What is Nutrition and Dietetics?
Nutrition and Dietetics as a stream is considered to be a subdiscipline of Medicine.
The end goal of Nutrition and Dietetics is to improve people's health and assist them to make better food choices.
This is a stream that focuses solely on food and its impact on an individual's physical well-being.
Degrees Offered in Nutrition and Dietetics
Undergraduate Level
Some of the degrees offered at this level are:
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Postgraduate Level
Some of the degrees offered at this level are:
- Master of Science (M.Sc)
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (P.hD)
Specialisations in the field of Nutrition and Dietetics
Some of the specialisations that students of Nutrition and Dietetics can opt for in this field are as follows:
- Clinical Dietetics
- Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
- Clinical Nutrition Hons
- Nutrition
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Nutrition and Dietetics Hons
- Nutrition and Dietetics, Chemistry and Zoology
- Nutrition Hons
Eligibility and Requirements for Nutrition and Dietetics
Undergraduate level
- Candidates who have given their class 12 board exams and have secured a 45% and above are eligible to apply
- Students who have studied Science can apply.
- Candidates may have to appear for certain entrance exams that are conducted for these courses.
Postgraduate level
- Candidates need to have a bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or its equivalent stream from any recognised university.
- Students need to have a minimum of 45% as their aggregate for applying to most of the postgraduate commerce courses.
- Candidates may have to appear for certain entrance exams that are conducted for these courses.
Entrance Exams for Nutrition and Dietetics
It is important to note that no national-level exams are held for this course. Universities conduct their entrance exam.
Undergraduate
Here are a few entrance exams that one can sit for at the Undergraduate level:
- Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)
- Maharshi Dayanand University Common Entrance Examination (MDU CEE)
Postgraduate level
Here are a few entrance exams that one can sit for at the Postgraduate level:
- Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test (CUCET)
- Lovely Professional University National Entrance and Scholarship Test (LPU NEST)
Aptitude required for Nutrition and Dietetics
If you wish to take up Nutrition and Dietetics as a subject, mentioned below are some skillsets that you should possess:
- A knack for cooking and coming up with interesting recipes
- Good communication skills
- Patience towards their clientele
- Good research skills
Syllabus for Nutrition and Dietetics
Here are some papers that Nutrition and Dietetics have:
- Soft skills and communication skills
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Human Nutrition
- Food and Nutrition
- Human Physiology
- Public Health and Nutrition
- Food Chemistry
- Mother and Child
- Food Microbiology
- Introduction to Food Science
- Food Quality Analysis
- Science of Bakery and Confectionery
- Family Meal and Diet Planning
- Food Industry Management
- Introduction to Food Preservation
- Food Processing, Operations, and Management
- Food Service Management
- Nutritional Ethics
- Diet Planning and Consulting
Career Prospects/Placements for Nutrition and Dietetics students
Mentioned below are some job profiles that students of Nutrition and Dietetics get placed in:
- Dietician
- Food Inspector
- Consultant Dietician
- Nutritionist
- Food Scientist
Starting Salary for Nutrition and Dietetics
The starting salary for a Nutrition and Dietetics professional in India is between 3-6LPA depending on their job profile.