Dietitians are regulated health professionals who use specialized knowledge of food and nutrition to enhance the lives and improve the health of the people they serve. Practicing in diverse settings, dietitians use their knowledge and training to meet the needs of the Canadian population.
As the only dietitian training program offered in British Columbia, UBC’s Dietetics program prepares you for entry into an in-demand profession, at a level that readies you to meet national accreditation standards. Our graduates are highly employable in a diverse range of roles, many within the ever-expanding health care system. Dietetics graduates have gone on to careers in clinical dietetics, public health nutrition, private practice, business and industry, government, media, education and research.
- Acute and long term care: providing nutrition care to patients and residents in hospitals, clinics, and other settings; counseling patients, residents and families; providing nutrition-related education to nurses, doctors and other members of healthcare teams
- Business and industry: contributing food and nutrition expertise in roles related to food provision, manufacturing, advertising, marketing, research and product development
- Community agencies: identifying population nutrition issues and developing strategies to address them
- Community health centres and clinics: counseling individuals and groups to prevent disease and promote health
- Government: developing and implementing food and nutrition policies
- Home health agencies: providing guidance and education on food access and preparation to individuals and families with special needs
- Institutional food provision: managing food service systems in settings such as hospitals, long term care, daycare, schools, recreational settings, and correctional facilities
- Post-secondary education: teaching and conducting academic research
- Private practice: providing consultation services to individual clients and their families, corporate wellness programs, supermarkets, sports teams, and restaurants
Taken from the Integrated Competencies for Dietetics Education and Practice (ICDEP) - Version 3.0 (2020).
Rewards of the Dietetic Profession
- Sense of accomplishment from helping people to improve their health and feel better
- Interaction with other health professionals, and a wide variety of patients/clients
- Lifelong learning, due to the constantly evolving field of nutrition
- Portability and opportunities for advancement
- Opportunities to work in a diverse range of practice areas and workplaces
- Interesting, varied, stimulating, and challenging work as new knowledge and new ways of helping patients/clients arise
Job Market Conditions
Current job market conditions for dietitians are excellent. There are more than 1300 dietitians registered in BC and dietetics is a growing profession with excellent future job prospects. The 2021 BC Labour Market Outlook classifies dietitians as a “high opportunity occupation” and projects an average of 86 job openings each year over the next ten years.
The UBC undergraduate Dietetics Major currently graduates 36 students each year. The Masters of Nutrition & Dietetics will graduate up to 20 students each year.
Every 5 years the Dietetics Program collects feedback from program alumni. The goal of the survey is to understand workforce trends and inform improvements to the Dietetics Program. The most recent survey can be found below this paragraph (2017-2022). It outlines that a majority of program graduates have no difficulty obtaining employment in the field of dietetics once completing the program.
If you are interested in the past survey (2012-2016), it can be found here.
Dietitians can expect to earn wages for level 1 unionized positions in nutrition care/population and public health, which are in the $58,000-72,000 annual salary range. More specialized positions may have higher wages.
Degree Portability
Once students graduate they are eligible to practice as a registered dietitian upon successful completion of a national registration examination and application to any provincial regulatory body.
Graduates wishing to enter practice in another country should contact the applicable regulatory organization for information. Dietetic practice and registration requirements vary widely from country to country.
Dietitian vs. Nutritionist
A Registered Dietitian (RD) is a regulated professional who must complete an accredited educational program including practice-based training. Upon registration with a provincial regulatory body, dietitians may use the RD designation. Nutrition-related positions in hospitals and public health generally require dietitian qualifications.
The title Nutritionist can be a source of confusion. This title is not regulated and is used by people with a wide range of training and knowledge. The title may be used by both individuals who do not have formal education in nutrition (e.g., health food store clerks and gym employees) and those that do (dietitians employed in community settings; nutritional scientists working in academic or industry settings; nutrition counsellors trained in non-university settings such as private colleges).
Dietitians working in a hospital or health care facility will often have a job title that incorporates the term “dietitian.” These dietitians focus on the clinical care of patients/clients or manage food production and service. In contrast, dietitians working in a community setting sometimes have a job title that incorporates the term “nutritionist.”
Dietitians of Canada
Dietitians of Canada (DC) is the national professional association with approximately 6000 members. Dietetics students are eligible to become student (qualifying) members. Below are some benefits of joining DC:
- Chance to connect and communicate with fellow students, as well as RDs
- Increased awareness of current dietetics-related issues in Canada
- Access to valuable tools and resources
- Opportunities to participate in conferences and workshops
- Access to jobs and other opportunities to practice dietetics