How can I determine if Dietetics is an appropriate career choice for me?
First, you should research the profession. The Dietitians of Canada website is a good place to start. Check out the section called "Career ". Another way is to seek volunteer or work opportunities that expose you to the healthcare environment and/or dietitians in practice. Working in hospital food services is an excellent way to gain exposure to an institutional environment and begin to learn about the challenges of feeding diverse patient populations.
What can I expect to earn as a dietitian?
Wages for entry level unionized clinical/community positions are in the $50-65,000 range. Positions with higher levels of administrative responsibility tend to have higher wages.
Do most dietitians work part time? Are there any full time opportunities?
Yes. Employment prospects for dietitians are currently excellent. In cases where new dietitians are unable to find full time jobs, they are often able to attain full time hours by combining positions. Prior to working in a major hospital, new graduates often have to spend time on the casual roster before getting a temporary or permanent posting.
Am I able to work in another province if I complete dietetics training in BC?
Yes, provincial regulatory colleges recognize dietetics qualifications across all provinces.
Am I able to work in another country if I complete dietetics training in Canada?
Dietetic practice and entry requirements vary from country to country. Canada and the US have a reciprocity agreement, which decreases barriers. If you wish to enter practice in the US you are obligated to write the US Registration Examination for Dietitians.
Is the entry to practice exam (CDRE) pre- or post- internship?
Post internship (available in November and May each year). Students who graduate from accredited dietetics programs have a high success rate.
Can anyone take the CDRE?
No, you need to meet academic and practical training requirements for dietetics
Dietetics Program
Years 3 and 4: Campus-based Courses
How long does it take to obtain a degree in the Dietetics Major?
A total of 5 years (2 years prior to applying to the Major, and 3 years in the Major). Students spend year 5 in internship placements at health care facilities throughout BC. Due to the fixed scheduling of the internship year, students who enter the program ahead on coursework cannot typically be accommodated for reduced program length.
Can the program be completed part-time and/or online?
No. The program (years 3, 4 and 5) is full-time and is not available online, however, year 1 and 2 prerequisites can be taken on a part-time basis as well as online if available (e.g. LFS 250, FNH 200). Non-UBC students can access faculty-specific prerequisite courses online through UBC Non-Degree Studies.
For second-degree students, do credits from the internship count towards the 60 credits of new coursework required?
Yes. The internship is 24 credits.
Is there a minimum GPA students must achieve while in the program?
Students must pass all program courses. The faculty is considering academic continuation criteria (involving a minimum GPA) but has not yet put them in place. Most dietetics students perform well academically.
Are there any extra fees associated with this program?
Yes. Due to the extra costs associated with offering a dietetics program with an integrated internship, the Board of Governors has approved an Integrated Internship Program Administration Fee of $1500 per year for each of the three program years. This is in addition to usual per-credit tuition fees.
What is an advance placement internship, and what makes a student in the program eligible for one?
Occasionally, an unexpected internship vacancy arises (e.g., due to medical leave, maternity leave). In that situation, a year 3 student who is able to meet internship entry requirements after one year of study may be admitted to the internship a year early. These opportunities are rare and are not guaranteed to all eligible candidates.
Year 5: Internship Courses
What opportunities are available during internship?
Internship is 39 weeks and consists of orientation (1 week), research (1 week), clinical (21 weeks), community (4 weeks), foodservice administration (10 weeks), and elective (2 weeks). No two students have an identical internship but all have lots of opportunities to experience different facets of practice.
Is it possible to complete the internship year of the program out of province?
No. The internship year is spent at an assigned B.C. health authority core site. With approval of the site and UBC, it may be possible for an intern to complete some placements out of province (e.g. elective weeks). These opportunities are not guaranteed and the interns are required to pursue their own out-of-province arrangements.
Are students responsible for finding their own accommodation during internship?
Yes, they are, and few seem to encounter major challenges. Between student networking, Craig’s List, and advice from placement site contacts, it all seems to work out.
What is the cost associated with the internship year?
The internship is 24 credits and the standard UBC per-credit tuition fee applies. In addition, there is the $1500 supplemental annual fee.
Is the entry to practice exam pre- or post-internship?
Post internship (available in November and May each year). Graduates from the UBC integrated program have a very high pass rate.
Can anyone take the entry to practice exam?
No, you need to meet academic and practical training requirements for dietetics.
Dietetics Program Admissions
Applying to the Program
What actions can I take to increase my chances of being accepted to the Major?
