University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Dietetics Program
Students choosing a professional career as a Registered Dietitian (RD) and who desire to do nutrition counseling should select the academic course work outlined in this option which meets undergraduate academic requirements established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Diatetics (AND).
To become a Registered Dietitian students must first earn a Bachelor of Science degree and then be accepted into an accredited internship. Upon successful completion of a 6-11 month internship, the student is eligible to take the national dietetic registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, AND. Students generally need to have a GPA above a 3.0 and work experience in dietetics to be competitive for internship programs.
Students may contact Dr. Anne Shovic (956-3847), the Dietetics Program Director, and are encouraged to refer to the Dietetics Option Student Handbook for more information about this option. Work and/or volunteer experience in the field of interest is highly recommended.
Education Requirements to become a Registered Dietitian (RD)
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Undergraduate degree in food and nutrition from a university program accredited by ACEND. Subjects include food and nutrition sciences, foodservice systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology, communications, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy and chemistry.
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Dietetic Internship Program, a formalized learning program in which academic knowledge is applied in practice settings. Settings include hospitals, long term care facilities, public health programs, and foodservice industry. Dietetic internships programs are accredited by ACEND and are 40 to 45 weeks in length.
Where Dietitians Work
CLINICAL: work as part of the health care team and assess the nutritional status of individuals, develop nutrition care plans, monitor the effectiveness of the nutrition intervention, and provide counseling to clients. Clinical dietitians specialize in areas such as enteral and parenteral nutrition, diabetes, pediatric or renal nutrition. Clinical dietitians work in hospitals, dialysis centers, and home nutrition support programs.
FOOD SERVICE: manage large scale food service operations to ensure the safe, sanitary, and cost effective preparation and distribution of meals. Dietitians work in food processing, hospitality and patient food service.
COMMUNITY: develop programs and services to improve nutritional well-being and access to healthy food and to address specific nutrition needs of groups within their community. Community dietitians often work with government programs as well as with schools and non-profit organizations.
EDUCATION/ RESEARCH: teach nutrition, community and food service management in colleges and universities. Conduct research studies to answer questions to enhance nutritional care, improve food service and health outcomes.
CONSULTING: provide expertise in nutrition, diet therapy, and food service to individual clients, corporate health and wellness programs, and the media.
Click here to view the Dietetics Option Student Handbook PDF
