BSc Nutrition and Dietetics

Offering a mix of both a nutritionist course and a dietician course, a BSc Nutrition and Dietetics aims to build in students a thorough understanding of nutritional and dietary sciences equipping them to better interpret modern health concerns. It not only deals with the nutritional recommendations but also focuses on research in medical, dietary needs and human biosciences. Furthermore, it paves a way for individuals to venture into the thriving health, lifestyle and wellness industry. This blog is going to discuss various aspects of BSc Nutrition and Dietetics.

Course Level	Bachelor’s Degree
Full-form	BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
Duration	3 years
Eligibility	At Least 50% in Science stream
Admission Process	Merit-based
Course Fees	US$ 3300
Salary	$65,000
Recruiters	Hospitals, Nursing Facilities, Catering, etc

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What is BSc Nutrition and Dietetics?

Typically running for around 3 to 4 years in duration, the BSc Nutrition and Dietetics is a highly specialised course. It aims to build a holistic understanding through study and research in core fields of physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, diseases, epidemiology and a host of other fields. These topics offer students a much-needed avenue for comprehensive development. Further, a few years of experience or a Master in Public Health can also help open gateways into fields such as health policy analysis, health communication and health consultancy. The growing awareness as to healthy food and lifestyle has lent this field a new dimension of development.

Why Study BSc Nutrition and Dietetics?

Studying BSc Nutrition and Dietetics comes with great opportunities like:

• The course is highly in demand and will be in the future as people are always trying to keep their health in place with the right nutrition
• As people are getting more aware of a healthy diet and balanced eating, the scope of the course is only increasing
• You can work as both employee and be self-employed as many celebrities have personal dieticians and hospitals hire dieticians as well

Skills Required for BSc Nutrition and Dietetics

If you are planning to study BSc nutrition and dietetics, you not only need to have the hard skills for that but also the soft skills:

• Time Management
• Ability to work under pressure
• Understanding of nutrition and science

BSc Nutrition and Dietetics Subjects

The curriculum followed during the BSc Nutrition and Dietetics course is based on imparting a contemporary education related to the field of nutrition and dietetics. The curriculum incorporates a few essential subjects as well as optional modules covering topics of food technology, health communication methods, food servicing, catering, physiological control and so forth. Moreover, training in research methods and techniques, practical placements and research projects help in solidifying the learned concepts in an effective way. A few of the topics covered have been listed below:

• Introduction to Nutrition
• Introductory Food Science and Technology
• Nutrition and Health
• Diseases
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Research Methods
• Metabolism
• Medical Microbiology
• Applied Nutrition
• Communication and Health Promotion
• Diet Therapy
• Nutrition and Genetics
• Principles of Clinical Science and Therapeutics
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Public Health and Healthcare Systems
• Applied Food Science and Systems
• Dietetics Research Project

Eligibility Criteria

Though the actual admission requirements will differ as per the course and university, here are some of the general eligibility requirements for BSc Nutrition and Dietetics:

• The applicant must have completed 10+2 with PCB subjects and from a recognised board of education with the minimum marks required by your chosen university.
• For those planning to study abroad, you will have to provide English Language Proficiency scores of IELTS/TOEFL/PTE, etc. along with a Statement of Purpose (SOP) and optional Letters of Recommendation (LORs).

For specific eligibility requirements, students are advised to visit the official website of their chosen university.

Admission Process

Admission in BSc Nutrition and Dietetics is a smooth process. Let’s check out the admission process:

• The admission is mainly merit-based
• You must have at least 50% marks from the Science stream with physics, chemistry and biology
•  For admission abroad, an SAT exam and proficiency test in English like IELTS/TOEFL, etc is compulsory
• Once you have taken the test, apply for admission to the university depending on the country
• The admission process requires you to submit transcripts, SOP, and LOR
• If your profile matches the requirements of the university, you will receive a callback

Top Universities for BSc Nutrition and Dietetics

There are a plethora of universities and colleges around the world which offer bachelor’s degree courses in Nutrition and Dietetics. To help you further in your research, we have listed down some of the prominent universities across the world providing BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics and its course variants:

University	Course
University of Delaware	BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
Monash University	Bachelor’s in Nutrition Bachelor’s in Nutrition Science
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	BSc in Nutrition
University of Queensland	BSc in Food Science and Nutrition
University of Camerino	BSc in Nutritional Biology
Solent University	BSc Hons in Applied Human Nutrition BSc Hons – Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science
London Metropolitan University	BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics BSc Dietetics BSc in Human Nutrition
Southern Utah University	Bachelors in Human Nutrition
Bath Spa University	BSc Hons – Human Nutrition

Top Universities for BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics

Moreover, the popular universities and colleges offering BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics in India are:

• Chandigarh University, Chandigarh
• Andhra University, Andhra Pradesh
• Manav Rachna International University, Haryana
• Queen Mary’s College, Tamil Nadu
• Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, Tamil Nadu
• SGT University, Haryana
• Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh

Nutritionist vs Dietician

On first look, even though the job of both nutritionist and dietician may seem to be similar, there are major differences in actual responsibilities.

Dietician: In particular, the job of a dietician is a more regulated field which requires advanced knowledge of health and biosciences along with appropriate licensing and qualifications. They help in devising health and diet plans for people including patients suffering from diseases. They typically work in hospitals, clinics and healthcare centres while a private clinical practice is also being explored. In India, this field is regulated by the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA).

Nutritionist: On the other hand, the profession of a nutritionist is loosely regulated or not regulated at all. It is more inclined towards general nutrition-related advice that helps people in building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The job does not involve making dietary recommendations to patients, promoting healthy habits, developing health and diet plans. 

Career Prospects After BSc Nutrition and Dietetics

After completing a BSc Nutrition and Dietetics, you can enter a variety of industries spanning healthcare, food, lifestyle, wellness, policy, and communication. While both private and public companies offer lucrative job opportunities, one can also set up their own clinic/practice. Pursuing an advanced and specialized degree in modern dietary practices and consumption is also a popular choice for many. Before moving forward, it is important to differentiate between the two mainstream career paths, namely nutritionist and dietician.

Placement Opportunities

Here are some of the most common placement opportunities offered post this course:

• Researchers in government and private institutions
• Academicians
• Community Development Programme.
• Sports and fitness centres
• Consultant for Multinational Companies
• International Organizations (UNICEF, UNDP, WHO)
• Airlines and Railways
• Public Health Departments
• Ambulatory Care Programs
• Health and wellness industries
• Quantity food service establishments
• Counselors in Schools
• Health Organizations
• Hospitals
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Food Industry

Career Options

The choicest career paths taken by BSc Nutrition and Dietetics graduates are mentioned below:

Job	Salary
Nutrition and Dietetics Researcher	$71,178 (INR 58,86,424)
Public Health Professional	$56,204 (INR 46,48,073)
Food Scientist	$131,000 (INR 1,08,33,706)
Dietary Policy-Maker	$59,858 (INR 49,50,199)
Child and Maternal Dietician	$43,248 (INR 35,76,568)
Agricultural Food Technician	$40,860 (INR 33,79,083)
Nutritional Products Salesperson	$46,976 (INR 38,84,870)
Consultant	$62,500 (INR 51,68,690)
Food Psychologist	$39,000 (INR 32,25,262)
Animal Nutritionist	$74,066 (INR 61,25,187)
Sports Nutritionist	$53,533 (INR 44,26,646)

Scope For Higher Education

Once you are done with BSc Nutrition and Dietetics, you may want to plan your next career goal. But that does not always mean wanting to pursue a job. You can also study further. Here are some of your options:

• MSc Nutrition
• MSc in Dietetics
• MSc Nutrition and Dietetics
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Dietetics & Public Health NutritionM. Phil. Food and Nutrition
• M.Sc. Applied Nutrition
• M.Sc. Food and Nutrition
• M.Sc. Food, Nutrition and Dietetics
• MBA

FAQs

This article was in the aim of summarising specifics of BSc Nutrition and Dietetics course along with giving a general overview of fields of dietetics and nutrition. Moreover, while career scope in such fields is definitely rising in India, countries like the USA, Canada and UK offer much better career opportunities. If you are looking to dive down in this area but are not sure how to go about the whole process, the AI tool at Leverage Edu can assist you in narrowing down your choices based on your interests and inclinations, in turn, helping you build an awesome career.