Nutrition and Dietetics: Course Details, Admission, Fees, Eligibility, Syllabus, Jobs & Salary

Nutrition and Dietetics Course

Nutrition and Dietetics is a field in medicine science that helps in keeping individuals fit. There are various programmes in this field that are offered at graduate as well as postgraduate levels. The programmes cover various subjects like human physiology and nutrients that are required by the body. Food technology and biochemistry are an essential part of the programme.

These courses enable individuals to create a diet plan and help individuals as well as members of an organization to follow a proper diet to keep themselves fit. There are various opportunities in this field and a lot of scope for private clinics as well. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Overview

Nutrition and Dietetics Course provides opportunity to the students to study different areas of food nutrition and food management. The students who want to pursue a nutrition and dietetics course can look for the colleges that are offering Nutrition and Dietetics course. There are different ways through which students can learn about nutrition and dietetics courses. Apart from BSc and MSc degree in the relevant field, the students can also opt for a certificate or diploma in nutrition and dietetics. The choice of course also depends on the nutrition and dietetics fees structure. Nutrition and Dietetics fees varies from institute to institute depending upon the course they opt for. Nutrition and Dietetics fee structures of government nutrition and dietetics colleges are lesser than the private nutrition and dietetics colleges that offer BSc or MSc courses. 

Nutrition and Dietetics admission process is very simple. Nutrition and Dietetics admission process takes either direct admission on the basis of marks obtained or through entrance examination based where the coordinating body will release the cut off marks. Nutrition and Dietetics syllabus includes a wide range of topics and covers most of the topics related to nutrition and dietetics subjects that are taught over all the semester. The students can also check the list of Nutrition and Dietetics colleges both at private and government level in India that offer this course. Nutrition and Dietetics course fee is also affordable as compared to other courses. The student can avail Nutrition and Dietetics degree by doing BSc or MSc in the relevant area. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Highlights

The students can check the quick facts about the Nutrition and Dietetics course. Some of the major highlights of the Nutrition and Dietetics  course are given below. 
 

Who Should Study Nutrition and Dietetics?

Nutrition and Dietetics course is a specialized course and only those students should opt for this course who is genuinely interested in understanding the nuances of the food processing industry. The students must have basic knowledge about the relevant industry. The students who want to pursue this course must possess the below qualities. 

• The  candidates must be ready to do a lot of research and analyze the data in the relevant field. 
• The students must have keen interest in nutrition and dietary supplements and should be able to guide the people about the same. 
• The candidates must be physically and mentally fit so that they are able to instill the faith in others to maintain a healthy life. 

When Should You Do a Nutrition and Dietetics Course?

Nutrition and dietetics course deals with several aspects and are offered at multiple levels. As there are different level of courses available for learning nutrition and dietetics course, it is difficult to define a particular time frame for doing this course. However, the students must keep the following points in mind if they wish to do any course related to nutrition and dietetics. 

• The candidates can do a certificate or a diploma course in nutrition and dietetics after completing their class XII examination from a recognized board. 
• BSc Nutrition and Dietetics course can be done by the  candidates  if they have completed their intermediate examination from a recognized board with a good percentage of marks. The admission to this course can be taken on the basis of merit or through some of the entrance examinations conducted at undergraduate level. 
• MSc Nutrition can be done by the students if they have completed their graduation in BSc Nutrition or similar related course. 
• The candidates should do this course only if they are genuinely interested in nutrition and dietetics and want to further research in this field. 

Why Should You do Nutrition and Dietetics?

Nutrition and Dietetics courses are the need of the hour. Every single person required the support of a nutritionist or dietician at some stage of their life. The demand for this course has increased a lot in the last one decade as there are global health related concerns and people are trying hard to maintain their diet so that they are able to keep themselves fit and healthy. 

• The candidates should do this course as it is a career and growth oriented field and many leading organizations recruit students after completing BSc and MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics. 
• The  candidates can get self-employed after doing a course in nutrition and dietetics and are able to earn for themselves. They are hired as personal consultants by individuals and celebrities. 
• The  candidates can also develop their research skills in the field of nutrition and dietetics. They can be an asset to healthcare organizations. 
• The candidates will also be able to take classes and spread awareness among the masses about the problems that can occur if people are not concerned about their health. 

Eligibility Criteria of Nutrition and Dietetics

The eligibility criteria for Nutrition and Dietectics for all course available is mentioned below.

