A nutritionist Cardiff is someone who helps others on matters of nutrition and food. Some individuals specialize in a certain field, including animal nutrition, sports nutrition, or public health, among many other fields. Others are generalists, with a wide range of skills. Whether you are interested in a career as a nutritionist or not, here are some things to expect.
The first step towards becoming a nutritionist is earning a bachelor’s degree. This will take approximately two years. Your bachelor’s degree will include classes in organic chemistry, biochemistry, and nutritional science. You can earn a master’s degree as well if you would like. In most cases, your bachelor’s degree will be followed by a year or two of graduate studies in nutrition. Either of these could lead to a Ph.D. in nutrition.
You can also get your nutritionist certification after graduating from college. To become certified, you need to complete a one-year course that covers a variety of topics related to nutrition. Many colleges that offer this course also provide certification exam for those who successfully complete the course. If you want to pursue a career as a nutritionist, it is important to know that certification is required.
The second step that nutritionists must take to succeed is to become accredited through one of the hundreds of programs around the country. The National Association of Schools of Nutrition (NASN) provides accredited programs in nutrition for students, professional trainees, and continuing education. There are also national certification boards for nutritionists that offer certification as well. These boards provide a valuable resource for anyone considering a career in the field. These certification boards also conduct internships that expose students to real life situations and give them opportunities to develop internship applications and job skills.
Some nutritionists pursue doctoral degrees. A doctoral program in nutrition focuses on understanding the causes and treatment of nutrition disorders. Nutritionists with a doctoral degree in this field concentrate on specific areas of nutrition. The two major areas of concentration for those with a doctoral degree in nutrition are human nutrition and nutritional sciences. Those with a bachelor’s degree will generally begin their careers in human nutrition; however, for those with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, they usually choose to pursue a specialization such as exercise physiology, diabetes, or anatomy and function.
If you want to become a nutritionist, there are many states that require you to get certification in order to practice. However, many states don’t require certification, so it depends on your area of expertise and personal preferences. For example, some states don’t require certification for nutrition counselors, because counselors are employed by schools or other non-profit groups instead of hospitals. Many states require nutritionists to be certified through the American College of Nutrition (ACN).