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Students choosing a professional career as a Registered Dietitian (RD) and who desire to do nutrition counseling should select the academic course work outlined in this option which meets undergraduate academic requirements established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
To become a Registered Dietitian, students must first earn a Bachelor of Science degree and then be accepted into an accredited internship. Upon successful completion of a 6 to 11-month internship, the student is eligible to take the national dietetic registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, AND. Students generally need to have a GPA above a 3.0 and work experience in dietetics to be competitive for internship programs.
Transfer students into FSHN are required to have a GPA of 3.0 or greater and to have taken FSHN 185 with a “B” or better and CHEM 161/161L, CHEM 162/162L, PHYL 141/141L, PHYL 142/142L and MATH 140 (or higher) with a “C” or better.
Students interested in the Dietetics option may contact the CTAHR Academic Advising Office at ctahradv@hawaii.edu, and are encouraged to refer to the Dietetics Option Student Handbook for more information about this option. Work and/or volunteer experience in the field of interest is highly recommended.
Education Requirements to become a Registered Dietitian (RD)
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Undergraduate degree in food and nutrition from a university program accredited by ACEND. Subjects include food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology, communications, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy and chemistry.
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Dietetic Internship Program , a formalized learning program in which academic knowledge is applied in practice settings. Settings include hospitals, long term care facilities, public health programs, and food service industry. Dietetic internships programs are accredited by ACEND and are 40 to 45 weeks in length.
Career Opportunities
Learn More?
Want to learn more about the FSHN major?
All academic inquiries for FSHN will be handled by the CTAHR Academic Advising Office
The advisors are located on the first floor of Gilmore Hall, appointments are required to meet with them. Please visit here to make an appointment.
Prior to your academic advising appointment, please review the FSHN program information here. We have student handbooks for all of our academic degree options in FSHN. Please read the handbook for the degree option you wish to pursue PRIOR to attending your advising appointment.
For all academic advising questions, please contact the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) professional advisors at: ctahradv@hawaii.edu.
| Programs
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Organizations
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Specialties
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Business & Industry
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- Food and Nutrition Industries
- Fitness and Wellness Programs
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- Sales/Promotion
- Consumer Education
- Marketing
- Product Development
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| Clinical Dietetics
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- Hospitals
- Nursing Homes
- Outpatient Settings
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- Nutritional Needs Assessments
- Determine Nutritional Diagnosis
- Developing Individual Nutritional Plans
- Counseling
- Evaluating Outcomes
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| Community Nutrition
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- Any Community Public Health Team
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- Assess Nutritional Needs of Populations
- Develop Programs or Additions to Existing Programs to Promote health Improvement and Disease Prevention
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| Education
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- Universities
- Health Care Facilities
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- Plan, Implement, and Evaluate Educational Experiences for Health Students
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Food Service Management
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- Schools
- Senior Center
- Healthcare Facilities
- hotels
- Restaurants
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- Plan, Organize, Direct, and Evaluate Food Service Systems
- Budgeting
- Proper Employee Training
- Personnel Management
- Establishing and Maintaining Policies/Standards
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| Private Practice
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- Self-Employed **Requires Dietetic Practice Experience**
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- Provide Advice on Nutritonal Care, Theraputics, Sports Nutrition, or Food Service Management
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| Research
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- Clinical Research Centers (Most Likely Associated With Hospitals or Universities) **Requires Advanced REsearch Techniques**
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- Planning and Implementing Projects That Examine Nutrient Needs, Functions, and Interactions in Humans and Animals
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