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Nutrition Science Major

Nutrition Science

1,196 Master's Degrees Annually
182 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#100 in Popularity (Master's)

Types of Degrees Nutrition Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many nutrition science graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,636
Doctor’s Degree 178
Graduate Certificate 131

What Nutrition Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to nutrition science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Nutrition Science Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Nutrition Science Majors

When studying nutrition science, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Nutrition Science Majors

Nutrition Science majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Nutrition Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with nutrition science:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Dietetic Technicians 9.3% $27,140
Dietitians and Nutritionists 14.6% $60,370
Life Scientists 9.0% $78,190
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Nutrition Science?

1,636 Master's Degrees Annually
87% Percent Women
29% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 87% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of nutrition science majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 142
Black or African American 70
Hispanic or Latino 208
White 925
International Students 173
Other Races/Ethnicities 118

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Nutrition Science. About 10.6% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with nutrition science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to nutrition science have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 5.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 13.1%
Some College Courses 1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.0%
Bachelor’s Degree 19.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 6.7%
Master’s Degree 12.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.7%
Doctoral Degree 23.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 16.7%

Online Nutrition Science Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 2 1
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 6 1
Bachelor’s Degree 20 4
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 108 11
Post-Master’s 6 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 52 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 1
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to nutrition science.

Major Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 29,596
Biological & Physical Science 28,469
Interdisciplinary Studies 9,341
Data Analytics 7,294
International Studies 6,458
Behavioral Science 4,777
Data Science 4,416
Sustainability Science 4,382
Cognitive Science 2,959
Human Computer Interaction 2,324
Natural Sciences 2,275
Computational Science 2,167
Human Biology 2,016
Mathematics & Computer Science 1,489
Systems Theory 1,080
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution 1,074
Gerontology 951
Museum Studies 892
Geography and Environmental Studies 809
Science, Technology & Society 805
Dispute Resolution 652
Multicultural & Diversity Studies 584
Marine Science 436
Historic Preservation 423
Cultural Studies & Analysis 375
Classical & Ancient Studies 290
Biopsychology 208
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics 153
Mathematical Economics 139
Climate Science 110
Medieval Studies 105
Environmental Geosciences 102
Economics and Computer Science 89
Maritime Studies 68
History and Political Science 68
Holocaust Studies 67
Accounting & Computer Science 55
Digital Humanities and Textual Studies 54
Anthrozoology 47
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature 40
Earth Systems Science 25
Economics and Foreign Language/Literature 12
Thanatology 8
Linguistics and Computer Science 4
Geoarcheaology 1
History and Language/Literature 1
Linguistics and Anthropology 1
Geobiology 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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