Overview
McGill’s School of Human Nutrition is Canada’s longest established teaching and research institution in the field of human nutrition. Our driving mission is to improve human health by understanding nutrients, health, environment and society. We train future leaders in areas like dietetics, nutrition, food function, food security, global nutrition, and nutritional biochemistry in health.
The Dietetics Major is a 3.5 year (115 credit) accredited, professional program that leads to qualification to become licensed as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. You will gain hands-on experience through 40 weeks of supervised internships (stages) in various domains including clinical, community nutrition and food service systems management.
Upon completion, graduates are eligible to become a registered professional dietitian (RD or p.dt.) with the Ordre des diététistes nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ). Note that in order to become a member of ODNQ, there is a French language requirement. Once registered as an RD in Quebec, then graduates can apply to any other province in Canada as an RD without needing to do the national exam (CDRE). Note that regulatory bodies in other provinces (except Quebec) require successful completion of a national exam (CDRE) for new graduates who did not first register and become licensed in Quebec. The B.Sc Nutr Sci Dietetics Major program is accredited and the most recent accreditation information can be found on our website: https://www.mcgill.ca/nutrition/programs/undergraduate/dietetics .
Careers
The Dietetics Major leads to many career opportunities in food and nutrition. A dietitian is a licensed health professional who can work in a variety of settings. You could pursue a career in:
- Private practice
- Agri-food industries
- Clinical nutrition in hospitals, medical clinics and long-term care centres
- Community agencies related to food and nutrition
- Food service management
- Grocery chains, health and fitness centres
- Nutrition and health promotion agencies
- Nutrition communication agencies and the media
Student experience
Dietetics Major Stages (40 weeks of internship) are integrated and sequenced throughout the 3.5 year program. The Stage 1 is primarily on campus, and consists of activities that prepare you for fieldwork. In Stage 2b, you are placed in healthcare facilities for clinical nutrition and food service management experiences during the months of May and June, in the summer following Year 2.
In third year and your final semester, you will complete Stage 3 and Stage 4 in a variety of settings, including healthcare and community organizations. Some international experiences may be available during the final semester of the program. Stages at site placements are full-time during the scheduled dates.
All students are placed, by the university, in a variety of practice settings during their program. Feedback surveys from graduates of the program consistently shows how valuable students found their internship to be for their learning and future career
Courses
As a student in Dietetics, you can take courses like:
Related majors
Several related Majors are available but it is important to note that only the Dietetics Major leads to professional registration as a Dietitian/Nutritionist.
Ready to apply?
For this program, you'll need to apply to the School of Human Nutrition.
Check the full admission requirements for information about deadlines and whether supporting documents are required as part of your application.