
A leading weight loss researcher explains that obesity is a chronic disease caused by an array of factors, not a lack of will power.
Are eggs good for you? Is bread a nutrition villain? What about eggs on bread … or bread on eggs?
There’s all sorts of scrambled, half-baked nutrition information out there these days. Clinical nutritionists cut through the noise and break down the most recent peer-reviewed research to help people develop eating habits that allow them to feel their best and manage diseases.
If that sounds like your cup of tea and you want to learn more about careers in clinical nutrition, let’s get cooking.
Clinical nutrition specialists keep current on the latest advances in nutrition science and translate them into an easily digestible message to help people, or even entire populations, get healthier. They help prevent and treat chronic diseases — such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes — in a variety of settings, from health care clinics and schools to at-home consultation.
Technically, anyone who wants to give nutrition advice can call themselves a nutritionist. For example, many personal trainers market themselves as nutritionists because they give clients diet advice.
Certified clinical nutrition specialists and dietitians, meanwhile, earn degrees, complete internships and obtain licensures that ensure they have the training to make use of the most credible, evidence-based research. That makes them fit to be employed in various settings that use nutrition to manage individual and population health.
A master’s in clinical nutrition or a doctoral degree in clinical nutrition prepares students to pursue certification. Often, graduates move on to become a certified nutrition specialist, or CNS, or a registered dietitian nutritionist, or RDN.
The proper training and credentials set students up to work in a variety of careers, such as in federal or state agencies, public health or wellness settings, private industry, research or academic settings.
Part-time students pursuing a master’s in clinical nutrition generally graduate in three to five years. A full-time student pursuing a master’s in clinical nutrition can usually complete a program in 18 months. Most master’s degree programs have a limit of around five years to finish the degree.
From there, graduates have the option of becoming a CNS, which requires 900 hours of supervised practice and passing an exam administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists. Starting in 2024, to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, or RDN, individuals must complete a master’s degree and 1,200 hours of supervised practice during a dietetic internship from an accredited institution listed with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Successful completion of these requirements allows them to take the national registration exam from the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Learn about Rush University’s master’s in clinical nutrition program.