WIC Careers in Community Nutrition

Careers in Community Nutrition

WIC nutrition professionals are dedicated to inspiring both WIC staff and WIC families to make healthier eating and activity choices. WIC careers include many exciting areas of community nutrition.

Promoting healthy lifestyles and physical activity
Preventing obesity in children and families
Conducting nutritional assessments and interventions
Providing breastfeeding education and support
Training nutrition professionals and staff
Educating young families about good nutrition and disease prevention
Managing state and local WIC nutrition programs

WIC has 82 local agencies in California that provide nutrition and health services to help pregnant women, mothers, and young children eat well and live active lives. For a copy of vacancies in local WIC agencies, go to the CA State WIC Website or contact local WIC agencies in your area. Click here to search by City, Zip Code or Area Code.

The State WIC Program located in Sacramento, California has public health nutrition and education positions as well as management, administration, analytical, information technology, and support positions. For a complete list of classifications by titles employed by the California Department of Public Health Services and Job Opportunities go to CA State WIC Website.

Registered Dietitians

WIC Registered Dietitians (RDs) work in many areas of community nutrition. RDs work as managers, nutrition education specialists, and breastfeeding counselors. They provide services to high-risk participants, develop nutrition education materials, design and evaluate participant classes, implement, coordinate, and integrate nutrition services with other healthcare programs, train and supervise paraprofessional or professional staff, and manage WIC programs.

Degreed Nutritionists

Many local WIC agencies offer nutrition assistant and nutritionist positions to graduates with a bachelor's or master's degree in nutrition. This position will provide nutrition education in group and individual settings, develop nutrition care plans and provide counseling to pregnant women, infants and children under the age of five. Employees with a degree from an ADA approved "Didactic Program in Dietetics" earn a competitive salary and gain valuable community nutrition experience. An additional benefit is that they receive selection priority for a WIC Dietetic Internship.

Nutrition Consultants

The State WIC Program located in Sacramento, California has positions in public health nutrition and education positions as well as management, administration, analytical, information technology, and support positions. The Public Health Nutrition Consultant may work in many areas of public health nutrition including: developing policies and standards for nutrition services, program evaluations, providing technical assistance to local agencies, developing and implementing statewide nutrition initiatives.

Dietetic Technicians

The Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR) is recognized by the American Dietetic Association and the State of California business code as a nutrition professional. DTRs are legally qualified to conduct nutritional assessments, nutritional and dietary counseling and assist in the implementation and monitoring of nutritional and dietary treatments under the direct supervision of the Registered Dietitian. The role of the Dietetic Technician (DT) in WIC is growing and many local agencies already have DTs in positions from nutrition counselors to site supervisors.

What are the requirements to be a Registered Dietitian (RD)?

Educational Path to RD

The requirements include: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, completion of a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised practice and satisfactory completion of a national registration examination by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Traditionally, the educational and professional requirements are offered on campus at accredited colleges or universities. Today, however, there are also a few "distant learning" programs accredited by the ADA that meet the same requirements. Below is a description of the two paths to become a registered dietitian:

Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is an accredited college or university program with a baccalaureate or graduate degree program. To become a registered dietitian, graduates from a DPD program can apply for an approved dietetic internship (DI). After successful completion of the internship, graduates are eligible to take the national registration examination for dietitians to be designated as a registered dietitian.

Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) is also an academic program in a college or university with an accredited baccalaureate or graduate degree program. The difference is that a Coordinated Program includes both didactic instruction and a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised practice experiences. The practice experience is usually taken concurrently with the degree program during the last two years. Following graduation with a bachelor's or master's degree, students are eligible to take the registration examination for dietitians to be designated as a RD.

For more information on the education requirements and accredited programs go to the ADA/The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education.

What are the requirements to be a Dietetic Technician?

The dietetic technician program is a two-year associate's (AA) degree from an accredited university or community college. Coursework includes classes such as basic nutrition, advanced nutrition, community nutrition, cultural nutrition, and nutrition throughout the lifecycle. You also complete supervised practice in various nutrition care settings. After you receive your degree, you are eligible to take the national examination to become a DTR (dietetic technician, registered). If you already have a degree in nutrition, you may be able to step right into the supervised practice, take the exam, and become a DTR. Several California colleges have dietetic technician programs and there are also programs offered through the Internet called online or distance education." For additional information about DTRs and accredited education programs, go to the ADA Website.

Foreign Dietitians

The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) currently has reciprocity agreements with the following foreign dietetic associations and regulatory boards: Dietitians of Canada, Dutch Association of Dieticians and Ministry of Welfare, Public Health and Culture, the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission, the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, and the Dietitians Board of the Health Professions Council in the United Kingdom.

Individuals who have met the qualifications for reciprocity, should contact CDR directly at 312.899.0040, ext. 5500 or go to the ADA Website to obtain information regarding establishing registration eligibility under the provision of CDR's reciprocity agreement. It is important to note that all individuals who establish registration eligibility under the provision of a reciprocity agreement must successfully pass the registration examination for dietitians. If you do not qualify for reciprocity, you can go to the ADA Website for information on the education requirements and process to become a registered dietitian in the United States. Included are commonly asked questions from individuals who have been educated outside the United States and its territories.

Will nutrition be a good career in the future?

Is dietetic technician a good career choice if I don't think I want to become a dietitian?

If I decide later to become a RD, will the dietetic technician program help me?

Q. Will nutrition be a good career in the future?

Nutrition continues to be a growing area of study, especially concerning disease prevention. Federal and state health objectives specifically address the important role of public health nutrition professionals; this is one of the fastest growing healthcare jobs in the United States. In California and throughout the nation, we have a rapidly growing need for well-trained nutrition professionals who have the language and culture skills of the participants we serve. That's why California WIC is working to provide you with the latest information on educational programs and resources to help you achieve your career goals in community nutrition.

Q. Is dietetic technician a good career choice if I don't think I want to become a dietitian?

Nutrition is a great career choice and a growing area of need in our community, especially in nutrition education programs like WIC. Only two nutrition professionals are recognized by the American Dietetic Association and California state law (Business and Professions Code 2585-2586): one is Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR), the other is Registered Dietitian (RD). DTRs and RDs work together to provide comprehensive nutritional care to the community in many settings, including WIC programs.

Q. If I decide later to become a RD, will the dietetic technician program help me?

You may be able to transfer classes completed through a CADE-accredited DT program (one accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education) to a bachelor's degree in dietetics. Discuss whether this is possible with the DT program director; you may also want to check with the dietetics program director at the university to determine if the courses will be accepted as fulfilling some of the curriculum requirements for becoming a RD.