Introduction

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, in 2020, globally there were 149.2 million children under 5 years old suffering from stunting, 45.4 million wasted children, and 38.9 million overweight children. Asia is home to more than ¾ of the total number of severely wasted children. In 2022, Unicef announced that Vietnam is one of 34 countries globally facing the highest burden of malnutrition. Vietnam is home to 1.8 million children under 5 years old suffering from malnutrition and are at risk of long-term brain and physical damage.

In 2020, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, the malnutrition rate of Vietnamese cancer patients was at a high level with 58%. Data from the World Health Organization also shows that about 80% of cancer patients lose weight, and 30% die from exhaustion before passing away due to tumors.

Good nutrition is essential for human survival, health, and development. The physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac once said medicine is food, food is medicine. Ever since ancient times, humans have known the role of food and diet affecting human health and survival. Therefore, nutritional issues are increasingly concerned to ensure health for both patients and healthy people. A reasonable nutritional regimen will help prevent and support disease treatment.

Currently, the need to study and research human nutrition is increasing. Although it is a new field of study, it is considered a field with many job opportunities in future social trends.

Training objectives

Training Bachelors of Nutrition with basic scientific knowledge, specialized knowledge, and basic practice skills such as:

Understanding the roles, needs, energy supply, and nutritional value of foods.

Understanding the mechanism of nutrient absorption and metabolism in the body, the safety or harmfulness of foods.

Ability for nutrition education communication, guiding patients and the community to build a safe diet for disease prevention.

Ability for clinical nutrition consulting and dietetics in patient care and treatment in hospitals.

Ability to independently perform a number of basic specialized techniques.

Professional ethical qualities, high sense of responsibility, carefulness, accuracy.

Ability for self-study and scientific research to meet the needs of people's healthcare and protection.

Career Opportunities

Bachelors of Nutrition can work at:

Hospitals and health centers with a nutrition department

Centers for disease control at central, provincial/city, district/town levels,..

Non-governmental health organizations

Nursing homes

Social organizations in the health care industry

Universities, research institutes on nutrition and food

Schools, food production factories, hotels, restaurants...

Ability for further study and professional improvement after graduation

Master of Nutrition

PhD of Nutrition

Curriculum

There are an total of 141 credits, 3 semesters each year, over 3.5 years consisting of general knowledge blocks, foundational, specialized knowledge such as basic nutrition, clinical nutrition and treatment of internal, surgical, obstetric, and pediatric diseases.

Students study in theory halls and practice rooms at Tay Do University. Some course modules will have internships at Grade 1 and Grade 2 hospitals in the Can Tho area such as Can Tho Central General Hospital, Can Tho City General Hospital, Can Tho Children's Hospital.

The Nutrition specialty will develop in the coming time with high human resource demand promising to be a potential field of study.

Outstanding highlights when studying nutrition at TDU

Qualified, dedicated, and dynamic lecturers.

Full facilities, currently the university has 1 training base, coordinating with Can Tho Central General Hospital, Can Tho City General Hospital, Can Tho Children's Hospital, Health centers of districts and towns in Can Tho area to create conditions for students to practice during their studies.

New teaching methods towards international integration and taking students as the center: Active teaching, theory combined with practice; practicing positive thinking skills, equipping lifelong self-learning skills for students.