Photos: Emily Williams Photography

It’s not uncommon to see dietitians with a Master’s degree these days, especially with the new graduate degree eligibility standards from the Commision on Dietetic Registration that requires all dietitian registration eligible candidates to have a graduate degree prior to the dietetic internship, effective January 1st, 2024. A master’s degree in nutrition seems logical, but what about a master’s in business administration?

One of my most frequent questions from students is in regards to my dietetics path – mostly because it’s more on the unconventional side and doesn’t fit into a “traditional” RD route where I didn’t immediately go into a clinical job after graduation. While I want to be a resource for you and provide helpful information / guidance to steer some of you in the direction you feel most drawn to, the bottom line will always come back to emphasize this: there’s truly no path that’s a one-size fits all.

However, the beauty of this constantly evolving nutrition/dietetics industry is that there still SO many directions you can take and merge with an area you feel strongly about. You’ve got to trust that you’re able to create a niche that serves an audience who will resonates with you the most. Don’t be afraid to consider the option of being the first to pivot into uncharted territory. Honestly, one of the best advice I’ve ever received/ live by is that if you don’t ask or try, you’ll never know. I’ve learned that everyone has great ideas, but not everyone takes action to execute – and that’s what separates you from being where you are now and where you want to be.

Even if it doesn’t work out the way you think initially, it might have potential to grow into something entirely new and didn’t previously exist before. It will take patience, but know that everyone who has built their dream career has gone through trial of all kinds, even if they don’t look like yours.

I’m merging information here today that’s also based on personal experience, so I’d recommend taking the information that serves you the best and also assessing where your goals + interests are within the dietetics scope of practice. It might help you take the next step that align in whichever direction that may be.

First Things: My Dietetic Internship Experience

I started my dietetic internship in August of 2015 and completed it in May of 2017 through the MBA/RD program at Dominican University, located just west of downtown Chicago. It was the only program I applied to and at that time it was also the only one that offered this specific combination in the country.

Note: The program takes applications separate from DICAS, the online software where most dietetic internships are usually matched.

Length:

2 years total, broken down into 4 semesters. Most dietetic internships without a Master’s portion require just a base 1200 supervised practice hours but going this route will definitely take you longer, since there’s additional time that’s obviously invested in the master’s portion (I ended the program with over 1200+ hours.)  Again, this is from a personal experience – but here’s what days typically would look like throughout the week:

• Internship (community, foodservice, clinical, business) – during general work hours  think 9am-4pm, 3-4 times a week
• MBA Classes – evenings, 2-3 times per week
• Nutrition Continuing Education – 1x a week

Cost:

Going this route will obviously require a higher investment. As you may know, dietetic internship costs are out of pocket and those costs are high for any program with a graduate degree.

Takeaway 1: You get what you put into an experience.

You can take a specific concentration with your MBA (I took an emphasis in marketing) but overall, to get the maximum value/experience out of ANY Master’s of Business Administration program, you have to take initiative on your own to fully immerse yourself by taking textbook skills and applying them in real life. This can be frustrating if you’re use to standard classroom structure, which many of us are especially coming from full science background. You can easily sit there and absorb lectures as much as you want, but if you’re not proactively seeking to understand them through real life applications, then your expectations might not match up to what the actual experience may be.

Bottom line: This might sound obvious, but coursework alone won’t necessarily teach you how to build a business step-by-step – however, it might help change the way you think/approach issues + problems. This will help give you a mindset to resolve issues that arise in any business – regardless of if it’s your own or within a larger corporation.

Takeaway 2: Network, network, network.

This is for those of you who ask how manageable the program is: days are going to be long and some days will be more demanding than others. Ask any dietitian and they’ll tell you that most dietetic internships are mentally/ emotionally draining on anyone, but an advanced degree will just require more time and patience.

However, there is a bonus rotation in this specific MBA/RD route and it’s the business one. This is where you can truly build your networking skills. While the program will offer options for you to choose from, don’t be afraid to reach out to a specific dietitians / businesses and see if they’re able to take you on as an intern. This is one of the best ways to zone in and get experience in areas where you feel more drawn to.

