Undergraduate Programs

What can I do with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Nutritional Sciences?

Nutrition has a wide spectrum of application in the world today. Following are some areas where nutrition serves as either primary or preparatory education:

• Dietetics, including clinical nutrition, community nutrition, education, food service management, business, and media
• Medicine and other related health professions requiring a solid background in the sciences and general humanities
• Food Industry and Business, including product development, entrepreneurism, management, and research
• Nutrition Education, teaching both on an academic level as well as through community outreach programs
• Health and Human Services, serving cities and communities through food-related organizations or programs
• International Nutrition, working with nutrition issues related to hunger, food policy, and food safety in third-world countries
• Nutritional research, incorporating knowledge from disciplines such as chemistry, biology, genetics, physiology, psychology, and sociology

Many Nutritional Sciences students continue their education in a variety of graduate programs after completing their Bachelor's Degree.

Unsure about your specific interests?

The field of nutrition is supported by many academic disciplines. Students are encouraged to develop a program that best fits their needs. A core set of general science and nutrition courses serves as a foundation to the major. Program flexibility allows students the freedom to explore in depth new interests and participate in co-curricular activities.

Faculty Advisors

Upon entering the program, each student is assigned a faculty member who serves as an academic advisor and a resource for career development. The relationships that students develop with faculty members and other students in the department provide students in Nutritional Sciences a small college feel while retaining the benefits of a large university. Faculty interests and research are quite diverse including nutritional biochemistry, clinical nutrition, nutrition for exercise and sport, international nutrition, community nutrition, food science, and food service management; this breadth of expertise allows students to explore many options.

What courses will I be taking?

• Nutritional Sciences Core Requirements:
  Nutritional Sciences' students must complete the following courses:
  

• Additional Departmental Courses Offered

Preparing for Your Career Goals

All students in the department receive a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nutritional Sciences. 

The Department offers two areas of emphasis.  Each area follows a different curriculum including non-departmental courses, in order to best prepare students for their future goals.

Dietetics
Dietetics is a field in which principles of food and nutrition are applied to the health and well being of individuals. Graduates of this option meet the ADA's Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements.  If a student wishes to become a registered dietitian, he/she must apply for and complete a competitive dietetic internship.  Applications to dietetic internships take place in the senior year.  A student must successfully complete both an accredited didactic program, such as the one in Nutritional Sciences, and a dietetic internship before he/she is able to sit for the national registration examination.  After successful completion, he/she is a registered dietitian. (R.D.) Dietitians work in a variety of settings including hospitals, extended care facilities, community agencies, food service, and private practice.

Click here for Dietetic Program Goals and Outcomes.

Click here to view the Didactic Plan of Study. (pdf)
Click here to view Approved Course Substitutes. (pdf)

Click here for more information from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Dietetics curriculum is program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetics Association (ADA), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, (800) 877-1600.

Nutritional Sciences
The Nutritional Sciences curriculum is generally more flexible than the Dietetic curriculum.  Students in this option integrate the Nutritional Sciences core requirements with additional courses in the laboratory or behavioral sciences. The curriculum can be designed to meet entrance requirements for medical and other graduate school programs.  Students interested in medicine, dentistry, or other health-related professions will work with faculty advisors to select appropriate supporting courses to meet his/her goals. The Nutritional Sciences option may also lead to a career in the pharmaceutical or food industry, government, or academia.

Related Minors

• Food Science
  This minor addresses food science as an academic discipline which utilizes approaches for solving applied science problems associated with the acquisition and processing of food.  This minor is offered by the Departments of Animal Sciences and Nutritional Science.
• Sports Nutrition
  For students interested in careers in the area of exercise and sports nutrition, the department offers a Sports Nutrition minor.  In addition to the Nutritional Sciences core curriculum, students complete a series of courses which include sports nutrition, exercise physiology and kinesiology, and sports psychology.

What opportunities for further involvement exist?

Application of classroom knowledge and development of personal skills is highly encouraged in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.  The department offers many opportunities for further educational enrichment. 

UConn Nutrition Club.  
This student-led organization promotes student participation in nutrition related activities for the purpose of furthering nutrition knowledge, promoting healthful living, and enhancing career development.  It is an excellent opportunity to reach out to the campus and community, as well as to promote leadership training. Activities include holiday food drives, activities for National Nutrition Month, soup kitchen volunteering, various fundraisers, and participation in professional meetings.

Meetings are every other Wednesday at 6pm in Arjona 139. Dues are $5 per semester. Please contact the president, Michele Andrews (michele.andrews@uconn.edu) for more information.

Click here to visit the Nutrition Club page.

Community Outreach. 
There are many outreach programs that are based in the department of Nutritional Sciences. For example Husky Reads is a State-recognized program that allows students to work with children in Hartford’s hospital waiting rooms and is a great way for nutrition students to gain valuable communication skills working with diverse poulations. 

Undergraduate Research & Honors Programs. 
The Nutritional Science Honors Program begins in the junior year.  Admissions is by recommendation of the Department based on the student’s cumulative GPA (3.2 or above) and academic performance.  Participation in the program involves completion of four honors courses as well as a senior thesis; it allows students to become more closely involved in current departmental research and offers the possibility of initiating their own independent studies.  Non-honors students are also encouraged to seek participation in current research studies. 

Field experiences. 
Students who participate in community outreach or in a food service setting may obtain credit for these experiences through designated experiential courses:

• NUSC 3782: Experience in Food Service System
• NUSC 3180: Experience in Community Nutrition

News and Updates

Fall 2009 Seminar Series
A Seminar Series Presented by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut
More Information

Positions Open

Professor & Director of Functional Foods Initiative

Nutritional Sciences, 75% Research and 25% Teaching, 10 month, tenure-track. – Applications and supporting materials will be reviewed beginning November 30, 2009 until the positions are filled.

Assistant/Associate Professor

Nutritional Sciences, 50% research and 50% teaching, 9 month, tenure-track. – Applications and supporting materials will be reviewed beginning October 12, 2009 until the positions are filled.