THERE IS NO unemployment among graduates of DIT's human nutrition degree, but many graduates do find themselves working initially in temporary positions.
Mary Moloney, course tutor in DIT, has conducted a survey of the past 10 years' graduates and has found that 56 per cent are employed in the clinical and community area (the traditional area of employment), with 17 per cent in the academic area (teaching or pursuing postgraduate research), 16 per cent in the pharmaceutical and food industries and 11 per cent dispersed among various other areas; No one is unemployed.
Industry is quite attractive to graduates, she notes, usually offering higher salaries and fringe benefits. Over the past two years, the percentage of graduates opting for further study has increased to 25 per cent.
Graduates of the course are recognised by the Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine in Britain. This means that they are eligible for state registration there. There is no state registration here.
This course, which is listed under the DIT in the CAO/CAS handbook, is actually taught jointly by TCD and DIT, with students attending lectures in both colleges. Both colleges also award qualifications, with the DIT conferring an honours diploma on students and TCD conferring an honours degree.
Human nutrition is a much-sought-after course, with a cut-off of 490 points for entry this year. Students must have a C in higher-level chemistry. Each year the college has between 20 and 25 places.
"The aims of the course are to provide an integrated undergraduate training in the science of nutrition and dietetics and to apply this training to the human being at an individual level and a community level," Moloney explains.
Practical training includes six months in a clinical setting. Students each complete six placements in those six months. They are based in teaching hospitals in Dublin and they spend time in other hospitals around the country. Various specialisations, such as renal units, paediatric units, community placements and catering management, are covered.
On the academic side, the first-year basic science courses are common with the DIT's biomedical-science students. Students also study communications, a foreign language and food studies.
Communications, in fact, is studied right through the course. Brid Ann Ryan, head of the department of biological sciences in DIT Kevin Street, explains: "Some students will end up working as scientists and nutritionists, but other will end up counselling people on a one-to-one basis. They will be dealing with patients, parents, children, people from various backgrounds."
Students are first introduced to nutrition in second year. The key subjects of nutrition and dietetics are supplemented by a range of other sciences, such as microbiology, physiology and biochemistry. Ryan defines nutrition as the actual study of food and how the composition of food relates to the health and wellbeing of the person, whereas dietetics is the application of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of disease.
Human nutrition is still predominately a female preserve. Only two of this year's 28 final-year students in the DIT course are male. However, the image of the course is changing.