Bottom line: Part of business school is connecting with who you know. If there’s someone you want to learn from, ask! (but nicely, obviously! )

So is it worth it?

My personal goal of going into dietetics has always included a vision of owning my own private practice / business ventures / marketing consulting. So for me, this was a natural fit and an investment I wanted to make because it fit right into my long-term goals.

I would say if your focus is less business/corporate and more clinical / community based, there are truly several other fantastic programs out there that might fit into your financial or lifestyle needs/goals better. Even if you wanted to run your own private practice, an MBA might not be the most necessary depending on the type of consulting you want to do (there are several private practice dietitians that have built a successful business without it).  

However, if you do want to fill a more corporate role (think marketing, consulting, digital marketing, brand management – more towards the corporate side ) having a MBA will add value to your total skill set.

As for the return/value, it comes back to the point I made earlier in the post about where your #1 goal is and the niche you want to fill as as RDN. What does that look like for you?

Traditional Clinical Route. Do I have to take it?

If you’re a dietetics student / new RD / recent grad struggling with the direction to take after school, you don’t necessary have to take a clinical job if you truly do not want to go that direction. You might often hear in the industry that you “have” to go this route first before taking a leap into other areas – but what I’ve always believed about and again, in the beauty of the industry (beyond what we’ve been previously told) is that there are opportunities to merge nutrition with an endless list of ideas.

If you find yourself confused by the direction you want to steer, it may be helpful to picture your IDEAL day. Imagine the people you want to serve and the types of work / environment you would enjoy the most.

I want to emphasize that there’s nothing against going the clinical route here, obviously – it’s an in-demand category that serves an important population that needs our training. Plus, inpatient experience will provide overall value in skill sets anywhere you decide to go later. However, don’t let yourself fall in a trap of comparing traditional clinical paths to what you want ultimately want.

Additional career opportunities to consider: 

• Communications / Journalism
• Product development
• Public Relations
• Marketing Consulting
• News/Media
• Advertising
• Marketing – Natural Food Categories
• Marketing and Data Research
• Private Practice
• Food Styling / Photography
• Retail
• Business Management
• (insert your dream here – seriously!)

I’m already a Registered Dietitian. Should I get my MBA?

Given that you’ve already taken into account the several factors that come with pursuing a graduate degree (i.e. time, finances, relocation, etc.), you’ll then have to find your WHY when deciding to go this route:

If you’re business-orientated or want to expand your skill sets to add value in new job experiences outside of the dietetic internship realm that complement your existing nutrition knowledge, taking on an MBA might be beneficial particularly if you’re interested in communications/ marketing within the food industry. More than likely you’ll find that a higher level brand management role in a larger corporation will ask for a MBA as a prerequisite to the job.

I will have say that getting an MBA will teach you a different way to think and approach issues separate from what we’ve been taught in the past that most likely is use to a science-orientated brain. I’m thankful for that perspective because it taught me how to manage and resolve issues when it comes to building the backend of a business and assess what missing pieces I may need to consult externally, especially if it’s out of my original realm of expertise.

TL;DR – Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)  projects a 15% increase (much faster than average) in job outlooks for RDN’s from 2016-2026. If a MBA just so happens to align with your career goals, then it’s certainly one way to set yourself apart within the industry.

There is definitely value added when pursuing a MBA along with your credentials as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, but the result/ROI of the work is going to first require you to be honest about your goals (where you see yourself taking your RDN credentials) and how you were able to utilize your business network and new skill sets. It would be particularly useful if you decide to pursue areas leaning more towards marketing or brand management positions, but that doesn’t mean that it limits where you’re able to use those skillsets. Again, imagine your ideal role and use that vision to determine how you want to leverage the MBA to provide value within that business/industry. It’s going to take some persistence especially if you’re carving out a new space within established industries, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.