Certificate, Undergraduate Diploma and Degree Courses

The candidates can check the eligibility criteria for the Nutrition and Dietetics Certificate, Undergraduate Diploma and Degree courses are as follows.

• Candidates can apply for undergraduate diploma, degree and certificates courses after passing class 12 board exams.
• Admission to 3-year diploma programmes offered by some government institutes is done on the basis of state level entrance exam.
• Admission to certificate and short-term diploma programmes is done directly after candidates have passed 10+2 exams.
• For BSc programmes, it is essential for students to study Physics, Chemistry, Biology till class 12.
• Some of the institutes offer B.Sc. courses in Nutrition and Dietetics on the basis of entrance exams, however others conduct admission on the basis of marks secured by applicants in class 12.

Post Graduate Degree Courses

The candidates can check the eligibility criteria for the Nutrition and Dietetics Post Graduate Degree courses are as follows.

• Candidates who have pursued BSc in this field with at least 45% marks can apply for MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Admission to this programme is done on the basis of entrance exams. Some of the reputed institutes also conduct personal interviews to shortlist candidates for these programmes.
• Direct admission without entrance exams and personal interviews are also possible at some institutes.

Post Graduate Diploma Courses

The candidates can check the eligibility criteria for the Nutrition and Dietetics Post Graduate Diploma courses are as follows.

• Aspiring candidates can apply for PG diploma programmes after completing their graduation in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Some of the institutes also offer this programme to candidates who have pursued diploma courses in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Nutrition and Dietetics Specializations

Nutrition and Dietetics is a generic course and there are multiple specializations offered under the umbrella of nutrition and dietetics. The students who want to pursue course in nutrition and dietetics gets varied option as they can get certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree in this field. The branch of nutrition and dietetics offers BSc, MSc, Certificate, and Diploma courses in the relevant field. The students can enroll for any of the desired specialization and follow the admission process accordingly. The list of specialization courses are mentioned below.

• Certificate in Dietetics
• Diploma in Diet Assistant
• Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics
• BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
• BSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
• MSc in Clinical Nutrition
• MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
• PG Diploma in Dietetics
• PG Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health
• PGDM in Dietetics and Applied Nutrition

Nutrition and Dietetics Admission Process

Nutrition and Dietetics admission processes in different colleges and universities are done through merit based and entrance examination. Nutrition and Dietetics admission process differs from college to college. All those institutes that offer admission on the basis of merit consider the marks obtained by the students in their class XII if they applying for BSc in admission. If a student is seeking Nutrition and Dietetics admission at the masters level for post-graduation degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, then the marks obtained by them in their graduation is taken into consideration. In case of entrance based examination process for taking Nutrition and Dietetics admission in some of the colleges and universities, the students must meet the cut off marks as released by the examination conducting authority. 

If the students have qualified in the entrance examination, then they will have to go through the process of counseling. In certain colleges and universities, the students also have to go through the process of personal interview and group discussion. The students who seek to take admission in certificate and diploma courses must possess the relevant skill and interest to do a course in nutrition and dietetics. Most of the students after class XII prefer to do certificate course in nutrition and dietetics to make them more job oriented. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Entrance Examination

Nutrition and Dietetics admission also takes place through various entrance examinations conducted by the colleges and universities. There is no single or specific examination conducted for nutrition and dietetics course. The students takes admission on the basis of marks obtained in class XII for graduation courses and marks obtained at graduate level for postgraduate courses. 

Most of the top colleges in India take admission to different specialization through merit based and the marks obtained in the qualifying examination decide the selection process. The cut off marks for talking admission in nutrition and dietetics ranges from 50% to 80-90% in top colleges. However, there are many colleges that take admission through entrance examination. Some of the entrance examination conducted for taking Nutrition and Dietetics admission are mention below which students can check and prepare for the same accordingly. 

LPU NEST- Lovely Professional University conducts National Entrance and Scholarship Test annually for admission to different courses at undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered by the university. 

CUCET- CUCET is a national level entrance examination conducted annually by Chandigarh University. CUCET stands for Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test. The examination is conducted to provide admission to eligible students in different undergraduate and postgraduate courses. 

KCET- KCET stands for Karnataka Common Entrance Test which is conducted annually by Karnataka Examination Authority. KCET provides admission to different courses including nutrition and dietetics in different colleges and universities that comes under Karnataka Common Entrance Test. 

