An interdisciplinary study that provides expert knowledge

Because nutrition plays a critical role in health and well-being, a fundamental understanding of nutrition is essential for students pursuing careers in the health sciences. This background is also useful to anyone interested in living a healthy life.

As a student pursuing a minor in Nutrition at 91AV, you will engage in interdisciplinary study that provides you with expert knowledge about human nutrition, food science and related physiologic principles.

You will study topics and issues such as: what constitutes a balanced diet; the impact of nutrition on exercise and sport performance; the social relationship of food, health and culture; and the environmental impact of the foods we grow and eat. 

A nutrition student cutting an onion
A nutrition smiles while they stir batter

The minor also encourages you to take responsibility for your own nutrition, health and well-being by applying these concepts to your own life, thus enhancing your sense of competence and personal control. The Nutrition minor is offered through the Department of Nutrition in the 91AV Westbrook College of Health Professions, and involves interdisciplinary coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences. It represents a rich and collaborative interdisciplinary minor, with food and nutrition examined from multiple perspectives and contexts.

Curriculum

Program Required CoursesCredits
BIO 318 – Nutrition through the Life Cycle3
NUTR 200 – Food Science Concepts and Food Safety3
NUTR 220 – Nutrition3
Total Credits9
Select Three (3) of the following coursesCredits
BIO 480 – Topics in Physiology: The Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis3
ELE 199 – The Mediterranean Diet: From Fiction to Facts (NUTR 310E at Pablo de Olavide University in Seville Spain)3
EXS 322 – Bioenergetics & Metabolism3
NUTR 238 – Fundamentals of Healthy Cooking3
NUTR 342 – Food Systems and Public Health3
NUTR 350 – Nutritional Biochemistry3
NUTR 400 – Medical Nutrition Therapy3
NUTR 410 – Nutrition Across Seven Continents3
NUTR 430 – Innovations and Special Topics in Nutrition3
OS 424 – Health Education Theory to Practice4
SOC 275 – Sociology of Food and Health3
Total Credits9–10
Minimum Total Required Credits18

Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.

Changes were made to this program in an addendum to the 2022/23 academic calendar. Please see the 2022–2023 Catalog Addendum (PDF) for the most recent information. As always, it is recommended that students seek the guidance of Academic Advisors for course and program planning. In this way, you will be able to access all the most up-to-date information available.