Online Clinical Dietician Schools: How to Choose

A clinical dietician school may be chosen based on the end goal of its education program for students and the areas in which the program specializes. Most of the online programs available for clinical dieticians are for master's degrees, though a few hybrid bachelor's programs in general dietetics are available.

How to Decide on a School for Clinical Dietetics

Credentials and Education Goals

Guidelines for becoming a Registered Dietitian, a designation administered by the American Dietetic Association, require students to complete a bachelor's degree, a supervised practice program, a national examination and continuing education requirements. As a result, there are no fully-online bachelor's programs in clinical dietetics, though a few scattered hybrid programs in general dietetics do exist. They generally offer much or all of their coursework online and assist students in arranging supervised practice experiences near their homes.
More fully-online dietetics or nutrition degree programs are available at the graduate level. Most are offered primarily as higher education options for professionals with previous dietetic experience. Students should carefully research what a college is offering when it advertises a program for clinical dietitians. Some colleges offer master's degrees in nutrition or in dietetics, but may either only offer their program to applicants who are already eligible to become Registered Dietitians or expressly state that their program does not provide students with eligibility for the title of Registered Dietitian. Most master's degrees in nutrition and dietetics are designed to broaden students' knowledge base and prepare them for a career in whatever area of human nutrition they choose, and not to give them credentials as a dietitian.

Education Focus and Objectives

Dietetics and nutrition are composed of several different areas upon which degree programs can focus. Thus a student in a dietetics program must carefully decide which area they wish to focus on in order to choose the program that suits them and their chosen career best.

Online Degree Options for Clinical Dietitians

Bachelor of Science in Dietetics

Dietetics bachelor's programs train students in the scientific and social bases of nutrition and food education. Programs focused specifically on clinical dietetics are not widely available online, but most general programs include a substantial clinical component and serve as excellent preparation for clinical dietetics study at the master's level. A significant portion of the degree program consists in supervised practice experience, which can usually be arranged at a site near a student's home.
Some programs only admit students who hold associate's degrees in nutrition. Others may admit students without prior dietetics education but require them to complete additional prerequisite courses before enrolling in the standard program courses. Depending on prior coursework or required prerequisites, time required to earn a dietician bachelor's degree may vary from two to five years of study.
Online courses are generally managed through university websites that integrate audiovisual lectures, readings and assignments. Students may need webcams or microphones to communicate with their instructors and fellow students via live conferences, or they may conduct all communications via e-mail, chat rooms and message boards.

Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

An online master of science in nutrition and dietetics degree is often most used by students as either a continuing education resource in order to satisfy licensing and employment requirements or as a stepping stone to a doctoral degree. Requirements may vary based on students' goals, with those who will go on to pursue a doctoral degree being recommended to complete a thesis while non-doctoral students may choose a non-thesis degree option. Classes are normally offered via online software that combines e-mail and instant messaging communication methods and allows for real-time testing and assignment grading.

Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition

A master of science in clinical nutrition is designed to give students an education in human nutrition that may be used either in pursuing higher education or in a professional context. Courses are generally more technical than in a general nutrition and dietetics master's program, focusing on the chemical and biological aspects of nutrition. Clinical programs may be appropriate for students wishing to pursue careers that incorporate research, either in the laboratory or as part of public health initiatives. They also include a strong patient care component. Fully-online degrees usually require students to have high speed Internet access, sometimes with a microphone- and sound- enabled computer in order to take part in voice discussions.