Graduate programs are available in many different disciplines pertaining to nutrition. The National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator website lists six categories of accredited nutritional programs. The first two, Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist and Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, deal with the practical clinical application of nutritional knowledge. The second two, Foods, Nutrition and Related Services and Foods, Nutrition and Wellness, focus on how food relates to wellness and illness. The third pair, Human Nutrition and Nutrition Sciences, lean toward general research. The American Dietetic Association's Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) accredits "combined programs" of graduate work and dietitic specialization.
Clinical nutritionists and dietitians are, respectively, scientists and health care practitioners who focus on the practical aspects of healthy eating. Dietitians are clinicians who undergo a rigorous process of testing and certification, and only those credentialed by CADE may legally practise as dietitians. Scientists who hold a bachelor's or graduate degree in nutrition are called nutritionists, but that term unfortunately is not backed by any legal or professional licensing requirements. Anyone offering nutritional advice may use the term "nutritionist," so the onus is on the consumer to ask about training and credentials. Universities offering graduate programs in clinical nutrition or CADE-accredited combined programs include Loma Linda, Johns Hopkins, University of Memphis and University of Pittsburgh.
Programs in this category tend to focus on the impact of specific foods and nutrients on health and wellness. The question of what constitutes healthy foods is one that engenders strong opinions, and the perception of healthiness is prone to fads and changes of popular fashion. This group of disciplines attempts to make that question more objective than subjective. Universities with graduate programs in these disciplines include Kent State, Case Western, Purdue, and Syracuse.
These disciplines are concerned with nutrition as a whole, and lean more to research than clinical application. Graduates from these disciplines might work in universities or major hospitals, but could just as easily find themselves in the product development lab of a major food manufacturing corporation. Universities offering graduate degrees in these categories include Auburn, Cornell, Tulane, and Texas A & M.
There can be a great deal of overlap between the categories, and a great deal of variance between individual programs at the various schools. Potential students should obtain further information from several universities before making a choice. The Career Navigator website is a useful tool for narrowing your choices. The American Dietetic Association offers information on a career in dietetics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has both career information and salary statistics. The American Society for Nutrition is the industry body for professionals in the field, and their website contains information on the issues and concerns facing those in the field of nutrition.