About the field of Nutritional Sciences / Dietetics...

The field of Nutritional Sciences / Dietetics focus on the specific role that food and nutrition have in human health and the prevention and treatment of disease throughout the lifespan. This includes studying the molecular level of how nutrients influence metabolism, the social and psychological factors that influence dietary practices and disease risk in individuals and communities, and factors that influence the nutritional quality, quantity and availability of food.

About our Nutritional Sciences / Dietetics program and degree...

Our Nutrition Science / Dietetics program is embedded within the Human Biology Department. This gives our students a solid, interdisciplinary foundation in the biological, physiological, developmental, and genetic aspects of human organisms with strong emphasis on the role of nutrients and food in human health and disease.

The nutritional science/dietetics program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UW-Green Bay) is a fully accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which meets the dietetic education requirements as specified by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Successful completion of our undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics will result in receipt of a verification statement and eligibility to apply to an accredited dietetic internship in pursuit of becoming a registered dietitian. Dietitians who are employed in the state of Wisconsin are also eligible to become a Certified Dietitian (CD) under current state licensure.

Click here for our accreditation status and ACEND information.

Students who successfully complete the UW-Green Bay Nutritional Science/Dietetics program earn a Human Biology Major with a Nutritional Science/Dietetics Emphasis Bachelor’s degree.

What can I do with this degree?

1) Become a Registered Dietitian (RD) Professional:
A registered dietitian is a recognized expert in food and nutrition. RDs work in health care settings, such as hospitals, health clinics, long-term care facilities and private practice. In these settings RDs provide medical nutrition therapy in the treatment and prevention of disease. In addition, many RDs work at the local, state, federal or international level in community and public health agencies. RDs also work in food and nutrition research in academic, or corporate settings. Other opportunities for employment include industry and food service.

How do I become a Registered Dietitian (RD)?

**Important Information: For the past several years, the numbers of students successfully completing accredited undergraduate Didactic Programs in Dietetics nationwide, and applying to Dietetic Internships has been outpacing the number of available internship positions. As a result, competition for internships is fierce. Currently, the percentage of eligible persons (i.e., persons successfully completing an undergraduate DPD program and applying to Dietetic Internships) that are matched (accepted) into a Dietetic internship is approximately 50%.

Please click here for more information about the current state of supply and demand for dietetic internships.

Please click here for information about improving your chances at getting a dietetic internship position.

2) Become a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR):
Many DTRs work with RDs in health care facilities assisting RDs with providing medical nutrition therapy. DTRs also work in food service, community and public health settings providing nutrition counseling.

How do I become a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR)?

3) Go on to Graduate School:
Students with this degree also pursue graduate school in a wide variety of disciplines such as, nutrition research in disease prevention/intervention, nutrient metabolism, nutrient-gene interactions, public health and policy, international nutrition, and epidemiology.

4) Employment Opportunities:
Students with this Bachelor’s degree also go directly into the workforce in such areas as, food service, the food industry/agribusiness, the health care field, government agencies and public health.

Additional information about career and educational opportunities can be found at:

The Society for Nutrition Education developed a handbook to help people decide on career paths in nutrition. "Untangling the Nutrition Web in Career Development" can be found at www.nutritioncareers.com. An extensive chart in the book visually shows how skills and interests in nutrition can be paired with many other skills and interests to create very unusual careers. There is an order form available at www.nutritioncareers.com/ordering.html and you can read a review at www.nutritioncareers.com/reviews.html.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics web site contains a great deal of information about career opportunities for professionals in the Nutrition Sciences/ Dietetics field at:
www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=7601

The American Society for Nutritional Science at www.nutrition.org/education-and-professional-development/graduate-program-directory/ From this page there are direct links to graduate programs in each state. The best thing to do is to then contact the programs that interest you.