Career Opportunities
Nutrition - Dietetics & Foods in Business
A degree in nutrition/dietetics prepares you for any number of opportunities, including:
- Health care positions in hospitals, hospice and home care, retirement communities, and other healthcare facilities
- Food service Management in hospitals, retirement communities, schools, correctional facilities, and other settings where food is served
- Community and public health agencies such as Women, Infant, and Children programs (WIC) and Cooperative Extension
- Consultants in the food and nutrition areas, including sports nutrition and wellness
- Teaching in medical centers, colleges, and universities
- Research in nutrition and food
This type of employment can be found in a variety of places such as wellness centers, hospitals, centers for the elderly, schools, and day care facilities, and includes the following job titles:
- Clinical dietitian (including specialty areas such as renal, pediatric, nutrition support, etc.)
- Commercial food service administrator
- College educator
- Consulting nutritionist
- Consumer and public relations specialist for food company
- Diet counselor
- Educational representative for business
- Extension service 4-H agent
- Food service administrator for airline or cruise line
- Home economist for food or equipment business
- Home healthcare dietitian
- Hospital food service administrator
- Marketing specialist for food or nutrition company
- Nutrition researcher
- Peace Corps representative
- Private practitioner
- Product development researcher
- Public health nutritionist
- Rehabilitation consultant
- Restaurant food service administrator
- Sales representative for food or equipment
- School food service administrator
- Sports nutritionist
- Wellness Coordinator
With a foods in business degree, you can be employed as a:
- Food Editor
- Test Kitchen coordinator
- New product developer
- Food stylist
- Caterer
- Kitchen designer
- Food management professional
The Registered Dietitian
Students in nutrition/dietetics are eligible to apply for post-baccalaureate dietetic internships. After successfully completing an internship, graduates are eligible to take the registration exam offered by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and become a registered dietitian (R.D.), the internationally recognized credential for food and nutrition professionals. Immaculata graduates have had a high rate of success in this exam. The Master of Arts in Nutrition Education including a Dietetic Internship is offered at Immaculata University.
Fashion Marketing
A degree in fashion marketing combined with your specific interests and talents prepares you for any number of careers such as:
- Purchasing agent
- Buyer
- Fashion coordinator
- Department manager
- Manufacturer's representative
- Fashion promoter
- Fashion manager
- Consultant
- Wholesaler
- Fashion designer
- Department store or boutique manager
Family and Consumer Sciences
According to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, while many Family and Consumer Science professionals are educators and administrators at colleges, universities, and pre-collegiate schools, others are business leaders, entrepreneurs, and researchers working in consumer-related fields.
- High school teacher
- Middle school teacher
- Elementary school teacher
- Preschool teacher
- Special education school teacher
- Adult educator
- Cooperative extension agent
- Consumer service consultant
- Public social agencies working with individuals and families
- Parenting education
Salary Ranges
Dietitians
According to the American Dietetic Association, median annual income for registered dietitians in 2002 varied by practice area as follows: $60,000 in consultation and business; $55,000 in food and nutrition management; $54,800 in education and research; $44,000 in clinical nutrition/ambulatory care; $43,300 in clinical nutrition/long-term care; $43,200 in community nutrition; and $40,800 in clinical nutrition/acute care. Salaries also vary by years in practice, educational level, geographic region, and size of the community.
Food Service Managers
Median annual earnings of salaried food service managers were $35,790 in 2002
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Median annual earnings of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers ranged from $39,810 to $44,340 in 2002; the lowest 10 percent earned $24,960 to $29,850; the top 10 percent earned $62,890 to $68,530. Median earnings for preschool teachers were $19,270.
According to the American Federation of Teachers, beginning teachers with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $30,719 in the 2001-02 school year. The estimated average salary of all public elementary and secondary school teachers in the 2001-02 school year was $44,367. Private school teachers generally earn less than public school teachers.
Fashion Marketing
Median annual earnings for wholesale and retail buyers were $40,780 in 2002.
Median annual earnings of sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing were $42,730, including commission, in 2002.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos119.htm (visited October 25, 2004).
Selected Links
- The American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org/careers.html
- Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences:
http://www.pafcs.org/