A Student Perspective

Elieke Demmer

Elieke Demmer

Class of 2010 (Clinical Nutrition)

My mom raised me in an environment where almost all of our foods have been organic, whole wheat, or natural. Growing up like this I have always been interested in food, and how to eat healthy. When I came to UCD I quickly realized that with a degree in Clinical Nutrition I could continue my path of curiosity in the food world and explore why "natural" and "organic" are healthy choices. I also love helping other people, and believe that by becoming a Registered Dietitian I will be able to aid others in living a healthier life.

Upon graduating from UCD in the spring I plan on finding a program that combines a Masters degree in Nutrition as well as a Dietetic Internship. I then plan on becoming a Registered Dietitian and hope to one day own a private health club where I can use both my Exercise Biology knowledge as well as my Nutritional background to help people lead healthier lives.

More Undergraduate Perspectives

Undergraduate Programs

The Department of Nutrition is a component of the Division of Human Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The Department of Nutrition believes that nutrition plays a critical role in the health and well-being of people. In addition, the philosophy of the Department of Nutrition states that the education of our students will best be served by offering two majors with variable emphases, Clinical Nutrition and Nutrition Science.

Undergraduate Majors

  • The Clinical Nutrition (formerly Dietetics) major incorporates the same basic core of nutrition classes as the Nutrition Science major, but includes additional courses such as food service management, education, sociology, and communication skills to prepare for work with the public. Clinical Nutrition students spend the first two years completing preparatory course work in the basic biological sciences, along with several of the social sciences. In the final two years, students take courses in normal and clinical nutrition, food science, biochemistry, and management techniques. A checklist for the Clinical Nutrition major is also available online.
  • The Nutrition Science major encompasses all aspects of the consumption and utilization of food and its constituents. Key areas of study include the biochemical reactions important to utilization of nutrients and food constituents, the impact of diet on health and disease, and nutrition-related policy and public health issues. The nutrition science major includes two options for studying these areas: nutritional biochemistry and community nutrition. Nutrition Science as it is taught on the Davis campus is a biological science and requires a complete background in chemistry and biology, along with calculus and either physics (nutritional biochemistry option) or economics (community nutrition option). These courses are generally completed during the first two years, and along with biochemistry, must be completed before most nutrition classes can be taken. During their junior and senior years, students in the nutritional biochemistry option take additional course work in biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, physiology, immunology, and/or toxicology. Students in the community nutrition option take additional course work in social and health-related sciences. A checklist for Nutrition Science with nutritional biochemistry emphasis and a checklist for Nutrition Science with community nutrition emphasis are also available online in PDF format.

The Department allows some flexibility in the major program to provide for maximum individual growth, development, and career choices. At the same time, the student has the opportunity to become qualified by commonly accepted community standards for professional positions, such as those in Dietetics, in which their education is useful to society.

Minor Programs

The Department of Nutrition also offers four minor programs to students in other disciplines who wish to complement their study program with a concentration in the area of food and nutrition. The minor programs available are: Community Nutrition, Nutrition Science, Food Service Management, and Nutrition and Food.

Regardless of the emphasis, Nutrition as it is taught on the Davis campus is a biological science and requires a background in chemistry and biology. Both majors contain the same core courses within the biological and physical sciences. Courses in English, statistics, social sciences and humanities as well as the UC Davis General Education requirements are also required. These courses are generally completed prior to upper division coursework and, along with biochemistry, must be completed before most Nutrition classes can be taken. This allows time for in-depth study in Nutrition during the Junior and Senior years, when students can take courses in nutrition principles, human nutrition, diet therapy, experimental nutrition, developmental nutrition, food and culture, and community nutrition.

Career Goals & Opportunities

All of the majors in the Nutrition Department are traditional academic programs designed to give students a broad, versatile education. They are not intended to prepare students for a specific slot in the job market, but rather educate students in a specific area and provide the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for coping with a changing world. Consult with an adviser in your major about how to round out your program to suit your career goals. Also remember that there is little correlation between grades and career success. Many employers hire people based on their interest in a job, their willingness to learn and work hard, and their ability to get along with people. Graduate and professional programs usually have minimum GPA requirements, but they are also interested in candidates who show the characteristics needed to be successful in their programs.

Students with degrees in Nutrition find employment within a wide range of organizations. Employers include: medical facilities, research laboratories, biotechnology firms, government agencies, schools, pharmaceutical companies, and the food industry. With so many options available, it is important for you to decide in which area of nutrition and in what kind of organization you would like to work. Are you interested in lab work? Do you want to work for a small company or a large one? Do you want to work in the health field? Are there courses at Davis which you should be taking to prepare for certain careers? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer before deciding on a specific career.

Many of the careers you may wish to pursue require specialized training after graduation from UC Davis. Many of our graduates have continued their education and have gone into such diverse fields as dentistry, nursing, teaching, veterinary medicine, and law. Some students enter these programs immediately after graduation, others prefer to work for a few years and then return to school. If you are thinking about a career that does require additional training, become familiar with the requirements to get into the post-graduate program. These requirements may include specific classes (e.g., education classes for a teaching career) or tests (MCAT, GRE, etc.) that you need to take.

The Clinical Nutrition major qualifies students to apply for the American Dietetics Association "accredited internship," enabling them to become a Registered Dietitian, the professional credential necessary to work in a clinical setting. Once dietitians are registered, they generally seek employment in administrative, therapeutic, teaching, research, or public health/public service positions in clinics, hospitals, schools, or other similar institutions. There is a growing role for dietitians working in settings outside of the traditional hospital (for example, in state and federal nutrition programs, nutrition education, Peace Corps and Cooperative Extension work). Students who complete the undergraduate preparation in clinical nutrition are also qualified to enter graduate programs in dietetics, nutrition science, public health nutrition, and food service management. A list of jobs held by alumni of the Clinical Nutrition program at UC Davis is available online.

The Nutrition Science major is excellent preparation for professional or graduate training in medicine, public health, or other health sciences. The nutritional biochemistry option also provides preparation for technical work in nutrition in the animal, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The community nutrition option prepares students for jobs in administrative, teaching, or public health/public service positions. Students who complete the additional academic requirements for an internship in dietetics are also qualified for careers in dietetics following completion of an internship. A list of jobs held by alumni of the Nutrition Science program at UC Davis is available online.

Resources for Current Nutrition Students


Student Clubs and Associations

 

Resources for Prospective Nutrition Students

Information about UC Davis

Information about Past Graduates

Requirements for Nutrition Majors

Contact Information

For more information on any of the Nutrition Department undergraduate programs, please contact the Nutrition Undergraduate Advising Office:

Mailing Address

Vita Cooper
Undergraduate Staff Advisor
Department of Nutrition
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-5270

Faculty Advisors

Photo - Andrew Clifford

Clinical Nutrition
Andrew Clifford
ajclifford@ucdavis.edu
3147 Meyer Hall
(530) 752-3376

Photo - Francene Steinberg

Dietetics Internships
Francene Steinberg
fmsteinberg@ucdavis.edu
3143 Meyer Hall
(530) 752-0160

Photo - Bo Lönnerdal

Nutrition Science
Bo Lönnerdal
bllonnerdal@ucdavis.edu
3217C Meyer Hall
(530) 752-8347

Undergraduate Staff Advisor

 

Vita Cooper
3211 Meyer Hall
(530) 752-2512
nutritionadvising@ucdavis.edu

Peer Advisors *

nutritionpeer@ucdavis.edu
3211 Meyer Hall
(530) 752-4657
Advising Office Hours Fall 2009

*(during Academic Year only)