Career Opportunities

A degree in nutrition opens doors to high-impact careers across healthcare and beyond. Our graduates become registered dietitian nutritionists, physicians, dentists, physician assistants, pharmacists, nurses, and more. Nutrition also prepares students for careers as biomedical and community health researchers, public health advocates, wellness coaches, health educators, and leaders in the fast-growing health technology industry. If you want a career that directly improves lives, the UMass nutrition major is a powerful place to start.

UMass Amherst nutrition students follow one of three distinct tracks, each designed for students with different interests and career goals: Nutrition and Health Sciences, Dietetics, Nutrition and Society

The Nutrition and Health Sciences track satisfies requirements for medical school, dental school, PA school, pharmacy, and naturopathic medicine. At the same time, students master the science behind how food and nutrients affect the body, knowledge that future healthcare professionals need but often don’t get early on. They gain in-depth understanding of how nutrition shapes health, wellness, and the prevention and treatment of disease, as well as a deeper understanding of how to care for patients holistically, giving you a competitive edge in any health profession program.

The Dietetics track prepares students to become registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). RDNs use their expertise in many different settings: providing nutrition care for patients in hospitals, specialty clinics, primary care health centers, and long-term care; working with individuals and populations at risk for chronic health conditions or poor nutrition; working for schools and public health programs; implementing fitness and wellness programs; working with athletes as sports dietitians; consulting for businesses, non-profit organizations and institutions throughout the world; counseling clients and providing nutrition education in private practice. Students on the dietetics track can be ready to take the RDN exam 17 months after earning their undergraduate degree, when they complete our accelerated master’s program (MS Nutrition 4+1) and the Dietetic Internship (DI) at UMass. Other students have gone on to hospital-based dietetic internship programs after the 4+1 or been accepted into MS/DI programs based at other universities, after completing their undergraduate degree.

The Nutrition and Society track opens doors to growing fields such as nursing, public health, community health, nutrition education, fitness and wellness, and other applied health professions. It pairs seamlessly with a second major or minor, making it easy to customize your degree. Many students combine it with psychology and go on to rewarding careers supporting individuals with eating disorders or working at the intersection of nutrition, behavior, and health.