Employment Outlook
Employment Outlook for Graduates in Nutrition or in Dietetics
Students who study under the Nutrition and Dietetics faculty at LU are preparing for a career that Money magazine recently rated as "above average" in terms of flexibility, with a median salary of $63,090 and 7800 available jobs. Demand has been, and will continue to be, significant, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated job growth in this area to be about 7% between 2021 and 2031.
Practitioners in the discipline provide a variety of services including (a) counseling individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life; (b) assessing nutritional needs and current health to develop and implement nutrition care plans; and, (c) consulting with physicians and other healthcare professionals to determine nutritional needs and diet recommendations for patients or clients.
Those who pursue the Dietetics degree plan gain the knowledge and skills required with the goal of becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Alternatively, Nutrition is a flexible degree plan is designed for the student who desires to tailor a program of study to meet a variety of career goals.
In addition to the undergraduate concentrations, the department also includes an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program (Dietetic Internship DI), which is a post-baccalaureate requirement for those seeking to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Acceptance into the program is competitive, as it prepares students for the Registration Examination for Dietitians, the final step in achieving that career goal.
Contact Us
Jill Killough, Ph.D., RDN, LDDepartment Chair
(409) 880-8663
jill.killough@lamar.edu
Location: The NHHS Building is located directly across from the front doors of the Mary and John Gray Library.