The Major

A bachelor’s degree in Nutrition meets the education requirements for licensure as a nutritionist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Dietetics Track is accredited with ACEND and meets the Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements for applying to a post-grad Dietetic Internship to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

All students complete a basic core of courses which provide an understanding of foods and their nutritional content, food selection and preparation, the physiological and biochemical function of nutrients in the body, and the effects of excessive, inadequate or imbalanced intake of nutrients.

The major offers 3 tracks:

Dietetics Track

Core Science/Social Science Requirements (Dietetics Track)

  • CHEM 111 General Chemistry I [PS]
  • CHEM 112 General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 261 Organic Chemistry I (Or CHEM 250 Organic Chemistry)*
  • BIOCHEM 420 Elementary Biochemistry
  • BIOLOGY 151 Intro. Biology [BS]
  • MICROBIO 310 + MICRO LAB 265 (Or FOOD-SCI 466 Food Micro)*
  • KIN 270 Anatomy & Physiology I**
  • KIN 272 Anatomy & Physiology II
  • PSYCH 100 Intro. Psychology [SB]
  • STATISTC 111 Elementary Statistics [R1, R2] (Or RES-ECON 212 Intro Statistics for Life Science)*

*Courses in parenthesis are alternative choices.
**KIN 270 is not required for the Dietetics track, but it is a prerequisite for KIN 272/273

Additional Requirements: Dietetics

Core Nutrition Courses (All Tracks)

  • NUTRITN 130 Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle [BS]
  • NUTRITN 201 Introduction to the Profession of Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 210 Scientific Principles of Food Preparation
  • NUTRITN 230 Basic Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 352 Nutrition in the Life Cycle
  • NUTRITN 372 Writing in Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 493/4 Senior Seminar
  • NUTRITN 577 Nutritional Problems in the U.S. [IE]

Additional Nutrition Courses (Dietetics Track)

  • NUTRITN 430 Nutrition and Metabolism
  • NUTRITN 480 Introduction to Dietetics and the Nutrition Care Process
  • NUTRITN 572 Community Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 580 Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • NUTRITN 597M Medical Nutrition Therapy (Dietetics Track only; taken concurrently with NUTRITN 580)
  • NUTRITN 585 Practical SKills in Nutrition Counciling
  • Required Elective (see below)

Management Courses (Dietetics Track)

  • MANAGMNT 301 Principles of Management
  • MANAGMNT 314 Human Resource Management (Or HT-MGT 260 Hospitality Personnel Management)
  • HT-MGT 350/250 Food Service Management

Take one course from this list to satisfy Nutrition elective requirement:

  • Any 3-credit nutrition course 300 or above not required for the track. Check SPIRE for availability.
  • NUTRITN 397A Eating Disorders
  • NUTRITN 575 Culture, Nutrition and Health
  • NUTRITN 578 Nutrition Problems in the Developing World
  • NUTRITN 597G Nutrition and Food Policy
  • NUTRITN 597K Culture, Nutrition and Health
  • NUTRITN 597S Nutrition and Cancer Prevention

Take one course from this list to satisfy Non-Nutrition Options:

  • HT-MGT 353 Risk and Sanitation Management
  • HT-MGT 355 Restaurant Operations Management
  • STOCKSCH 280 Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants
  • STOCKSCH 398E Farm Enterprise Practicum
  • KIN 110 Human Performance and Nutrition

Global Society Track

Core Science/Social Science Requirements (Nutrition in a Global Society Track)

  • CHEM 111 General Chemistry I [PS]
  • CHEM 250 Organic Chemistry (Or CHEM 261 Organic Chemistry I)*1
  • BIOCHEM 420 Elementary Biochemistry
  • BIOLOGY 151 Intro. Biology [BS]
  • MICROBIO 310 + MICRO LAB 265 (Or FOOD-SCI 466 Food Micro)*
  • KIN 270 Anatomy & Physiology I**
  • KIN 272 Anatomy & Physiology II
  • PSYCH 100 Intro. Psychology [SB]
  • STATISTC 111 Elementary Statistics [R1,R2] (Or RES-ECON 212 Intro Statistics for Life Science)*2

*  Courses in parenthesis are alternative choices.
**  KIN 270 is not required for the Global Society track but it is a prerequisite for KIN 272.
1  CHEM 112 is not required for this track, but if taking CHEM 261, CHEM 112 must be completed first.
2  Pre-PA should take STATISTC 240 or any 200-level or higher statistics course.