MDU CEE- MDU CEE entrance exam is conducted by Maharshi Dayanand University. It stands for Maharshi Dayanand University Common Entrance Test conducted at the University level for taking admission in different courses offered at undergraduate and postgraduate level by Maharshi Dayanand University. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Top Colleges in India

The popularity and demand for food nutrition and dietetics has increased in last few years and many popular and reputed colleges have started offering this course because of job opportunities after pursuing BSc and MSc in nutrition and dietetics. Nutrition and Dietetics fees are different for all the colleges. The students can check the top Nutrition and Dietetics  colleges mentioned below. 

• Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
• Quantum University, Roorkee
• University of Kashmir, Srinagar
• Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
• Lady Irwin College, New Delhi
• Banasthali University, Jaipur
• Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh
• Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar
• Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, Gurgaon
• Chandigarh University

Nutrition and Dietetics Top Private Colleges

The students who have completed their class XII examination from a recognized board can take admission in undergraduate course of nutrition and dietetics in some of the top private colleges in India. The list of top private colleges for nutrition and dietetics are mentioned below. 

• Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
• Christian Medical College, Vellore
• Mount Carmel College, Bangalore 
• Lovely Professional University, Punjab
• Women’s Christian College, Chennai
• Isabella Thoburn Degree College, Lucknow

 Nutrition and Dietetics Best Government Colleges

There is no fixed entrance test for taking admission to nutrition and dietetics courses in India. Most of the colleges take admission on the basis of the merit and some colleges and universities also conduct entrance tests for taking admission to nutrition and dietetics courses In India. Nutrition and Dietetics course fee is less in government colleges as compared to private colleges. The list of top government nutrition and dietetics colleges in India are mentioned below. 

• Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi
• Daulat Ram College, New Delhi
• University of Rajasthan
• Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana
• Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University
• Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj, Nagpur
• IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University)
• University of Mumbai

Types of Nutrition and Dietetics Courses

The students can check the types of Nutrition and Dietetics Course given below.

Nutrition and Dietetics Syllabus

Nutrition and Dietetics syllabus is a combination of both theoretical and practical knowledge. Nutrition and Dietetics UG syllabus has been divided into six semesters and it is a mixture of theory classes, assignments, practical classes, internship, project work, and examination. Nutrition and Dietetics PG syllabus has been divided into 4 semesters. The candidates can check the syllabus for both UG and PG programme.

First Year Nutrition and Dietetics Syllabus 

The candidates can check the Nutrition and Dietetics subject list for 1st and 2nd semesters.

Second  Year Nutrition and Dietetics Syllabus 

The candidates can check the Nutrition and Dietetics subject list for 3rd and 4th semesters.

Third Year Nutrition and Dietetics Syllabus 

The candidates can check the Nutrition and Dietetics subject list for 5th and 6th semesters.

Nutrition and Dietetics Subjects

Nutrition and Dietetics subject lists differ from college to college but there are some major Nutrition and Dietetics subject list that are common in most of the Nutrition and Dietetics colleges and universities. The students can check the Nutrition and Dietetics subject list given below.
 

Nutrition and Dietetics Required Skills

The students who are willing to pursue must possess a lot of skillsets to gain the maximum from the course. Apart from the course syllabus, the students must have the below-mentioned skills in order to get jobs from the recruiters. 

• Communication Skills
• Research Skills
• Patience
• Interest in Food Preparation
• Health Management Skills

Nutrition and Dietetics Careers Options

Nutrition and Dietetics course is a career oriented profile and students get placed in multiple organizations after completing BSc courses. The students enhance their skills by doing MSc course in nutrition and dietetics course. There are many organizations that deal exclusively with the field of nutrition and dietetics and provide career opportunities in the areas such as government and private hospitals, private health organizations, sports organizations, celebrity management organization, research centres, etc. Most of these organizations look for skilled nutritionists and dieticians for their respective department. 

There are different profiles and career options available to the students who have completed their course in nutrition and dietetics stream. Some of the important profiles that the students can opt for after doing the course are mentioned below. 

Dietician- Dieticians play a crucial role in speedy recovery of the patients. They provide dietary charts to the patients before and after operation. Dieticians are required in every field these days because of fast food habits that people have developed over a period of time. They provide nutritional care not only to patients but also to normal people who seek their support in maintaining their health. They are also hired by celebrities to maintain their diet chart and keep them in shape. 

Consultant Dietician- A consultant dietician is a healthcare professional who is hired by individuals or celebrities for different health purposes such as maintaining diet chart, weight loss program by working on the eating habits, cholesterol reduction, and other health related problems. Most of these healthcare organizations refer their patients to different consultant dieticians. A consultant dietician along with their contract with private healthcare facilities can also do their own practice.

