Nutrition and Wellness Majors
Launch your career with one of our nutrition and wellness majors!
A degree from the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness prepares you for a successful career in a wide variety of fields, including dietetics, healthcare, public policy, research, product development, and more!
B.S. IN NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
A major in Nutritional Sciences will help you launch a thriving career in dietetics, food product development, food management, sports nutrition, and more. It's also a great launchpad for graduate studies in other healthcare fields!
B.S. IN NUTRITION AND FOOD SYSTEMS
A major in Nutrition and Food Systems will prepare you for career focused on building a more efficient, equitable, and sustainable food system that improves access to healthy, nourishing food for all!
B.S. IN NUTRITION AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Enrolling for Fall 2023! A major in Nutrition and Human Performance will train you to help people maximize their health and physical performance across the lifespan by combining nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral change.
B.S. IN PRECISION NUTRITION AND WELLNESS
A major in Precision Nutrition and Wellness will empower you to lead the precision nutrition revolution, with training in fields as diverse as nutrition, genetics, medicine, biochemistry, and more!
FASCINATED BY FOOD? YOU CAN MAJOR IN THAT.
Turn your passion for health and fitness into a rewarding career. The Nutritional Sciences program at the University of Arizona provides an interdisciplinary approach to learning about food, nutritional therapies, and optimal wellness. It will prepare you to launch a career after graduation or to pursue graduate programs in dietetics, nursing, pharmacy, medicine, and other healthcare fields.
TWO OPTIONS: DIETETICS OR NUTRITION
We offer a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences with two options to choose from: Dietetics and Nutrition. Both options provide students with a strong foundation in the sciences and a wide variety of nutrition courses. Both options are offered on Main campus, Yuma, and in AZ Online. You will be eligible to move into the major core dietetics or nutrition option courses, when foundational course requirements have been completed.
The Bachelor of Science with a major in Nutritional Sciences (Dietetics or Nutrition) requires students to apply for advanced standing to finish upper division requirements in their degree. Once students have completed the necessary required courses and have a 2.00 requirement cumulative GPA, students are eligible to submit their application for advanced standing. Please check with your academic advisor to determine the best timing for your academic plan. The information below applies to both the dietetic emphasis and nutrition emphasis.
Note: For the BS degree, this process replaces our previous Pre-Nutritional Sciences major process.
Advanced Standing is a non-competitive process for students within the Nutritional Sciences major. Typically, if the student has met the GPA and course requirements and submits an application with additional documents, they will achieve Advanced Standing.
The School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness may deny Advanced Standing to any student who does not exhibit the academic integrity, respectful discourse, and professional engagement expected of Nutritional Sciences students.
Consideration for Advanced Standing only occurs upon receipt of all required materials - including but not limited to the application form, resume, statement of objectives (if required), relevant documentation, etc.
Students will receive notice of their Advanced Standing application via their University of Arizona student email account upon completion of the review process.
Advanced Standing Application Eligibility Requirements
- University of Arizona cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher
- Completion of all requisite coursework.
- You must be currently enrolled in your final prerequisite requirements this term.
- Exhibiting appropriate behavior expected of nutritional sciences and wellness students, including but not limited to, strong academic integrity, respectful discourse, and professional engagement in all college, university and community environments.
- After confirming your eligibility, follow the steps outlined below.
- Visit the SNAC D2L portal to obtain the application or email your Nutrition advisor.
Choose this option to pursue a career in the field of dietetics, most likely as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). You'll take courses in the areas of medical nutrition therapy (MNT), community nutrition, nutrition counseling, and food service management. Upon graduation, you'll be eligible to apply for an accredited Dietetic Internship, which is required to earn the RDN credential. These programs have competitive admissions and can only be started after graduation from a dietetics program.
In order to become an RDN, graduates must pass the Registration Examination for Dietetic Technicians to earn the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (NDTR). Beginning January 1, 2024, students must have earned a master's degree in order to sit for the RDN exam. RDNs must also complete an accredited Dietetic Internship.
The dietetics option at the University of Arizona is a nationally accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606, (800) 877-1600; (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400, email: education@eatright.org. Program outcomes data are available upon request.
Please review our DPD/ISPP Handbook for details including program mission, goals and objectives, the process to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, costs, and other pertinent details.
