Society-Ready Graduates
Dietetics Program

Issue
The demand for registered, credentialed dieticians has increased in the United States, largely because the public is more interested now in general nutrition, disease revention, and the health of the aging. According tofigures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dietetic Association, “employment of dieticians is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005,“ at competitive salaries. Registered dieticians work in health care facilities, sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs, food and nutrition-related businesses and industries, private practice, community and public health settings, at universities and medical centers, and in research.

What has been done?
The Department of Nutritional Sciences offers a Didactic Program in Dietetics which is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. To earn an RD credential, students undertake the bachelor’s degree program of study in dietetics, complete an approved, supervised internship program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a food service corporation, and pass a national examination.

Impact
Students completing the UA’s dietetics coursework have a 90 percent placement rate for internship programs, compared with the national average of 60 percent. This experience gives them the skills and abilities they need to pass the national registered dietician (RD) exam. As of the year 2000, none of the UA dietetics graduates has ever failed this exam, yielding a 100 percent pass rate.

Funding
The University of Arizona
UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Contact
Wanda Howell, associate professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences
Shantz Bldg, Room 309, PO Box 210038
The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Telephone: (520) 621-1619, FAX: (520) 621-9446
Email: whhowell@ag.arizona.edu

Return to the Title Page
Return to the Table of Contents