Management Dietician – The different kind of food programs are managed and planned by professionals known as management dietician. They work for schools, hospitals, prisons, cafeterias, etc. They are responsible for supervising the functioning of kitchen staff and other dieticians. 

Nutritionist-A nutritionist takes care of food habits of individuals. They control the dietary supplements by guiding the appropriate quantities of different supplements require by the body. They also guide about food and eating habits that affect your health and may cause health problems. They are also responsible for educating individuals on nutritional values. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Upcoming Trends

Like any other industry, there have been phenomenal shifts in the nutrition and dietetics industry in the current scenario especially post lockdown. The people are getting more aware about their diet so that they are physically and mentally strong and have developed immunity properly. Some of the transitional shifts that are being followed in this sector are mentioned below. 

ImmunityBooster- The pandemic caused by COVID 19 has made everyone believe in the importance of immunity that helps in fighting against the virus and recovering from its after-effects. All the leading food industry now focuses on developing food products that are enriched with immunity booster minerals such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc Selenium, etc. boost immunity.

Mental Health-The impact of the pandemic has been so vast and aggressive on the mindset of the people that it affected the mental health of the people. The people went through anxiety, stress, depression, etc. in large numbers looking at the scenario around them. It became important for the companies to manufacture food and medicines enriched with antioxidants, magnesium, Vitamin B, zinc, etc., and other bioactive compounds to improve mental health. 

Localism- The pandemic has also generated interest among the people in going local and buying groceries and food products that are organically grown. This has resulted in kitchen farming, developing interest for the farmers, and growing food that are healthy and adulteration free. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Top Recruiters

Nutrition and Dietetics has become a popular course from the recruiter perspective as they look for young and dynamic graduates and certificate holder in this field. The young minds help in giving new ideas and implementing the same. Some of the top recruiters in this field are mentioned below.

• Cadbury
• Nestle
• Unilever
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Novartis
• Eli Lilly
• Food & Nutrition Board (FNB)
• FNB, Ministry of Women and Child Development

Nutrition and Dietetics Job Roles and Salary

Nutrition and Dietetics course is gaining popularity as it offer multiple job profile in different organization. The students can choose job profile as per their interest and qualification. The salary structure also varies from profile to profile depending upon the job description they get in the respective organization. Some of the top profile after BSc and MSc nutrition and dietetics course is mentioned below. 

Dietician- The average salary of dietician in the current scenario ranges from 3-4 lakhs per annum. The dieticians who are senior and expert in their area are hired by corporate hospitals and their salary can go as high as 10-12 lakhs per annum. 

Consultant Dietician- The consultant dieticians are hired by organizations and corporates. Their salary structures are better and depend on the experience one has in the relevant field. The average salary structure ranges from 4-5 lakhs per annum. 

Nutritionist- A nutritionist salary is getting better with time as the demand is increasing in the current scenario. The salary structure depends on the organization where they are working. On an average, their salary ranges from 3-4 lakhs initially but with experience they might get 7-8 lakhs per annum. 

Food Inspector- They are involved in checking the quality standards of different food products which are sold in the market. The average salary structure of food inspector is 4- lakhs per annum. 

Food Scientist- They are responsible for discovering products that have nutritional value and helpful for the mankind. The average salary structure of food scientists ranges from 10-11 lakhs per annum. 

Nutrition and Dietetics Job Prospects

With increasing urbanization and medical problems amongst working individuals rising, a need for proper nutrition is dire. Dietitians are gaining a lot of importance amongst the urban crowd as the young generation of India is realizing the importance of a healthy diet and value of getting proper nutrients.

Therefore, private dietitians and nutrition consultants are earning a lot of money in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. Hospitals also hire professionals in this field. A lot of corporate companies also hire nutritionists in order to keep their employees healthy and active. Following are some of the profiles that nutritionists and dietitians can seek:

• Consultants
• Food Show Host
• Researcher
• Therapeutic Dietitian
• Sports Nutritionist
• Administrative Nutritionist
• Nutritional Sales Executive
• Nutrition Trainer

Salaries in this domain right after graduation varies from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 2.5 lakh. However, private practitioners can earn good money through clinics and proper advertisement i.e. up to Rs. 4.5 lakhs per year. Experienced professionals earn more money and can also apply for higher education abroad.