Choose this option to customize your degree program while taking many of the same science foundation and core nutrition course requirements as the dietetics option. You may take additional math and science courses required by professional schools like medical, dental, physician assistant, and physical therapy programs. Or, you may want to incorporate accounting, economics, and food service courses for an emphasis on food service management. This option does not meet the dietetics requirements to be eligible to complete a dietetic internship immediately upon graduation.
Careers in nutrition allow you to empower people to lead healthier lives, but the way you do that is up to you. Potential career paths include:
- Clinical Dietetics
- Medicine, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy
- Public Health Nutrition
- Consultant / Private Practice
- Education and Research
- Food and Nutrition Program Management
- Sports Nutrition
- Health Coach
- Spokesperson
- Public Policy / Government
Contact an Academic Advisor! You can set up an advising appointment through eSMS.
HUNGRY FOR CHANGE? YOU CAN MAJOR IN THAT.
Follow your food from farm, to table, to your plate, and discover the complex systems that influence everything you eat. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences have teamed up to offer two specialized undergraduate majors to prepare you to become a leader in food-related policy, sustainable food production, food security, and food as it relates to health.
Culture, economics, policy, marketing, human and environmental health, and food accessibility affect what you eat. Both a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Systems and a B.A. in Food Studies explore these complex systems and provide students with specialized training to meet the growing demand for leaders with expertise in food-related policy.
As a Nutrition and Food Systems major, you'll examine the factors that affect our food systems, including production challenges in an arid desert region, cultural influences that shape cuisine, and the relationships between food security, nutrition, and overall health. You'll apply scientific evidence, best practices, and your professional judgment to seek solutions to better manage the food supply chain from production to processing, distribution, consumption, and waste control while preserving our environment and safeguarding human health.
If you choose this degree, you'll graduate equipped to make a difference in a broad range of food-related careers in areas like sustainable food production, food and nutrition policy, food security, and food as it relates to health.
The University of Arizona has two new programs focusing on food: the B.A. in Food Studies and the B.S. in Nutrition and Food Systems. The two majors share courses in:
- FOOD 101: Introduction to Critical Food Studies
- FOOD 202: Introduction to the U.S. Food System
- FOOD 300: Food Justice, Ethics, and Activism
- FOOD 302: Critical Food Practice
- FOOD 498: Capstone
HOW DO THE PROGRAMS DIFFER?
| B.S. nutrition & food systems | b.a. food studies | |
|---|---|---|
| FOCUS | The food system from production to consumption | Social, historical, and cultural dimensions of food |
| MINOR | No minor required | Minor required |
| LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS |
2nd semester language required | 4th semester language required |
| REQUIRED TRACKS |
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| POSSIBLE CAREERS |
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A degree in food systems prepares you for a career that's focused on what we eat and how we can use our food supply to improve human health and the health of our planet. Potential career paths include:
- Food Lobbyist
- Food Policy Consultant
- Non-Profit Manager
- Food Assistance Program Manager
- Peace Corps or Americorps Specialist
- Organic Certification Specialist
- Cooperative Extension Specialist
- Community Engagement Coordinator
- Food Entrepreneur
- Food Journalist
- Food Marketer
- Food Sales Representative
Contact an Academic Advisor! You can set up an advising appointment through eSMS.
DRIVEN TO OPTIMIZE HEALTH AND FITNESS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN? YOU CAN MAJOR IN THAT.
Nutrition and physical activity are at the heart of human performance, in athletics, in the arts, and in daily life. With a B.S. in Nutrition and Human Performance, you'll be prepared to help people maximize their lives, promote healthy aging, and prevent chronic illness. Your coursework will build a strong foundation in nutrition, exercise, and behavioral sciences, and you'll learn how to combine them to improve quality of life at every stage. When you graduate, you'll be ready for a career in the health and fitness industry, community health and wellness, and more - or to pursue graduate studies in physical therapy, exercise physiology, and related health sciences.
The B.S. in Nutrition and Human Performance combines core courses in body composition, sports nutrition, exercise physiology, and health promotion with elective courses in business management and leadership, behavioral science, teaching and coaching, among others.
