Department of Nutrition & Dietetics

I chose to major in dietetics after taking, and loving, an Intro to Nutrition class as I was exploring different majors. Once I decided to pursue Nutrition, I had to transfer and Ouachita kept coming to the top of the list. I wanted a small school, but I also wanted to attend a Christian university. However, what really stuck to me about Ouachita in particular, were the people I talked to as I made my decision. My admissions counselor and the Dietetics professors were so willing to answer any questions I had, and chat with me on video calls since I was unable to visit before I started.

I have loved being at Ouachita and being a dietetics major. There are so many opportunities to serve and develop leadership skills, and I have been able to help start a garden club, and with it a community garden, on campus. The MS/DI has been amazing. You get to work with preceptors in a variety of dietetic positions and in a variety of locations, which is great for getting an idea of what you might enjoy as a career. I plan to work in community nutrition but I am unsure of the exact area at this time.

My pull to Ouachita came from the opportunity to form great relationships with professors and staff. Ouachita staff leads with faith and integrity, which is why I have thrived at this school. Entering college, I didn’t know that they field of nutrition existed. I had a passion for STEM and healthcare, but I was not interested in becoming a doctor or nurse. Finally, I was introduced to nutrition during my sophomore year and encouraged to pursue a change of degree by a family friend. The best decision I made during college was switching my major from business to nutrition my junior year of undergrad. The nutrition department is close-knit and encouraged me throughout my two years of intense course loads to graduate on time.

Continuing my education through the MS/DI has been very rewarding, and I have already learned so much through the Director, Holly Kyzer, and through my preceptors. You get diverse, hands-on experience that truly puts the information you learned in undergrad to practice. When I have completed the MS/DI and become licensed, I would love to work in the field of eating disorders for one or two years before transitioning to travel dietetics. It gives me peace to know that there are many career options to pursue in dietetics, and Registered Dietitians are highly sought after.

I chose Ouachita for its Christian values and how they are incorporated into the classroom setttings. One of the things that drew me to pursue Nutrition and Dietetics was the experiences that all the professors in that department had! I also was drawn to OBU and Nutrition was the intentional support from professors to students and how the small size classes allowed for this!

I gained so much knowledge during my time at OBU with the nutrition department! Throughout my time here I was able to not only get excellent nutrition education, I was also able to get hands on experience. I was able to conduct research and learn how to develop a study. These research experiences that I was able to obtain at OBU have allowed me to have more connections and continue to share my studies even after graduating. The four years spent studying nutrition at OBU prepared me above and beyond for graduate school. I was able to learn so much during my undergraduate, that graduate school was just reinforcing what I already knew.

After finishing my Master’s and Dietetic Internship program, one of my goals is to work in the counseling field of Dietetics. This may look like working as a clinical dietitian in a hospital setting or private practice! Despite where I end up working, I am sure that I will be able to pursue any specialty in dietetics due to the great knowledge foundation that OBU gave me.

Even if you are not sure in majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics, I encourage you to at least take one class and try it out! The passion the professors have for this field is inspiring and it allows for the program to be as best as it can be!