Employment

Employment opportunities for students with a B.S. in Nutritional Science depend in part upon the emphasis chosen in the Nutritional Science major and the supporting enrichment experiences students have in completing their education - internships, participation in laboratory research, field work in developing countries, etc. Recent graduates seeking immediate employment have found work in the biotechnology industry, the pharmaceutical and nutriceutical industries, the fitness industry, in major research centers, in the computer and software industry, and in public health.

The vast majority (probably 95%) of employment opportunities for people with a BS degree, who want to do nutrition counseling, are available to Dietetics graduates who have successfully completed a Dietetics Internship and the Registration exam. Check out BYU's excellent Dietetics major!

The U.S. Government's Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) prefers Registered Dietitians (RDs) as counselors. However, they also employ graduates in nutrition, family science or consumer science who have taken a life-cycle nutrition course (NDFS 424 at BYU).

There are some jobs available with food security advocacy groups (e.g., food banks, anti-poverty organizations), health advocacy organizations (preventing osteoporosis, cancer, or heart disease), trade groups for commodities (citrus fruits, vegetable growers), people working to increase food security (farmers market organizers, food stamp administrators), and in the fitness industry. Opportunities for these jobs increase with specialized skills or training: bilingual, journalism courses and experience, service learning with community organizations, etc.

Advanced Training

Nutritional Science is an excellent pre-professional major for students planning a career in the health professions. Nutrition is a fundamental part of health care, yet very few health professional schools offer courses in nutrition. All pre-requisites for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools are included in the Nutritional Science curriculum. Students graduating with a B.S. in Nutritional Science have gained admission to medical schools at Duke, Baylor, and the Mayo Clinic (among many others), dental schools at OhioState, University of Pittsburgh, and University of the Pacific, as well as schools of osteopathy, pharmacy, podiatry, optometry, and physicians assistants.

Nutritional Science offers excellent preparation for advanced graduate training in nutrition, biochemistry, molecular biology, public health and related disciplines. Recent graduates have been admitted into prestigious programs at Stanford, University of California-Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois, University of Missouri and the University of Utah.