Dietetics B.S.

  • Bowls of assorted vegetables

    Dietetics B.S.

    Learn to use food and nutrition to prevent and treat diseases and promote overall health. This program is the first step in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Explore the dietetics bachelor’s degree program at the University of Alaska Anchorage

UAA’s Bachelor of Science in dietetics degree program utilizes the Nutrition Care Process to prepare you to work with diverse populations across the lifespan. You’ll build a strong foundation in culinary medicine, medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, and food service and management, giving you the theory and practice you need to launch your career.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN)
Many states require dietitians and nutritionists to be licensed. In order to take the RDN exam, you must:

  1. earn your bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in dietetics;
  2. complete a dietetic internship or Master of Science in dietetics and nutrition; and
  3. sit for and pass the national Registered Dietitian Nutritionist exam.

Transfer credits
If you have previous academic experience, you may be able to apply some credits to the dietetics degree program with approval of the program director.

Student advising for pre-majors and full dietetics majors
Work with dietetic program advisors to plan your personal program of study, arrange to take placement tests and fulfill other application and degree program requirements.

Dietetics B.S.

Degree Type:

  • Baccalaureate

Program Length: Four Years - Pre-majors must apply for admission to the full major.

Availability:Online, Anchorage campus, Kenai Peninsula College, Mat-Su College, Kodiak College, Prince William Sound College

Accredited by: Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics

Other program options: Minor in nutrition

Did you know..

Job opportunities for dietitians and nutritionists in Alaska are expected to increase by 18.4% over the next decade, which is much greater than the average for all occupations.

What can you do with a dietetics degree from UAA?

After graduation you’ll be able to apply for a graduate-level program, which offers additional hands-on training and qualify you to take the national Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) exam.

Dietetics graduate program

  • Master of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition

Dietetics careers
Registered dietitian nutritionists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care, clinics, schools, food service, and state and local government agencies. UAA dietetics alumni have built successful careers throughout Alaska and the U.S. with employers

By the numbers..

$33
Median hourly earnings for dietitians and nutritionists in Alaska.
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Dietetics bachelor’s degree program highlights

As part of the UAA College of Health, you will have access to advanced technology and resources that enhance your education and support your career pathway to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.

  • Engage with students and faculty. Even with online courses, the bachelor’s degree in dietetics program at the University of Alaska Anchorage offers small class sizes and student-centered faculty that allow you to build connections and relationships in and out of the classroom.
  • Learn from dietetics program faculty who are highly productive and widely published. Their specialties include practice-based research, food security, food assistance systems in Alaska and nutritional genomics.
  • Conduct undergraduate research. Dietetics program faculty can help you lay the foundation for graduate-level research in master’s and doctoral degree programs and practice-based research in the health care profession. As a dietetics major, you can also develop independent research projects or join faculty research. For example, undergraduate students have studied how subsistence foods play a role in food security.
  • Get on-the-job training in a local practicum placement. In select dietetics program courses, you can work with RDNs in their communities and earn credit toward degree program requirements.

Amazing stories from our majors

“I’m excited that after going through this I will be able to have a profession that helps people. Food is something that we eat every day, and if you eat something every day, it influences your health every second. You are what you eat, and that’s what this whole degree is about.”

Oksana Deyneka
Dietetics B.S. alumna
Students studying in front of a window.

You will be invited to join interprofessional education campus events to connect with other students and professionals in health care.

Dietetics student clubs and activities
Students practicing with an advanced mannequin

To improve patient care and safety, the state-of-the-art simulation center features high-fidelity manikins and advanced video system technology that will expose you to real-life environments and scenarios in health care.

The Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center

Dietetics bachelor’s degree program curriculum

Combining the Nutrition Care Process with counseling techniques, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Bachelor of Science in dietetics degree program prepares you to work with diverse populations, including infants and children, adolescents and adults, pregnant and nursing women and the elderly.

You will complete coursework that provides a strong foundation in science, food science, clinical and community nutrition, therapeutic nutrition, nutrition for the lifespan, counseling, communication and management.