American Dietetic Association at an accredited dietetics program;
- Complete an American Dietetic Association accredited supervised field experience; and
- Successfully write the Registration Examination for Dietitians.
There are two kinds of dietetic education programs available in the U.S. In the most common kind of program — a four-year undergraduate program — you would earn a bachelors degree and then complete a dietetic internship in the fifth year. The second type of program — the coordinated program — includes the internship component in the undergraduate preparation.
Unfortunately we do not have either type of program at IUPUI (although some of the required courses are available on this campus). IUPUI offers many of the required science courses and the food service courses. Before enrolling in courses at IUPUI, decide which dietetic education program you will attend. Talk with the program advisors and find out which IUPUI courses their program will accept as transfer courses.
A complete listing of both four-year undergraduate programs and coordinated programs is available at the American Dietetic Association website http://www.eatright.org. Links to other dietetic education programs available in Indiana are available elsewhere on this site. Please contact these programs directly.