Careers › Health

How to become a Dietitian

Uses nutrition to treat illness and keep people healthy.

Apply early

Selection programmes like this often close months before the standard application deadline, and marks alone don’t guarantee a place. See the Dates page for the exact closing dates.

What does a Dietitian actually do?

More about this career

Uses nutrition science to treat illness (diabetes, kidney disease, eating disorders) and support general health, working in hospitals, private practice, sports teams or food industry roles. Distinct from a general “nutritionist” title, which isn’t a regulated profession in South Africa the way dietetics is.

Where this degree can take you

  • Sports Dietitian
  • Clinical Dietitian
  • Public Health Nutritionist
  • Food Industry Nutrition Consultant

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Life Sciences
  • Physical Sciences

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the programmes we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 13 of 13 programmes
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 11 of 13 programmes
  • Life Sciences – asked for by 7 of 13 programmes
  • Agricultural Sciences – asked for by 2 of 13 programmes
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 2 of 13 programmes
  • Technical Mathematics – asked for by 2 of 13 programmes

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each programme links to the page it came from.

Programmes that lead here

13 programmes at 12 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Diploma in Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition (Extended Curriculum Programme)

Applied Sciences, District 6 Campus · 4 years

CPUT APS 26 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. APS 26 on the Mathematics route, 27 with Technical Maths - this is specifically the Extended (4-year) Curriculum Programme page; the mainstream 3-year diploma has its own row (APS 28 / 29). CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Diploma in Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition

Applied Sciences, District 6 Campus

CPUT APS 28 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. APS 28 with Mathematics, 29 with Technical Mathematics; the APS also decides placement into the Extended Curriculum Programme. CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Nelson Mandela University

Selection programme

BSc (Dietetics)

Health Sciences · 4 years

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 390 out of 600

  • Mathematics: 60%
  • Physical Sciences: 60%

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from the user-supplied NMU "Undergraduate Programmes 2027" Z-Card (A-Z table of Applicant Scores and subject percentages).

Source: View the official page (mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

North-West University

Selection programme

Bachelor of Science in Dietetics

Health Sciences · 4 years

NWU APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from the user-supplied NWU 2026 Faculty of Health Sciences yearbook. Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark. Level 4 for the language of tuition. Selected by academic paper selection and best average mark. Applications close 30 June. NWU adds your six best subjects (excluding Life Orientation) on an 8-point scale, for a total out of 48 - read from NWU’s own APS calculator. The requirement shown is what NWU publishes.

Source: View the official page (health-sciences.nwu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

BSc Dietetics

School of Health Care Sciences

SMU APS 25

  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Two further subjects at level 3 or better.

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against SMU’s own admission-requirements page for this school (points and subject minimums match). Closes 31 July 2026 for undergraduate programmes (applications open 1 April 2026) - notably earlier than most universities in this batch.

Source: View the official page (smu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BSc Dietetics

Medicine & Health Sciences · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

  • Mathematics: 50%
  • Physical Sciences: 50%
  • Life Sciences: 50%

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 35 students are selected.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

BSc Dietetics and Human Nutrition

Health Sciences · 4 years

UKZN APS 28 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Agricultural Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Read 2026-10-04 from the table in the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure (CAO code KN-P-BSD); published APS range 48-28. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Limpopo

BSc Dietetics

Health Sciences · 4 years

UL APS 26 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • 2 more subjects – Two further subjects at level 4 or better contribute to the minimum APS total.

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from UL’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus faculty tables (images of the table, since the PDF’s text layer cannot be read reliably). UL says meeting the minimum APS does not guarantee admission. No 2027 closing date appears in the prospectus - see the dates page.

Source: View the official page (ul.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Pretoria

Selection programme

BSc Dietetics

Health Sciences · 4 years

UP APS 28 points

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

A selection programme. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of South Africa

No cut-off published

Bachelor of Consumer Science Food and Nutrition

Human Sciences

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: 50%
  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 60%

Read 2026-10-04 from Unisa’s own qualification page (code 98005 – FNU). NSC with Bachelor’s Degree endorsement (or equivalent). Unisa states percentages, not an APS, on this page. Confirmed current for the 2027 intake: Unisa’s own pages state its 2027 application window as 17 August - 9 October 2026.

Source: View the official page (unisa.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Free State

Selection programme

BSc Dietetics

Health Sciences

UFS AP score 33 points out of 49

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more) OR Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

CORRECTED from the 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus: Mathematics is level 4 (50%), not level 5, and Life Sciences/Physical Sciences are not an equal either/or - Life Sciences sits at level 5 (60%), Physical Sciences at level 4 (50%). Selection-form closing date is 31 July.

Source: View the official page (ufs.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of the Western Cape

BSc Dietetics

Community & Health Sciences

UWC weighted points 33 points out of 65

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Another language – Another language (Home or First Additional) at level 3.
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 6 (70% or more)

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from UWC’s own 2026 programme rules (the "Program Overview" PDF on the programme page, Calendar 2026). UWC points are its own weighted score (see the calculator note).

Source: View the official page (uwc.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Venda

BSc Nutrition

Health Sciences · 4 years

Univen APS 34

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Agricultural Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from Univen’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus (April 2026), faculty programme tables. Online applications are free and run 1 May - 30 September 2026.

Source: View the official page (univen.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every programme above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?