B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Do you want to become a dietician? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, we will deal with a Bachelor’s Degree course related to nutrition and dietetics. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics course.

Here is a quick overview of the academic program –

• Name of the course: B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
• Type of course: Bachelor of Science
• Field: Nutrition and Dietetics
• Duration: 3 years
• Eligibility: 12th Science pass or equivalent qualification

In this post, I’ve covered all important details that you need to know about B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics course. Here, you will find the following topics and details – duration, eligibility, colleges, syllabus, fees, admission, scope, career prospects and salary.   If you are passionate about food, dietetics and healthcare, this course will be of help to you. This course will help you build a decent career in nutrition and dietetics sector.   What’s B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics course all about? What’s it like to become a clinical dietician or nutrition specialist? Will I get a good job after completing this course? You will find answers to these questions in the next section. Here it is –

B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics: An Introduction

Nutrition and dietetics is a well rewarding sector. There’s huge demand for skilled dieticians and nutritionists out there. Professionals involved in this sector have a chance to help people (directly). At the end of the day, it gives immense job satisfaction.   B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics course deals with two main domains – nutrition and dietetics. In the next section, we will take a closer look at each domain. We will find out the tasks performed by professionals who operate in these domains.   Let us start with clinical nutrition. Who is a nutritionist, you may ask. A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Based on the person’s qualification, he/she may work as nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietician nutritionist, clinical nutritionist or sports nutritionist.   It is time to find out more details about dietetics. Dietetics is the science of diet and its effects on human health. This field focuses on the scientific understanding of nutrition and its practical application in the field of healthcare and rehabilitation of patients.   After completing B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics course, you will be knowledgeable about aspects such as –

• Scientific study of nutrition and food science
• Provide guidance on eating habits and nutrition to people
• Plant diets according to the needs of patient/client
• Conduct or take part in research activity (depending upon qualification)

Let us talk about the course format – B.Sc. It stands for Bachelor of Science. It is an undergraduate level Bachelor’s Degree course. The academic program is 3 years long.   Each academic year consists of two semesters. Each semester is six months long. The entire program consists of six such semesters. Candidates who have completed 12th Science stream are eligible to pursue this course.   After completing this course, graduates may go for relevant M.Sc. program and specialize in sub-disciplines such as –

• Sports nutrition and dietetics
• Gerontological nutrition
• Pediatric nutrition
• Renal nutrition
• And more…

Let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details such as – duration, eligibility, colleges, syllabus and more. Here it is –

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Bachelor’s Degree course.

Duration

The regular classroom program is 3 years long.

Eligibility

10+2 Science pass or equivalent qualification.

Syllabus

Here are some of the core subjects present in the curriculum –

• Basic dietetics
• Human physiology
• Human nutrition
• Communication skills
• Community nutrition
• Macronutrients
• Micronutrients
• Biochemistry
• Diet therapy
• Food safety
• Food security
• Food adulteration

Fees

Tuition fees may vary from one college to another. Government colleges are known to charge very low tuition fees. Fees depends upon factors such as –

• Type of the college (Government, aided or private)
• Scholarship status of the student
• Rating and reputation of the college
• And more…

On an average, private colleges’ tuition fees could be anywhere between 40-100k INR per year. Other expenses (such as lodging, library, safety deposit etc) may also apply.

Admission Process

In order to secure admission into reputed colleges, one must secure valid marks in relevant entrance exam. Seats are distributed among deserving candidates on the basis of merit marks scored by them in relevant entrance exam and/or board exam. Some colleges are also known to conduct direct and donation based admission process.

PG Courses

After completing this course, candidates may go for relevant M.Sc. programs such as M.Sc. Sports Nutrition, M.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, M.Sc. Pediatric Nutrition etc. M.Sc. program is 2 years long. It will help you specialize in sub-disciplines and sub-branches within this field. Apart from that, graduates may also go for management programs such as MBA, MBS and PGDM programs.

You may also check –

Medical entrance exams in India

Entrance exams after 12th in India

Career Prospects

Nutritionists and dieticians have access to different types of job opportunities and profiles. Since it is a vast domain and consists of many sub-disciplines, this sector generates different types of job opportunities. For example, dieticians may work as clinical dieticians, community dieticians, management dieticians and consultant dieticians.   Here are some of the prime recruiters –

• Government hospitals
• Community health centres
• Government Schemes and Missions (like ICDS, NHRM etc)
• Government Organizations (like FNB, ICMR, Public Health Foundation etc)
• Government R&D units
• Government Nursing homes
• Government Nutrition Education Institutes
• Private clinics and hospitals
• Nursing homes
• NGOs
• Food products manufacturing firms
• Pharmaceutical firms
• Private R&D units
• Private Nutrition Education Institutes
• Health Clubs
• Fitness Centres
• Sports Centres and Franchises
• Hotels

If you are interested in self-employment, you may start your own venture. For example, you may practice as an independent nutritionist or dietician. You may even start your own consultancy business.

Salary

Starting salary depends upon different factors. Some such notable factors are –

• Job location
• Profile of the employer
• His/her academic performance
• His/her skills and aptitude
• Job profile

On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 30-40K INR per month. In case of Government job, the salary will be based on designated pay scale and grade.