What education is required to become a nutritionist?

Becoming a nutritionist requires completion of a bachelor’s degree and meeting the requirements set by the state of residence. Master's and doctoral degrees in nutrition provide the most comprehensive education for a career as a nutritionist.

Nutritionists must earn a bachelor's degree related to food science or nutrition from an institution of higher education accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education.

To become a registered dietitian nutritionist, some states require nutritionists to acquire a state registration for them to practice. This involves having a certain amount of supervised, hand-on-training and taking a competency exam on top of the bachelor’s degree.

In addition, there are voluntary certifications that nutritionists can earn, which allow them to demonstrate advanced knowledge of the field.