Dietitians are health professionals who apply the science and art of human nutrition. They help individuals and families choose foods for adequate nutrition in health or disease throughout the life cycle. Dietitians also supervise the preparation and service of foods to groups, develop modified diets, participate in nutrition research and supervise the nutritional aspects of health care.

Dietitians are involved with people of all ages, cultures and economic means. Those who enjoy being with people and satisfying their needs will find satisfaction in this field. Career opportunities for dietitians include:

Administrative Dietitians – are responsible for food service systems that provide quality food and optimal nutrition. They are employed by schools, universities, hospitals, industry and other institutions providing group food service.

Clinical Dietitians – assess nutritional needs, develop individualized dietary plans and provide dietary counseling. They work as members of the health care team in hospitals and clinics.

Community Dietitians – plan and coordinate the nutritional aspects of improved health and disease prevention programs. They work for a variety of community organizations and governmental agencies.

Consulting Dietitians – give advice or services concerning nutrition, nutritional care or food service. They may be employed by health care facilities, restaurants or food businesses.

Research Dietitians – conduct or participate in nutrition, foods or food service systems management research in universities, medical centers or industry. Advanced training is required.

Teaching Dietitians – plan, implement and evaluate educational experiences for home economics, dietetic, medical, dental, nursing and other allied health students. Advanced preparation is required.

High school preparation may include classes in English, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biology, food preparation, social sciences and mathematics. An aptitude for science is important!

Students interested in pursuing a career in dietetics should contact the BMS department to declare Dietetics as a major and for assignment of an academic advisor. Your advisor will help you plan an individual course schedule designed to meet the program requirements. Upon completion of 45 hours, including BMS 240, Introduction to Nutrition, and BMS 308, Human Physiology with an over all GPA of 2.90 or higher for all course work taken, students are eligible to apply for formal admission to the Dietetics degree program.

Please consult the Missouri State Catalog online at www.missouristate.edu/catalog for specific course information.

The Dietetics program at Missouri State is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, 800-877-1600 ext. 5400. Graduates are eligible to apply for accredited dietetic internships to obtain the 900 hours of supervised practice necessary to take the registration examination for dietitians.

Registered dietitians (RDs) with advanced degrees teach the professional dietetics courses in the program. The dietetics faculty have expertise in medical nutrition therapy, food service management and community nutrition including sports nutrition and eating disorders. Part-time faculty members with dietetics background teach some courses. In addition, other faculty in the Biomedical Sciences Department with specializations in anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology and pathophysiology teach core courses in the program.

The Dietetics program administrative offices, laboratories and classrooms are located in the Professional Building on the Missouri State campus.

Students majoring in dietetics or completing personalized minors in nutrition are encouraged to participate in the Student Dietetic Association. This organization sponsors guest speakers, field trips to internships and community service activities. Students have fun while developing leadership skills and valuable professional contacts.

Career Opportunities Outlook

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of dietitians/nutritionists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012 due to increased emphasis on disease prevention through improved dietary habits. To learn more about dietetics visit the site of the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

Employers of Recent Missouri State Graduates

• Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
• St. John’s Hospital, Joplin
• Cox Medical Center, Springfield
• WIC Program
• US Army
• St. John’s Regional Health Center, Springfield