Nutrition majors go on to influence the health and well-being of their communities.
A nutrition major will prepare you for key roles in raising awareness of the effect nutrition has on physical health.
A bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science coupled with an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship (DI) and success on the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) examination will lead to Registered Dietitian (RD) status.
The small size of the program allows students to receive individualized program planning, academic and career counseling from department faculty advisors.
The goal of the faculty in this program is to advance the field of nutrition through scholarship, outreach and preparation of entry-level registered dietitians (RD). They come from a variety of backgrounds, offering expertise in teaching different topics.
The small size of the program encourages the exchange of ideas between faculty and students. Faculty encourage students with diverse talents and backgrounds to enter the Nutrition Science program.
Leah Waldron ’25
Nutrition & Dietetics, M.S.
Colleen McCrief, MS, RD
Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science
Read more from students, faculty and alumni.
Individuals who complete an undergraduate degree in Nutrition may find employment as a school food service director, health educator, pharmaceutical sales rep, public health official, food safety inspector, food technologist or family and consumer scientist among other roles.
Recent graduates have been hired as the consulting dietitian for the Denver Nuggets, a nutrition associate at HelloFresh and in administrator roles for the Child Nutrition Program of the New York State Education Department.
Students can pursue Dietetic Internships after they earn a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science, which is the next step to becoming an RD.
Registered Dietitians work as part of medical teams to administer medical nutrition therapy in hospitals, private practice or other health care facilities.
They can also be found in community and public health settings, academia and research.
A growing number of registered dietitian nutritionists work with food and nutrition industry and business, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate-wellness programs and other non-traditional work settings.
After completing your bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, you’ll be eligible to apply for an accredited Dietetic Internship program. Many students pursue Russell Sage College’s Dietetic Internship program.
You’ll get a minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised practice, preparing you to take the next step: passing the CDR’s dietetic registration exam.
Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12 a.m. (midnight) Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement, visit CDR’s website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree.
In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited DPD program at Russell Sage College are eligible to [apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program/apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN].
In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice.
Graduates of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years had a 100% match rate to Dietetic Internships. Students have gone on to pursue Dietetic Internships at Russell Sage College, Case Western University, University of Buffalo, Bronx VA, Chicago VA, Minneapolis VA, Tulane University and State University of Denver.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) use their expertise in food and nutrition to help individuals and communities achieve better health. RDNs may work as part of a healthcare team in hospitals, private practice, or other health-related facilities. They also may work in nonprofit and public health settings, educational and research positions, in food-related businesses, and more. […]
