Types Of Nutrition Degrees
Acquiring knowledge in the field of nutrition will not only help you understand how the human body works on a personal level, but it can also open up career opportunities for you. There are two types of nutrition degrees essentially. The one will grant you the title of a Registered Dietician, while the other will grant you that of a Dietetic Technician
In order to obtain the first of those two types of nutrition degrees, you need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nutrition by attending a four-year program at a college level. As a student, besides theoretical studies, you will have to complete a minimum of 900 hours of supervised practice as an internship, as well as other tasks you will have to fulfill and activities that you will have to participate in, in order to complete your curriculum. Instead, of spending four years in college, though, you can opt for the second of the two types of nutrition degrees and become a Dietetic Technician by earning an associate’s degree after only two years of studies. In this case, too, you will have to make sure that the college or university that you attend is an accredited one, and that it is also recognized by your state. When you do obtain any of the two types of nutrition degrees, there is a range of professional opportunities that you will be able to choose from. Up until lately, most dieticians were usually employed in clinical hospitals. Yet, nowadays there is a great shift towards the rapidly expanding areas of food service and community education, whether that means writing for internet sites (that aim to educate people on how to maintain a healthy diet), working as a chef advisor, or anything else related to nutrition.
Whether you choose to become Registered Dietician or a Dietetic Technician, both of those two types of nutrition degrees will not grant you professional rights for life; in order to remain a licensed professional you are going have to continue your studies through seminars regularly, so that you are up to date with recent developments in the field of nutrition.
Even if you are not interested in becoming a registered nutritionist, it doesn’t mean that you cannot pursue less advanced types of nutrition degrees. For example, many students who major in athletics, medicine, or community health, choose to do a minor in nutrition, so that they expand their knowledge and understanding of their primary field of studies. Additionally, there are some types of nutrition degrees that require only two, or one, years of studying that grant you specialty certifications that can be used to complement your primary degree.
Last but not least, you can choose to pursue any of the aforementioned types of nutrition degrees, just to learn more things about nutrition and how you can improve your quality of life simply by following a healthier diet. Whether you are 25 years old guy with an athletic body that wants to improve his performance, or a 55 year-old with high levels of cholesterol, a nutrition degree can be of great help.
