COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science with a concentration in Applied Nutrition and Food Sciences at San José State University is a 120-unit degree program designed to prepare students for professional careers in nutrition, food science, public health, and related industries. The program includes 15 units of Core Lower Division General Education, with some requirements potentially fulfilled through major coursework, and 6 units of American Institutions requirements that can be integrated into General Education Areas 3B and/or 4. Upper Division General Education is not required separately, as up to 9 units may be satisfied through major coursework in upper-division areas. Students also complete 2 units of Physical Education and fulfill the Written Communication requirement (GWAR/WID) through NUFS 100W, a writing-intensive course focused on nutrition and food science. The curriculum begins with 22 units of major preparation coursework, including foundational sciences such as human physiology (BIOL 66), general chemistry (CHEM 1A), introductory chemistry (CHEM 30B or CHEM 8), psychology (PSYC 1), and statistics or health statistics (STAT 95 or PH 67), along with NUFS 100W writing preparation. The major requirements total 72 units and are divided into a core of 40 units and 32 units of applied concentration coursework. Core courses provide essential training in nutrition, food safety, food science, packaging, food microbiology, multicultural nutrition, research methods, food service management, and cultural and environmental aspects of food systems, along with a required field experience that provides real-world professional exposure. The applied concentration allows students to choose from a wide range of electives in areas such as food chemistry, nutrition counseling, community nutrition, sports nutrition, toxicology, food evaluation, exercise physiology, and entrepreneurial nutrition, enabling specialization based on career goals. The program also requires a small number of university elective units (3 units) to complete graduation requirements. Overall, this structured degree emphasizes scientific knowledge, applied food system skills, and hands-on field experience to prepare graduates for careers in healthcare, food industry, research laboratories, wellness organizations, and public health agencies.