Nutrition Major

(non-dietetics – 46 credits, including 20 credits in supporting work)

The Nutrition major integrates a liberal arts curriculum with a strong foundation in the natural sciences. The flexible curriculum allows students to blend a broad knowledge of food and nutrition with other areas of interest or inquiry. The open curriculum plan allows for the completion of a second major, a minor, or a selection of a wide variety of courses across disciplines. With careful planning, students may study abroad and complete the major in a total of 8 semesters. The Nutrition major is a good option for students interested in the economics and/or politics of food and the impact of food and nutrition on health. It is also a good choice for students with professional or pre-professional interests in areas such as physical therapy, fitness, exercise physiology, or general health education because it allows for the completion of all pre-requisite courses for post-graduate education programs while completing the major. The general Nutrition major will not qualify students for professional credentialing in the allied health professions (for example, dietetics). However, a major in Nutrition does provide a solid academic preparation for a variety of career and graduate study options related to food and nutrition. Students seeking a major in Nutrition should seek academic guidance from a faculty advisor in the nutrition department as early as possible to assist in curriculum planning.

Required Courses

Prerequisites (supporting courses):

• BIOL 101 Foundations of Biology - 4 credits
• BIOL 216 Physiology in Practice* or BIOL 201 Intermediate Cell Biology and Genetics* - 4 credits
• CHEM 125 Introduction to Chemical Structures and Properties - 4 credits
• CHEM 250 Reactions of Nucleophiles and Electrophiles - 4 credits
• MATH 124 Probability & Statistical Inferences - 4 credits

*Students intending to complete pre-requisite courses for graduate programs (Pre-PT, Pre-OT, Exercise Physiology) should check with their pre-professional or academic advisor to discuss which Biology course is appropriate.

Nutrition courses:

• NUTR 125 Concepts of Nutrition Science - 4 credits
• NUTR 225 Experimental Food Science or  NUTR 223 Introduction to Food Science - 4 credits
• NUTR 301 Diet, Health and Disease Prevention - 4 credits
• NUTR 323 Public Health Nutrition - 4 credits
• NUTR 395 Nutrition Capstone or NUTR 396 Nutrition Research Capstone*- 2 credits

*Please note that NUTR 380 and NUTR 381 are required to get into NUTR 396.

Plus a minimum of 8 additional credits selected from the following:

• NUTR 220 Exploring Weight Issues - 2 credits
• NUTR 230 Food and Culture - 4 credits
• NUTR 240 Food Systems: Policies and Controversies - 2 credits
• NUTR 260 Various topics courses - 2-4 credits
• NUTR 300 Culinology of French Cuisine - 2 credits
• NUTR 302 Physiology of Weight Regulation - 2 credits
• NUTR 303 Food Labeling and Regulations - 2 credits
• NUTR 310 Sensory Evaluation of Food - 2 credits
• NUTR 320 Micronutrient Metabolism and Nutritional Supplementation - 2 credits
• NUTR 326 Global Malnutrition and Disease - 4 credits
• NUTR 330 Nutritional Biochemistry - 4 credits
• NUTR 341 Nutrition Education - 2 credits
• NUTR 342 Nutrition Interviewing and Counseling - 2 credits
• NUTR 343 Food Production and Procurement - 4 credits
• NUTR 345 Entrepreneurship and Management in Food Industry - 4 credits

Nutrition Major Advising Tracks

To help non-Dietetics Nutrition majors focus their course selection to meet long-term goals (e.g., pre-PT, pre-OT, pre-Med), the Nutrition department has developed Advising Tracks. These tracks provide suggestions on courses to take based on post-graduation goals. Please keep in mind that a student is not required to choose a specific Advising Track to major in Nutrition.