Dietician: All about this career option that can be pursued after class XII
A dietician is a counsellor who looks into the food habits of individuals, evaluates them and guides them to have a balanced diet, following the principles of nutritional science. They apply their knowledge of dietetics to healthcare. Students interested in educating others about the right food habits and nutritional requirements can look forward to a career in this field. Here is everything one needs to know about this option.
Courses available
Students interested in pursuing dietetics and nutrition can take up diploma and undergraduate programmes after Class 12. These courses focus on the basics of food science, nutritional biochemistry, human nutrition, community nutrition and food preservation and food microbiology, among others.
The diploma courses (1-3 years) include:
- Diploma in Dietetics
- Diploma in Diet Assistant
- Diploma in Food and Nutrition
The undergraduate courses (3 years) include:
- BSc in Dietetics and Nutrition
- BSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
- BSc in Food Technology
Eligibility criteria
For merit-based admission to the diploma and undergraduate programmes in dietetics and nutrition, students should have completed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology and a minimum of 50% aggregate. Botany, Zoology, Biotechnology, or Biochemistry are also accepted as substitutes for Biology at some institutions and universities.
Institutes to study dietetics and nutrition courses
Some of the renowned institutes in India where students can study dietetics and nutrition courses are Sharda University, Greater Noida, Galgotias University, Greater NOIDA, Amity University, Noida, G D Goenka University, Gurgaon and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, among others.
Subjects taught in dietetics
Some of the important subjects taught at the diploma and UG level in India include:
- Applied science
- Basics in human anatomy
- Fundamentals of food and nutrition
- Nutrition through lifecycle
- Problems in human nutrition
- Food science and food microbiology
- Nutrition for health, fitness and sports
- Food processing and technology
- Therapeutic nutrition and dietetics
- Foods in Indian tradition
- Herbs and home remedies
- Nutrition labelling and diet and nutrition counselling
- Food hygiene and sanitation
- Health communication
- Weight management
- Maternal and child nutrition
- Food handling and packaging
Apart from studying theoretical subjects, students are also required to undertake research projects and an industrial training or clinical internship for up to two months.
Career options
Candidates with a degree or diploma in dietetics have great job opportunities as the importance of maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is growing with time. Colleges, schools, research institutes, private and government hospitals, yoga centres, government health departments, health clubs, fitness centres, pharmaceutical firms, private clinics, food product manufacturing firms, and hire dieticians. Clinical dietician, paediatric dietician, sports dietician, food quality manager, administrative nutritionist, consultant, food show host, nutrition trainer and nutritional sales executive are some of the popular career prospects.