M.S. Human Nutrition Career Outlook

Winthrop’s online nutrition master's program prepares nutrition professionals to practice on the leading edge of the field. Our master's degree in nutrition gives you the confidence and skills to continue making a difference in others' lives through a rewarding career, whether you're early in your journey or an experienced professional seeking advancement.

Our faculty have expertise in all areas of the field, allowing for mentorship in specific areas of interest to suit your individual career goals. Because they take the time to get to know each student, your instructors can focus on your interests and make content more relevant. For example, you will analyze case studies that emulate real-world scenarios you could encounter on the job. Through these innovative approaches to online instruction, the M.S. in Human Nutrition gives you the specific knowledge you need for whatever your unique interest, such as lactation, food allergies or the microbiome.

Careers in Nutrition

Our online M.S. in Human Nutrition prepares you to meet a new requirement from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

  • In 2024, all medical nutrition therapy positions and any entry-level Registered Dietitian nutritionist position will require a graduate degree.

No matter your career path, you can proceed with a comprehensive skill set from Winthrop's online master's in nutrition program*.

Careers With RD/RDN Certification

If you have your RD/RDN certification plus your master's degree in nutrition, you can apply for jobs in virtually any industry, including:

  • Business
  • Community and Public Health
  • Education
  • Government Agencies
  • Health Care
  • Private Practice
  • Research

Career Spotlight: Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist

As a licensed Registered Dietitian or nutritionist, you would improve individuals' quality of life by using their diet to promote health and manage diseases. Your role might include nutrition counseling, meal planning, documenting patients' progress, making educational materials and speaking to the community about their health. Jobs for Registered Dietitians and nutritionists are expected to grow much faster than the average for other positions at 8% through 2029. These professionals made a median salary of $61,270 in 2019.1

Careers Without RD/RDN Certification

If you do not have an RD/RDN certification, an online master’s in nutrition​ qualifies you for an array of careers that help diverse communities:

  • Community or public health educator
  • Community nutrition educator
  • Foodservice manager
  • Nutrition educator for a business, non-profit or organization
  • Outpatient nutrition educator or counselor

In these roles, you will directly impact people's whole-body improvement through education or management.

Career Spotlight: Health Educator

Health educators can work in many settings, including community, non-profit organizations, businesses, sports teams and health care. As a health educator, you would assess the needs of the people you serve, develop educational programming, help people find health services, supervise health education staff, collect and analyze data and conduct outreach activities. The need for health educators and community health workers is expected to grow 13% through 2029, much faster than the average for all other occupations. The median wage for health education specialists was $55,220 in 2019.2

Join a Network of Thriving Alumni

100% of Winthrop University's M.S. in Human Nutrition alumni are employed. Our graduates have had jobs with the following companies:

  • Aramark
  • Atrium Health
  • Compass One/Crothall/Morrison Healthcare
  • Novant Health
  • Prisma Health
  • Sodexo
  • Tenet Health

No matter your career goals, Winthrop's MS Human Nutrition program will help you get there. 

Learn more about the online nutrition masters program today! Get in touch with a program manager toll-free at 833/257-1704 or request more information.

* If you would like to pursue a dietetic internship before or after your master of science in human nutrition, you'll need a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement to be eligible. In order to become a Registered Dietitian, you must complete a didactic program in dietetics (DPD) and dietetic internship (DI) in addition to completing your master’s degree.

1https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm

2https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm