Dietetics Overview

Dietetics is the high-tech science of applying food and nutrition to health. It is a vital, growing field open to creativity and opportunity and the possibilities are endless. Employment of dietitians is expected to grow faster than the average profession into the 21st century, especially in the areas of public health, consulting and business. Dietetics is a dynamic profession offering many different opportunities for practice.

The Dietetic Program at the University of Illinois is recognized as one of the top dietetic programs in the nation. The 1997 Gourman List rated this program as the 9th best in the nation. This program provides a diverse curriculum to meet the standards of education as set by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE)*. The coursework is challenging as you share class experiences with other majors including: Pre-med, Engineering, and Business in addition to students in the Graduate Program. This Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) has a high placement rate for acceptance into Dietetic Internship (DI) programs first time passage rate in the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam, which are both significantly greater than the national average.

The program combines coursework from both the physical and social-science areas, preparing students to address today's complex nutrition and health issues. After graduating, completion of an internship and successful passage of the registration examination for dietitians qualifies the graduate for status as a Registered Dietitian (RD). The graduates of the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at U of I at Urbana-Champaign consistently pass the R. D. exam with rates that are higher than the national average.

The dietetic curriculum is designed to educate the student in the science of applying food and nutrition to health. Utilizing their knowledge and skills in food and nutrition will help the student to achieve a successful career. The major is more specifically designed to prepare the student for the academic and/or experience necessary to attain the credential of Registered Dietitian.

Registered Dietitians provide nutritional care and counseling to people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, community health programs, fitness centers, and the food industry. Graduates may become sports nutritionists, food-service managers, wellness coordinators, senior research technicians, or marketing consultants. Regardless of career choice, Registered Dietitians are recognized as the link to nutrition and health.

*The DPD is approved by CADE of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60606-6995 (Phone 1-800-877-1600). This means that you have a four year classroom component of learning, culminating in a B.S. degree. It must be followed by a dietetic internship (DI, also called a supervised practice experience) in order to qualify you to take the RD exam.

Contact Information

For more information about the Dietetics Program at the University of Illinois, please contact:

For more information about Dietetics visit the American Dietetics Association webpage at www.eatright.org