Dietary Management Certification Programs

Dietary managers work in schools, hospitals and other settings to help promote healthy eating habits. Entering this career field requires the completion of a certificate, associate's or bachelor's degree program in a nutrition-related field, as well as qualifying for and passing a certification exam. Explore undergraduate coursework in dietary management, and read about graduate options in the field as well. Schools offering Nutrition degrees can also be found in these popular choices.

How Do I Become a Certified Dietary Manager?

The Dietary Managers Association (DMA) offers the credentialing exam for aspiring dietary managers ( Several options exist for fulfilling the education requirement for this exam. One option is completing a DMA-approved certificate program that offers training in dietary management. Your second option is to complete an associate's or bachelor's degree program in nutrition, food management or another related field.

Other special options exist if you cannot meet these criteria, such as professional experience. The exam covers areas of gathering and applying nutrition data, providing nutrition education and food services, supervisory techniques, professional interactions and managing production.

What Classes Should I Take?

You have the option of enrolling in a certificate, associate's or bachelor's degree program to fulfill the DMA's education requirements. Many technical schools and universities offer programs in dietary management, nutrition and dietetics to meet your needs. You may also be able to find distance learning programs where you can complete your coursework online rather than in a formal classroom setting.

Depending on your path of study, you can expect to complete prerequisite classes like biology, chemistry, humanities and composition. You may also take classes such as food selection and presentation, food service sanitation, medical nutrition therapy, cost control procedures, food science, exercise physiology and organic chemistry.

Are There Any Graduate Degrees Available?

If you want to advance your education and career further, you may be interested in one of the many master's degrees available in this field of study, such as the Master of Science (M.S.) in Dietetics or M.S. in Human Nutrition. Many schools offer on-campus and online programs in nutrition science, human nutrition and dietetics. Along with researching and writing a master thesis, you may also be require to complete core classes, such as food composition and behavior, world nutrition, biostatistics, nutritional counseling and therapeutic nutrition.


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