All About a Nutritionist Course

From educating people on healthy food to providing a diet plan for their clients, these professionals suggest corrective food habits for all. Even though both dieticians and nutritionists work on the overall health of an individual but their role differs in certain aspects, including, but not restricted to the type of specialization you pursue in a Nutrition/Dietician course. So, in this blog, we have collated all the essential information pertaining to a Nutritionist course.

What is Nutrition 

Nutrition and dietetics is a discipline of science that deals with fitness, health, and eating well. People who are interested in this field of medicine can study it to pursue a rewarding career as a nutritionist or dietician. It is offered as a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. After obtaining one of the two degrees, one can aid others in developing a healthy and fit physique and adhering to a healthy diet. A dietitian is one of the most common job possibilities after completing a nutrition and dietetics education.

Difference Between a Nutritionist and a Dietician

While dieticians focus on food management i.e. they strategize and supervise the diet plan for patients, the nutritionists promote healthy living by educating the patient about good food. In a strictly regulated field, a Dietitian has to get himself registered before practicing. This may not necessarily be the requirement for a nutritionist. Thus, a dietician can call himself a nutritionist but it is not the other way round. Now that you have understood the difference, let us explore some Nutritionist courses as well as the categories of these specialists.

Required Skillset for Nutritionists

An aspirant to any of the undergrad or post-graduation programs in nutrition and dietetics should have the following competencies.

• Interest in food/ food preparation
• Communication skills 
• Research skills
• Patience

Types of Nutritionists

Majorly, Dietitians and nutritionists are categorized into four categories. You can pursue a Nutritionist Course based on your field of choice:

Types of Nutritionists	Responsibilities
Clinical Nutritionists and Dieticians	These food nutrition professionals usually work in primary or secondary health care sectors like hospitals, clinics, or other health-based institutes. They plan, assess, and monitor a patient’s nutritional intake.
Community Nutritionist And Dieticians	Those who work on planning and advising the public on healthy living and good food are called community nutritionists. They usually work in NGOs, fitness clubs, and public healthcare centers.
Management Nutritionist And Dieticians	They are professionals who plan healthy meals for schools, prisons, hospitals, restaurants, etc.
Consultant Nutritionist And Dieticians	Such professionals work in their capacity as consultants, counselors, and nutrition-based authors.

Popular Nutritionist Courses

Let’s look at some of these popular nutritionist courses in further detail:

• B.Sc. in Nutrition and Dietetics:

It is a 3-year undergraduate degree course that combines both the science of nutrition and wellness. With a comprehensive curriculum, this course focuses on analyzing the relationship between food and the body. 

• B.Sc. in Clinical Nutrition:

With a combination of clinical findings, research, and medical knowledge, B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition is a 3-year degree course that focuses on the study of nutrients. The graduates can work as sports nutritionists, consultants, therapeutic Dietitians, etc. 

• B.Sc. in Food Science and Nutrition:

This Nutrition Course primarily focuses on how storing and consuming food in a specific way can alter the nutrient composition, thus affecting health. From food processing and production to food storage and preservation, this course acts as an interface between food science and nutrition.  

Nutritionist Courses Abroad

Just like selecting a specialization keeping in mind your likes and interests are important, applying to a university that offers excellent research opportunities, world-class infrastructure, and a well-structured curriculum is also necessary. In the tables below, we have collated a list of universities offering Nutrition courses in the form of degrees or vocational courses.

Nutrition Course and Universities at the UG Level

University	Course
University of Illinois	BSc Food Science and Human Nutrition
University of Queensland	Bachelor of Health Sciences – Nutrition
University of Leeds	BSc (Hons) Nutrition
University of British Columbia	BSc Food, Nutrition, and Health
Kansas State University	BSc Human Nutrition
University of Hohenheim	Bachelor in Nutrition Management and Dietetics
McGill University	BSc Nutritional Sciences

Nutrition Course and Universities at the PG Level

When it comes to pursuing PG Nutritionist courses, apart from a bachelor’s degree in the same or related field, you also need to submit GRE and English proficiency test scores like that of IELTS, TOEFL, etc. The eligibility criteria, however, can vary from one university to another.

University	Courses
University of Toronto	Master of Public Health in Nutrition and Dietetics
University of Washington	MSc Nutritional Sciences
University of Nottingham	MSc Clinical Nutrition
University of Purdue	MSc Interdepartmental Nutrition
Technical University of Munich	MSc Nutrition and Biomedicine
University College London	MSc Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition
University of Glasgow	PgCert Sports Nutrition
University of Otago	PgCert Applied Sciences Sport and Exercise Nutrition
University College Cork	PgCert Nutritional Sciences

Nutritionist Courses in India

Here are the most popular nutritionist courses in India:

• BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
• BSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
• BSc in Food Science and Nutrition
• Diploma in Nutrition and Diet Planning
• Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics
• Diploma in Health Education
• M.Sc. Clinical Nutrition
• M.Sc. Food Science
• M.Sc. Public Health and Nutrition
• M.Sc. Nutrition and Dietetics
• M.Sc. in Paediatric Dietetics
• M.A. in Family and Consumer Sciences
• M.A. in Dietetics Studies
• M.A. in Food Studies
• M.A. in Food Technology
• Diploma in Nutrition and Food sciences
• Diploma in Human Nutrition

Online Nutritionist Courses

Here are the top free nutritionist courses online:

• Diploma in Human Nutrition from Alison
• Starter Nutrition Course on The Health Sciences Academy
• Human Nutrition: Introduction to Micronutrients on Alison
• Introduction to Nutrition and Food Safety on Future Learn
• Nutrition and Cancer by Wageningen University and Research on edX
• Child Nutrition and Cooking by the University of Stanford on Coursera
• Nutrition: Vitamins and Minerals on OpenLearn
• Nutrition and Health: Human Microbiome by Wageningen University and Research on edX
• Free Online Nutrition Courses by Oxford Home Study Centre
• Online Nutrition Courses by VLCC Institute

Nutrition & Dietetics Syllabus

Principles of Nutrition	Quantity of Food Service and Physical Facilities	Environmental Studies
Community Nutrition	Food Science	Fundamental Computer Concepts and Windows
Food Microbiology	Food Service Management	Human Physiology
Post-Harvest Technology	Chemistry	Dietetics
Family Meal Management	Biochemistry	Food Quality Control
Food Preservation

Nutritionist Courses Eligibility

• For Bachelor’s Course: The basic eligibility criteria remain the same for all the courses i.e.: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology [BiPC Subjects] in 10+2. But the minimum percentile criteria may vary from one university to another. 
• For Masters Course: A UG degree in the same or related fields.
• Along with this, you need to qualify for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, etc

Nutritionist Course Fees 

Course	Minimum Fees	Maximum Fees
UG	17.73 K	6.74 Lakhs
PG	25.80 K	6.27 Lakhs
DOCTORAL	—	—
DIPLOMA	8.00 K	1.20 Lakhs

Top Indian Colleges for Nutritionist Courses

• University of Delhi
• National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
• University of Mysore
• Guru Nanak Dev University
• G.B University of Agriculture and Technology
• Madurai Kamaraj University
• Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research University

Institutes Offering Nutritionist Courses in Delhi NCR

• Indira Gandhi National Open University
• Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi
• Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi
• New Delhi YMCA
• Lovely Professional University
• Amity University, Gurugram
• Sharda University
• Jamia Hamdard University
• Institute of Public Health and Hygiene
• Trishna College of Paramedical and Polytechnic

Scope of Nutritionists in India and Abroad

People are growing increasingly worried about their health as their lifestyles change. They desire to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Nutrition plays an essential part in people’s life nowadays to attain the same goal. The industry is quite important in the market, and it is increasing at an alarming rate now that the epidemic has invaded our life. As a result, applicants will benefit from pursuing a career in nutrition and dietetics. In hospitals and clinics, a person with a degree in nutrition and dietetics can work as a Nutritionist, Management Dietician, Consultant Dietician, and Dietician. Working as a professional in the sector, they make a good living.

Nutritionist Jobs

With the growing importance of healthy living and the changing eating habits of urban youth, the health and wellness industry has witnessed a boom in recent years. Whether a bachelor’s degree or a master’s, opting for a specialization in a Nutritionist Course will open doors to ample career opportunities both in India and abroad. From government to private sectors, almost all industries need such professionals. After pursuing a Nutritionist Course, you can work as :

• Health and Nutrition Counselor
• Physical Therapist
• Nutrition Teacher
• Researcher
• Consultant
• Clinical Dietician
• Agriculture and Food Science technician
• Medical Sales Representative
• Animal Nutritionist
• Registered Dietician

Nutritionist Salary in India

As per payscale, the starting salary of a Nutritionist ranges from ₹294,128 – ₹361,741 in India.

Nutritionist Upcoming trends

The following are some of the current nutrition and dietetic industry trends that practically everyone will be following in 2022:

Immunity Booster: The COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone realize how critical it is to boost immunity to combat the virus and recover from its aftereffects. To enhance immunity, the food sector is concentrating on producing food items supplemented with zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

Mental Health: Since the lockdown was announced, the focus has shifted to mental health, as the number of people suffering from stress, worry, and depression has risen dramatically. Antioxidants, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B, and other bioactive components are found in foods that boost mental health.

Localism: People are more interested in buying locally grown goods and food items as a result of the pandemic shutdown. It also gave us a sense of gratitude for the farmers, grocery shops, and restaurants that helped us put food on our tables.

We thus have compiled all the relevant information regarding the Nutritionist Courses. If you wish to know more about the universities or need guidance in the admission process then team Leverage Edu is here to help you in securing admission to your dream university.