There are several things you can do: (1) Obtain good grades, particularly in the prerequisite courses. (2) Obtain relevant work and volunteer experience - this could, but does not have to be directly in the field of dietetics. Any formal experience working with people, involving organizational skills or related to health care will be an asset. (3) Develop your general skills (e.g., communication, critical thinking, problem-solving). (4) Research the profession and the program and give thought to how you could contribute to it.
How does it work if I’m simultaneously applying to graduate in another UBC faculty and applying for dietetics?
Go ahead and apply for graduation. As a separate process, go into the Student Service Centre and apply for the B.Sc. in Food, Nutrition & Health in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
Can I apply directly to this Major from a community college or another university?
You can apply as long as you have the prerequisite courses (or their equivalent) and at least 54 credits of coursework. It may be challenging to obtain all of the required courses at other institutions; therefore many students choose to transfer to UBC for their second year of study prior to applying. See our application checklist for transfer students.
I am a college student in BC. I have noticed that there doesn't seem to be a course available that transfers to UBC as BIOL 112. Do I have to take that course at UBC before applying to the Dietetics Major?
College courses that transfer as MICB 200 or 200/201 (microbiology) are acceptable in lieu of BIOL 112. Consult the online BC Transfer Guide for more information.
Can I apply directly to an upper year if I have already completed some of the required courses?
No, due to scheduling of courses and the internship component, program length cannot be reduced. If you already have credit for some of the required courses, you may be able take more electives and/or have a reduced course load (which will give you an opportunity to gain work or volunteer experience).
I already have a degree related to nutrition. Is this program the only route for me to become a Registered Dietitian?
UBC offers the only dietetics program in British Columbia and is the most viable option for becoming a dietitian if you reside in BC. If you have a nutrition-related degree and would like to become a dietitian, here are your options:
(a) Apply to complete the UBC Dietetics Major as a second degree. Note that you must compete with other applicants for program admission. The program is 3 years in length for all students, regardless of previous courses. To meet UBC’s second-degree requirements, you must take at least 60 credits of courses, which were not used for credit in the first degree.
(b) Complete qualifying courses for dietetics to be eligible to apply for a post graduate internship. This route has many issues: (i) there are no longer post-graduate internships available in BC due to UBC’s move to an integrated program with internship included, (ii) post-graduate internships are very difficult to get (about 50% success rate), (iii) there is no guarantee that provincial regulatory colleges will continue to recognize this route to professional practice, and (iv) many of the university courses needed to qualify to apply for internship are restricted to students in dietetics programs.
(c) Complete qualifying courses for dietetics and apply to a combined masters/internship program (e.g., U of Guelph, U of Toronto). There are the same course issues as described in (b) (above). These programs are extremely difficult to get into (successful applicants typically have a high GPA and extensive experience related to the field).
(d) Complete qualifying courses for dietetics, complete a Masters Degree and carry out a self directed internship program under advisement from the provincial dietetic regulatory body in the province you reside in. This is a very challenging and time-consuming route to becoming a dietitian and should only be considered if obtaining a Masters degree is your primary objective. Obtaining relevant practicum placement experiences on a self-directed basis can be difficult to impossible.
Initial Screening Process
How is GPA calculated?
A cumulative GPA of all prerequisite and program courses is calculated for ALL applicants (first time or repeat). The courses included in the calculations are:
First and second year prerequisites (for all applicants): BIOL 112, BIOL 121, BIOL 140, CHEM 111 & 112 (or CHEM 121 & 123), ENGL 112, Social Sciences (6), BIOL 200, BIOL 201, CHEM 205 & 233 (or CHEM 203 & 204), FNH 200, and 250, and LFS 250 and 252.
Third and fourth year program courses (if completed): BIOC 302, COMM 329, FNH 340, 341, 350, 351, 370, 398, 440, 470, 471, 473, and 475, PHYL 301, and LFS 350 and 450.
Note: Electives are NOT part of this calculation. Marks are weighted based on their credit value (for example a 6 credit course will contribute twice as much weight to the calculations as a 3 credit course). If you have any questions, please contact Natalie Lim in Student Services.
If I decide to repeat a prerequisite course that I did poorly in, will my new mark count towards my GPA?
For students who have repeated courses, an average of the two marks is used for the GPA calculation.
What types of courses are suitable towards the 6-credit social science requirement?