CORE COURSES:
- NSC 101: Introduction to Human Nutrition
- NSC 206: Introduction to Nutrition and Human Performance
- NSC 308: Nutrition and Metabolism
- NSC 315: Sports Nutrition
- NSC 320: Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Promotion
- NSC 306: Nutrition and Exercise Physiology
- NSC 396A: Survey of Nutrition Careers
- NSC 396B: Preparation for Careers in Nutrition & Human Performance
- NSC 415R: Advanced Sports Nutrition
- NSC 415L: Advanced Sports Nutrition Lab
- NSC 445: Assessment of Regulation of Human Body Composition
- NSC 498: Capstone
SCIENCE COURSES:
- Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Biology
- Physics
ELECTIVE AREAS:
- Business, Management, and Leadership Electives
- Behavioral Electives
- Teaching / Coaching Electives
- Diversity, Inclusivity, and Ethics Electives
- Health Sciences Electives
A degree in Nutrition and Human Performance will equip you for a career helping people optimize their health and fitness, or to pursue graduate studies in physical and occupational therapy and other health sciences. Potential career paths include:
- Personal Training
- Fitness and Wellness Coordination (for gyms, sports facilities, spas, schools, etc.)
- Nutrition, Wellness, and Fitness Coaching
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Healthcare (doctor, nurse, etc.)
Further education or certification may be required for some careers.
Contact an Academic Advisor! You can set up an advising appointment through eSMS.
WANT TO REVOLUTIONIZE HEALTH AND WELLNESS? YOU CAN MAJOR IN THAT.
We're at the cusp of a revolution in health and wellness, one where we'll be able to move away from the frantic race to cure diseases toward an approach that prevents diseases before they strike. With a B.S. in Precision Nutrition and Wellness, you'll gain the skills to apply big data solutions originally developed for medicine and cancer treatment to better understand precision health from a holistic perspective. In this science-intensive, transdisciplinary degree, you'll take courses in genomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and transcriptomics to build a strong foundation in data sciences and the research and technologies shaping modern healthcare. You'll also develop the knowledge and skills you'll need to better understand how lifestyle changes improve health outcomes, which will prepare you to lead the nutrition-based disease prevention efforts of the future.
The B.S. in Precision Nutrition and Wellness includes a core of required courses along with major electives, combining a solid foundation in nutritional sciences and precision nutrition with coursework in data analytics and technology, health and wellness, human evolution and genetics, and scientific ethics.
CORE COURSES:
- NSC 101: Introduction to Human Nutrition
- NSC 260: Nutrition Communications and Scientific Literacy
- NSC 275: Fundamentals of Precision Nutrition and Wellness
- NSC 308: Nutrition and Metabolism
- NSC 351R: Fundamentals of Food Science
- NSC 370: Emerging Topics in Precision Nutrition and Wellness
- NSC 408: Nutritional Biology
- NSC 470: Biomarkers and Disease Status
- NSC 475: Nutrigenomics for the Study of Disease Prevention & Intervention
- NSC 485: Precision Nutrition & Lifestyle Genomics
ELECTIVE COURSES:
ELECTIVE TRACK: Data Analytics & Technology (9 units)
- BE 310: Introduction to Biosystem Analytics
- CSC 250: Essential Computing for the Sciences
- ECOL 346: Bioinformatics
- PLS 340: Introduction to Biotechnology
- MCB 416A: Statistical Bioinformatics and Functional Genomic Analysis
- MCB 422: Problem Solving with Genetic Tools
ELECTIVE TRACK: Health & Wellness (9 units)
- NSC 301: Nutrition and the Life Cycle
- NSC 310: Principles of Human Nutrition in Health and Disease
- NSC 320: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Health Problems
- NSC 444: Community Nutrition
ELECTIVE TRACK: Diet & Genes (9 units)
- FSHD 200: Evolution and Human Development
- ECOL 320: Genetics
- NSC 375: Diet, Genes, and Disease
- NROS 430: Neurogenetics
- BE 487: Metagenomics: From Genes to Ecosystems
ELECTIVE TRACK: Ethics (3 units)
- FSHD 347: Neuroethics
- MCB 404: Bioethics
- PHIL 321: Medical Ethics
Your degree will prepare you to make your mark in a wide range of fields, from biomedical research, to healthcare, to sports and fitness, and more. Potential career paths include:
- Biomedical Research
- Healthcare (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician's assistant, etc.)
- Nutrition Professions (clinical dietetics, private practice)
- Genetic and Genomic Counseling
- Fitness Professions
- Business and Industry
- Public Health / Public Policy
Further education or certification may be required for some careers.
Contact an Academic Advisor! You can set up an advising appointment through eSMS.