The BS degree in dietetics and nutrition is not accepting applications at this time. However, if you have an interest in nutrition, dietetics, and wellness, we encourage you to explore our BS degree in nutritional sciences.
Public interest in nutrition for maintaining good health throughout life has never been stronger. Completing a degree in dietetics and nutrition is your first step to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN; also known as an RD). RDNs work with people of all ages, cultures, and economic means. They are credentialed health professionals who apply nutritional science to individuals, families, communities, and beyond to help their clients address nutritional needs.
People are increasingly interested in the nutritional requirements for obtaining good health and long life. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) work with people of all ages, cultures, and economic means. They learn to understand people as individuals, thereby helping their clients solve their nutritional needs. RDNs are health professionals who apply the art and science of food and nutrition.
The major leads to a BS degree that meets the educational requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The pre-professional phase (years 1 and 2) involves core courses in science, food science, basic nutrition, mathematics, liberal arts, and business. The professional phase (years 3 and 4) includes practicum experiences in various upper-division courses. Three cooperative work experiences, including one position in health care food and nutrition services, are a requirement of the major. Students also have the opportunity to acquire a certificate or minor in a variety of content areas, including exercise science. To become credentialed as an RDN students also need to complete an accredited supervised practice after graduation and pass the National Registration Exam for Dietitian Nutritionists.
Part of the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition, the BS program in dietetics and nutrition is a challenging curriculum that prepares students to become RDNs and to practice in diverse settings such as hospitals, clinical practices, other health care facilities, universities, government agencies, research facilities, food and pharmaceutical companies, public health organizations, public wellness programs, school food-service, commercial foodservice, journalism, marketing, sports nutrition, and corporate wellness programs. (Additional information is available in the Dietetics and Nutrition Program Handbook.)
Program Strengths
- RIT/Rochester Regional Health Alliance: RIT is Rochester Regional Health's official academic affiliate and Rochester Regional is the university's official affiliated clinical partner. We work together to improve the quality and cost of health care delivery and to demonstrably improve the health of the people of Western New York and the Finger Lakes. The alliance provides a primary network of health care opportunities for student work experiences (co-ops), practicums, and research.
- A successful program with significant history at RIT. The dietetics and nutrition program originated in 1892 as a food program under RIT's predecessor, Mechanics Institute.
- Our alumni include Dr. Judith Brown, author of a nationally used nutrition text; Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished professor at The Pennsylvania State University and winner of several awards for research including dietary fats and health benefits of dark chocolate.
- Active support and interaction with Rochester nutrition and health care communities provide significant opportunities for experiential learning activities in upper-division courses
- Faculty with strong teaching and research skills who have won awards for teaching and conducting research. They have presented research at national and international conferences and routinely publish in peer-reviewed science and health journals.
- Historical relationship with RIT's hospitality and tourism management major emphasizes culinary expertise, management, and leadership training, fostering a unique skill set for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
- Excellent first-time pass rate on RD exam puts RIT in the 88th percentile of all DPD-programs for first-attempt pass rate.
- Excellent supervised practice (dietetic internship) placement rate (Over past five years, 100% of graduates who seek supervised practice are placed within 12 months of graduating)
- Excellent employment rate (100% of graduates over the past five years are employed in the field within six months of completing dietetic internship)
- The curriculum equally emphasizes clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and food management, which prepares students for diverse employment opportunities
- Small program size and dedicated faculty members ensure individualized student attention
- Strong undergraduate research component: Each student completes two individual and one group research projects with frequent dissemination of student research at the annual meeting of the New York State Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
- Requirement of co-op work experiences in food and nutrition supported by Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education
- New state of the art facility includes significant opportunities for interdisciplinary experiences with other health care programs and real-world experience for students via actual health clinics and simulation laboratory
- Inclusion of physical-focused assessment using a simulation laboratory.
- Multiple opportunities for international study experiences, including faculty-led programs to study the Mediterranean Diet in Croatia and childhood anemia in Ghana. Study abroad opportunities at RIT's global campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo, or through affiliate programs at other universities
Mission
The mission of RIT's dietetics and nutrition major is based on the philosophy that a college graduate should have a broad-based education. This encompasses meeting the current and future needs of students for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a RDN and practice careers in the changing food and nutrition environment to better serve society.
Goals of the Dietetics and Nutrition Program
- Prepare graduates for successful application to accredited supervised practice programs and to become competent, entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
- Prepare graduates to continually participate in professional development.
Objectives/Outcomes of the Dietetics and Nutrition Program
Objective: The program's one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
Outcome: 100% one-year pass rate for exam administered from January-December 2020
Objective: 80% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
Outcome: 100% acceptance into a supervised practice program within 12 months of graduation.
Objective: 85% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
Outcome: 100% applied to supervised practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
Objective: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 6 years (150% of program length).
Outcome: 100% of students complete the program within 6 years (150% of program length).
Objective: At least 90% of supervised practice directors who answer a survey will agree or strongly agree with the statement: “This RIT graduate was adequately prepared for supervised practice.â€
Outcome: Data under collection, outcome forthcoming.
