About the Nutrition Bachelor’s Program
The Nutritional Sciences Pre-Professional Health degree provides a rigorous scientific foundation in nutrition, natural sciences, and health-related coursework for students preparing for professional health programs. The curriculum emphasizes nutrition’s essential role in health promotion, disease prevention and treatment, and clinical decision-making, supporting competency development in scientific reasoning, critical thinking, ethical practice, and evidence-based care. Students strengthen skills in data interpretation, communication, teamwork, and awareness of the need for individualized patient care—competencies consistently emphasized across medical, physician assistant, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professions. Graduates are well prepared to integrate nutrition science into future healthcare practice while completing common prerequisites for professional school admission.
This pathway is also available as a minor or concentration, offering students in other majors a meaningful way to enhance their preparation for health professions by developing nutrition-related competencies that support patient-centered, interdisciplinary care.
Students who graduate with this degree must earn a C or better in all major and supporting coursework. Any variation from this is subject to department approval.
Communication Literacy (CL) Requirement. Communication literacy in Nutritional Sciences is demonstrated through students’ ability to effectively access, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate nutrition and food-related information across diverse contexts and audiences. Students develop communication competencies through written, oral, and digital formats, as well as through interpersonal and professional communication experiences. Emphasis is placed on interpreting scientific evidence, translating technical information for varied audiences, and using appropriate communication strategies to promote understanding and informed decision-making in nutrition-related settings. These competencies are developed and assessed through critical analysis of scientific and popular literature, preparation of professional and public-facing materials, presentations, and collaborative activities. Communication literacy skills are measured across three required courses in the major. Courses in the CL plan are NS 2380 , NS 4330 , and NS 4350 .
Secondary Teacher Certification in Hospitality, Nutrition, and Food Science*
This concentration offers a career path for those interested in teaching nutrition and food sciences at the middle school and high school levels (grades 8-12). Students complete a broad base of nutrition courses along with those that lead to teacher certification. Graduates will be eligible for a Specialized Certificate in Hospitality, Nutrition, and Food Science to teach nutrition and food sciences in secondary schools. Students seeking certification must meet all requirements outlined in the College of Education section of this catalog. Admission requirements for the teaching program include the completion of approximately 60 hours with an overall 2.75 GPA or better and a satisfactory level of performance on the Accuplacer test or equivalent. Other requirements include a 2.75 GPA or better in professional education courses in the teaching field and a grade of C or better in all required concentration and support courses. To be recommended for certification, graduates must achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the TExES examinations prescribed by the State Board of Education.
*This concentration is being phased out and is not accepting new students.
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