Interest in health and wellness has exploded over the last decade, leading to an increased need for evidence-based, patient-focused nutritionists. In the U.S. alone, nutrition careers are expected to grow by more than 7% over the next ten years!*

But what if you earn your degree in Nutrition and feel unsure of your career path?

Careers in nutrition extend beyond coaching others’ diets; there are diverse, multidisciplinary career paths available for nutrition professionals with all sorts of interests and skillsets. Below, we’ve outlined six areas of work in this field and how they could lead you to the job of your dreams.

Unique Career Paths for Nutrition Grads

Experts in nutrition science are needed in many industries, but those with a master’s degree in nutrition primarily work in healthcare. From hospitals and nursing homes to private medical practices, clinical nutritionists help people achieve health and wellness through evidence-based nutritional guidance and support. But if the idea of working in a patient-facing setting doesn’t fit your career interests, there are still some exciting opportunities for you in the world of nutrition.

Nutrition Research

As nutrition science continues to expand, industries like healthcare, food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and others, need dedicated professionals to plan, lead, and perform research. With a master’s degree in Human Nutrition, you will be qualified to work in a research lab.

Nutritionists in this field assist with clinical research in a variety of ways, including:

• Conducting product research
• Food and supplement development
• Writing research grant proposals
• Developing research methodologies
• Writing and reviewing articles and scientific papers for professional publications

If working in and around a lab helping to grow our knowledge base around human health sounds interesting, then a career in nutrition research could be the right path for you!

Industry Consulting

As a clinical nutritionist (CN) with a master’s degree in nutrition, you can build a career consulting for a wide variety of industries. Depending on your interests, you can work as a nutritional consultant in different capacities, including:

• Nutritional and nutraceutical sales
• Product formulation and design
• Technical writing for nutritional product companies.
• Educational program development
• Clinical support for healthcare providers
• Sports nutrition consultant

Depending on your interest and comfort level, this career path can have you working behind the scenes or in a customer-facing role, helping to grow the field of nutrition using your experience and expertise as a clinical nutritionist.

Academia

With a master’s degree in Nutrition, you’re qualified to teach at both the Pre-K-12 and community college levels. If you enjoy working with students of all ages and bringing your passion and interests to the classroom, a role in education will fit your needs nicely (the summers off don’t hurt, either!).

If you love teaching and learning, you don’t have to stop with your master’s degree. Many people with their master’s in Nutrition often go on to earn their Ph.D. or a Doctor of Health Sciences degree (DHSc.), opening up even more opportunities to teach at colleges across all levels.

Non-Profit

Human health and wellness often go hand-in-hand with giving back to your community, and so many clinical nutritionists find professional fulfillment working in the non-profit space. After all, many nutritionists enter the field due to their compassion for others and a desire to help people get healthier and live better lives.

You can find value in your career by working as a:

• Community health educator and advocate
• Domestic and overseas nutrition organization clinician
• Clinical nutritionist in a community health center
• Clinical nutritionist for an NGO or public health agency

As a clinical nutritionist, you can use your skills and experience to educate communities on using nutrition to aid in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases — working to create real change in human health and nutrition one person at a time.

Publishing

If using your voice to help support and educate people in the field sounds like you, then print, digital, and non-traditional publishing may be the perfect fit for your career. Nutrition publication careers include:

• News media expert in nutrition and wellness.
• Nutrition writer: books, print articles, and web-based publications on nutrition
• Using your voice to promote evidence-based nutrition science on social media and other platforms.

Many of UB’s graduates find rewarding careers in many of these branches of nutrition. We’ve seen graduates go on to become community health advocates, nutrition consultants, writers, and more!

Below, meet a UB alum who created a unique and exciting career in the field of nutrition!

2019 MS Nutrition graduate, Elanie Welch, is the cohost of a nutrition podcast with listeners from more than 55 countries around the globe.

“Since graduating with my master’s degree in Human Nutrition, I’ve started a podcast. The podcast allows me to reach thousands of people with the nutritional wisdom I learned at UB. We have listeners in 55 different countries! I’ve had the opportunity to interview experts in clinical nutrition, and my business partner and I are working on producing a documentary next!”

UB’s master’s of Human Nutrition program prepares you for a wide variety of career paths in the field. At UB, you’ll build an in-depth knowledge of:

• Clinical biochemistry and metabolism
• Developmental nutrition
• Disease-specific care
• Laboratory analysis
• Nutritional assessment
• Research methodologies
• Styles of dietary intervention

When you earn your master’s degree in Nutrition from UB, the career path you choose is driven by your passions and interests in the field.

Interested in starting your journey toward a career in Nutrition? Reach out to us today!

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.