Additional Requirements (Nutrition in a Global Society Track)

Core Nutrition Courses (All Tracks)

  • NUTRITN 130 Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle [BS]
  • NUTRITN 201 Introduction to the Profession of Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 210 Scientific Principles of Food Preparation
  • NUTRITN 230 Basic Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 352 Nutrition in the Life Cycle
  • NUTRITN 372 Writing in Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 493/4 Senior Seminar
  • NUTRITN 577 Nutritional Problems in the U.S. [IE]

Additional Nutrition Courses (Nutrition in a Global Society track)

  • NUTRITN 572 Community Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 578 Nutritional Problems in the Developing World
  • One required Nutrition elective (see list 1 below)
  • Two required other electives (from list I or II below)

Take one course from list (I) to satisfy Nutrition elective requirement, two courses from either list (I) or (II) to satisfy Other electives requirement:

(I) Nutrition Electives:

  • Any 3 credit Nutrition course 300-level or above not required for track
  • NUTRITN 397A Eating Disorders
  • NUTRITN 575 Culture, Nutrition and Health
  • NUTRITN 597G Nutrition and Food Policy
  • NUTRITN 597S Nutrition and Cancer Prevention
  • HT-MGT 353 Risk and Sanitation Management
  • HT-MGT 355 Restaurant Operations Management
  • STOCKSCH 280 Herbs, Spices and Med. Plants
  • STOCKSCH 398E Farm Enterprise Practicum
  • KIN 110 Human Nutrition and Performance

(II) Other Approved Electives for Nutrition in a Global Society Track

  • Any Public Health course
  • Any Kinesiology course
  • Any 100 or 200 level Sociology course
  • ANTHRO 104 Culture, Society and People
  • FOOD-SCI 102 World Food Habits
  • FOOD-SCI 590A Food Science Policy
  • RES-ECON 121 Hunger In a Global Economy
  • STOCKSCH 120 Organic Farming and Gardening
  • STOCKSCH 265 Sustainable Agriculture
  • STOCKSCH 397C Community Food Systems
  • PHIL 164 Medical Ethics
  • HT-MGT Food Service Management
  • Any elective approved by Undergraduate Program Director

Note: Students in the Nutrition in a Global Society track who are interested in licensure should take NUTRITN 480, NUTRITN 580 and 597M, and NUTRITN 585 as electives.

Nutrition and Health Sciences Track

Core Science/Social Science Requirements (Nutrition and Health Sciences Track)1

  • CHEM 111 General Chemistry I [PS]
  • CHEM 112 General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 261 Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 262 Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM 296 Organic Chemistry Lab
  • BIOCHEM 420 Elementary Biochemistry
  • BIOCHEM 421 Elementary Biochemistry Lab
  • BIOLOGY 151 Intro. Biology [BS]
  • MICROBIO 310 + MICRO LAB 265 (Or FOOD-SCI 466 Food Micro)2
  • KIN 270 Anatomy & Physiology I
  • KIN 272 Anatomy & Physiology II
  • PSYCH 100 Intro. Psychology [SB]
  • STATISTC 111 Elementary Statistics or STATISTC 240 *[R1, R2]

* Pre-med/Pre-PA should take STATISTC 240 or any 200-level or higher Statistics course.
1 Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental students have additional science requirements. Please check requirements for any graduate program you may be interested in.
2 Courses in parenthesis are alternative choices.

Additional Requirements: Nutrition and Health Sciences

Core Nutrition Courses (All Tracks)

  • NUTRITN 130 Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle [BS]
  • NUTRITN 201 Introduction to the Profession of Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 210 Scientific Principles of Food Preparation
  • NUTRITN 230 Basic Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 352 Nutrition in the Life Cycle
  • NUTRITN 372 Writing in Nutrition
  • NUTRITN 493/4 Senior Seminar
  • NUTRITN 577 Nutritional Problems in the U.S. [IE]

Additional Nutrition Courses (Nutrition and Health Sciences Track)

  • NUTRITN 430 Nutrition & Metabolism
  • Required Elective (see below)

Take one course from this list to satisfy Nutrition elective requirements

  • Any 3 credit nutrition course 300-level or above not required for the track
  • NUTRITN 397A Eating Disorders
  • NUTRITN 578 Nutrition Problems in the Developing World
  • NUTRITN 597G Nutrition and Food Policy
  • NUTRITN 597S Nutrition and Cancer Prevention
  • NUTRITN 575 Culture, Nutrition and Health

Non-Nutrition Options

  • HT-MGT 353 Risk and Sanitation Management
  • HT-MGT 355 Restaurant Operations Management
  • STOCKSCH 280 Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants
  • STOCKSCH 398E Farm Enterprise Practicum
  • KIN 110 Human Performance and Nutrition

Note: Students in the Nutrition and Health Sciences track who are interested in licensure should take NUTRITN 480, NUTRITN 580, 597M and NUTRITN 585 as electives.