COURSE CURRICULUM

The Food and Nutrition major requires the completion of 82 credit hours designed to build a strong foundation in science, nutrition, food systems, and human health, preparing students for careers in healthcare, dietetics, community nutrition, and food service management. The curriculum begins with essential science and general education coursework, including educational statistics, human anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, introductory and organic chemistry, psychology, and basic nutrition principles. These courses provide the biological and chemical background needed to understand how the human body processes nutrients and how diet impacts health across the lifespan. Students then progress into specialized nutrition and food science courses such as nutrition in the life cycle, food science, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition at the cellular level, applied nutrition, and medical nutrition therapy I and II, which focus on clinical and practical applications of nutrition in health care settings. Additional coursework includes community nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition education theories and practice, food service management, food production systems, and experimental and functional foods, all of which prepare students for real-world roles in hospitals, public health programs, and food industry operations. A directed professional study and psychology course further strengthen applied learning and human behavior understanding in nutrition contexts. Students interested in becoming registered dietitians can follow the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which requires additional coursework and academic performance standards, including specific grades in science and nutrition courses, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and completion of prerequisite courses such as anatomy, chemistry, and introductory nutrition. Upon completion of the DPD, students receive eligibility to apply for dietetic internships, a key step toward professional certification. Overall, the program combines science-based learning with practical training to prepare students for professional certification, graduate study, and diverse careers in nutrition and health-related fields.