Objective: 95% of graduates who responded to a survey and have completed or are completing supervised practice will verify that they were prepared.
Outcome: 100% of graduate survey responders felt they were prepared for supervised practice.
Objective: 100% of students in the third and fourth year of the program will be members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
Outcome: 100% of third- and fourth-year students are AND members.
Objective: 100% of all graduates who become RDNs will participate in professional development activities required for maintenance of RDN status
Outcome: 100% of supervised practice directors surveyed indicated they agreed or strongly agreed that RIT graduates were adequately prepared for supervised practice
Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
The following are the steps necessary to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist:
- Successful completion of the BS in dietetics and nutrition degree requirements; including three blocks of approved cooperative education experience.
- Complete an ACEND accredited 1,200 hour supervised practice program, such as a dietetic internship or coordinated master's program after graduation.
- Pass the CDR Credentialing Exam for Dietitians.
In addition to the professional credential of the RDN, forty-six states currently have statutory provisions (licensure/certification) regarding professional regulation of dietitians and/or nutritionists. Information regarding statutes of individual states is provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete course work 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 Didactic program at Rochester Institute of Technology are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program. In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. Visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration for more information on state licensure requirements.
RIT's dietetics and nutrition program will be compliant with these new requirements for accreditation.
Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for more information about educational pathways to become a RDN.
Career Opportunities for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist advises and counsels others on food, nutrition, and lifestyle. They may explain nutrition issues, assess a client's dietary and health needs, develop meal plans, gauge the effects of these meal plans, conduct research, and promote nutrition through public speaking and community outreach programs. Salary information for dietitians and nutritionists is available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Specialties within the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist profession include:
- Hospitals, HMOs, or other health care facilities: Educating patients about nutrition and administering medical nutrition therapy as part of the health care team. RDNs may also manage the foodservice operations in these settings, as well as in schools, day-care centers, and correctional facilities, overseeing everything from food purchasing and preparation to managing staff.
- Sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs: Educating clients about the connection between food, fitness, and health.
- Food and nutrition-related businesses and industries: Working in communications, consumer affairs, public relations, marketing, or product development.
- Private practice, working under contract with health care or food companies, or in their own business: RDNs may provide services to foodservice or restaurant managers, food vendors and distributors, athletes, nursing home residents, or company employees.
- Community and public health settings: RDNs teach, monitor, and advise the public, and help to improve quality of life through healthy eating habits.
- Universities and medical centers: Teaching physicians, nurses, dietetics students, and others the sophisticated science of food and nutrition.
- Research areas: In food and pharmaceutical companies, universities and hospitals, directing or conducting experiments to answer critical nutrition questions and find alternative foods or nutrition recommendations for the public.
Student Dietetics and Nutrition Association
The Student Dietetics and Nutrition Association is a student club comprised of dietetics and nutrition students and supports experiential learning outside of the classroom. The club promotes health and nutrition on campus as well as volunteer opportunities with local organizations. Club activities include volunteering at local food banks and schools, presenting health related information at RIT events, and educational activities for members.
Community Partners
As a dietetics and nutrition student, the Rochester metropolitan area is your lab for hands-on, experience-based learning. The program has a rich history in the community and partners with a variety of organizations throughout the area to expose students to a wide range of nutrition-related settings. These organizations represent a small sampling of the over 50 community partners with whom we collaborate:
- Abbott Nutrition
- American Dairy Association and Dairy Council
- American Heart Association
- Food and Drug Administration
- Foodlink
- Gates-Chili School District
- Heritage Christian Services
- Hillside Family of Agencies
- Jewish Senior Life
- Genesee Dietetic Association
- On Nutrition
- Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics
- RIT
- RIT Dining Services
- Rochester Psychiatric Center
- Rochester Regional Health
- University of Rochester Medical Center
- Wegmans
- WIC
- YMCA of Greater Rochester
2+2 Transfer Options
The dietetics and nutrition program has articulation agreements with a number of colleges that enable you to seamlessly transfer into the dietetics and nutrition program upon the successful completion of your associate degree at one of the following schools. For more information regarding these 2+2 transfer options, please contact Undergraduate Admissions or the program director.
- Finger Lakes Community College
- Genesee Community College
- Hudson Valley Community College
- SUNY Erie
- Monroe Community College
- Onondaga Community College
Learn more about transferring credits and additional information about transferring to RIT by visiting the Transfer Admissions website.
Nutritional Sciences Minor
Housed in the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition, students may enhance their primary course of study by minoring in nutritional sciences, which focuses on nutrients and human nutrition issues. The study of nutrients includes knowledge about food sources, metabolism, and relationship to health. Nutrition influences and is affected by health, cultural issues, exercise science, food systems, hospitality, and behavior. For more information, visit the nutritional sciences minor page.
Accelerated 4+1 MBA
An accelerated 4+1 MBA option is available to students enrolled in any of RIT's undergraduate programs. RIT's accelerated bachelor's/master's degrees can help you prepare for your future faster by enabling you to earn both a bachelor's and an MBA in as little as five years of study.
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