Dietetics

Dietetics is the area of health science that studies people's nutritional needs and works to improve their nutrition. Consider this career if you enjoy science and are interested in good nutrition, food science, education, and counseling.

Dietitians may work in health care facilities, community health programs, businesses, or food service and sport/fitness fields as clinicians, managers, planners, teachers, or researchers. A growing number of dietitians work as consultants in physicians' offices, nursing homes, and food service companies. Several specialty areas have developed in nutritional support, sports nutrition, eating disorders, and pediatric nutrition.

Program Strengths

Focus: Miami has one of the few dietetics programs housed in a department of kinesiology and health. This gives you the option of focusing your program in the popular areas of exercise and health, exercise physiology, or sports.

Experience: For your capstone experience, you have a semester-long field placement with a dietitian. You also have opportunities to work with Miami faculty on research projects.

High pass rates: On the National Registration Exam for dietitians, Miami graduates have outstanding pass rates: in the past five years, 96 percent have passed.

Miami's program is accredited by the American Dietetic Association.

Your Program of Study

Miami's interdisciplinary program in dietetics includes courses in food science, nutrition, exercise, and health, with supporting courses in sciences, social science, and management. A core of courses in health, exercise science, and sport/leisure is required for the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health. You will also get a strong background in natural science and social science, including chemistry, microbiology, human physiology, sociology, and psychology.

You can choose courses for a special emphasis, such as sports nutrition or gerontology (the study of aging), or to strengthen an area of special interest, such as business or science.

After You Graduate

To become a Registered Dietitian, you must complete a clinical experience or internship which is accredited by the American Dietetic Association. Internships are usually 10 to 12 months and are offered by health care facilities or educational institutions.

Application to these internships is competitive, but Miami's record is impressive, with a placement rate of 80 to 100 percent each year. After you complete the internship, you can take the national registration exam.

A recent alumni survey shows that more than 98 percent of our dietetics graduates are employed. A government study predicts a high demand for dietitians.

For More Information

For general information about Miami University, please contact:

Office of Admission
301 S. Campus Ave.
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056-3434
513-529-2531 (v/t)
www.muohio.edu/requestinfo

For specific information on the Dietetics major, please contact:

Department of Kinesiology and Health
106 Phillips Hall
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-5036
www.units.muohio.edu/eap/departments/phe/phe.htm