These are courses that help students understand normal human behaviour, particularly in the North American context. Examples of acceptable courses include: ANTH 100, 201, 214, 217; PSYC 100; SOCI 100, 200, FMST 210, and 2nd year psychology and sociology courses that deal with human behaviour. Note that not all ANTH courses are acceptable, as some are archeology courses (e.g., ANTH 140).
How do you translate grading systems from other institutions into UBC's system?
We follow procedures provided by the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Grades assigned using numeric scales are converted using a grade-point scale, while letter grades are converted as described in the UBC calendar. When translating letter grades to percentages, we use the lowest number in the range shown.
Is there still a template for the application resume?
No. However, there are some guidelines in the Applicant Information Package to help with successful resume writing. UBC Career Services offers assistance to students to prepare a quality resume.
Interview Process
Are interviews for shortlisted candidates in person or by phone?
Most are in person but if you are unable to come to UBC, interviews by Skype or telephone are arranged. Interviews are brief (15 minutes).
What types of questions are asked in the interview?
Questions vary from year to year. The questions align to the criteria we have established for assessing applicants and are not meant to be trick questions. The purpose of the interview process is to assess your communication skills and further assess your commitment to the profession.
Who conducts the interviews?
Interviews are conducted by five pairs of practicing Registered Dietitians from across the province. Interviewers have experience with internship education and are trained to ensure that a standardized approach is used.
If I am a repeat applicant will the selection panel be aware? Will the same people be evaluating me?
We make every effort to keep our selection process unbiased. Reviewers are unable to see your grades (those are tabulated by Student Services). The written component of the application is “blinded” (no names attached) so reviewers do not know who they are assessing. Each written package is reviewed by two reviewers using a consensus process. Names are used for the interviews; however, interviewers are able to see the list prior to the interview and if they know the applicant, the applicant will be re-assigned to another pair of interviewers.
Are there different interviewers each year?
The composition of the interview team is relatively consistent. To avoid potential bias, an effort is made to assign repeat applicants to a pair of interviewers who did not meet them the previous year.
Selection Criteria
How do you assess applicants of different levels of maturity (age)?
Age is not a selection factor. Maturity and life experience could give some applicants an edge on some aspects of the admissions process, but each year we do admit some applicants directly from year 2.
Is there a preference for applicants who have completed more than two years of university study?
No, this is not a selection factor.
Will deferring LFS 250, FNH 200 and/or other courses affect my application?
No, however, we strongly recommend that you not defer these courses if possible, as it makes course scheduling a challenge. Also, keen pre-dietetics students often do well in these courses, which can help boost their GPA. These courses are available online via UBC Non-Degree Studies, if you are not attending UBC.
Notification and Acceptance
What is the expected number of applicants to the program each year and how many are accepted?
In recent years we have had 90-100 qualified applicants. We presently accept about 30 students per year.
Do you have a waitlist for the program?
There is no official waitlist, but we do have a selection spreadsheet and do (on occasion) approach the next student on the list when a student declines an offer to the program. This happens rarely so we don’t keep an official waitlist. We don’t want to give false hope to students who are next on the list as the chances of us needing to appoint another student are slim.
When will I be informed whether or not I have been accepted to the Dietetics Major?
By the end of March, applicants are informed whether or not they have been shortlisted for an interview. Interviews are conducted at the end of April. Typically, interviewed applicants are informed of their admission status by late May.
If I am offered admission this year, is it possible to defer my entry into the Major until next year?
No. Your acceptance is valid only for the year that you applied.
If I am not accepted to the program this year, am I able to apply again next year?
Yes, we allow a second application. If you are not accepted and wish to apply again the following year, we strongly suggest that you seek feedback from the Dietetic Education Coordinator about your application before making the decision to reapply.
Is it possible to get feedback if your application is not successful?
Yes. The Dietetic Education Coordinator typically arranges some advising days in the summer for this purpose, as well as weekly advising time by appointment in the winter session.
What types of issues have held unsuccessful applicants back from being accepted?
No two applicants have the same issues. We evaluate applicants based on the criteria outlined in the UBC Calendar. Applicants can lose marks related to any of these criteria. Grades account for 40% of the admission score. Applicants who have a GPA below 75% have to be exemplary in other areas in order to achieve a competitive score.
If you aren’t admitted, can you take year 3 FNH courses required for dietetics?
You can take some of the 3rd year courses; others are restricted to dietetics students only.
Other
I have further questions regarding the admissions process or the profession of dietetics.
Please thoroughly read the website and Frequently Asked Questions prior to contacting us.
