Students majoring in Nutritional Sciences pursue one of five tracks: Food and Health Sciences, Didactic Program in Dietetics, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre Physicians Assistant or Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental. Each area follows a different curriculum including non-departmental courses, in order to best prepare students for their future goals. Students preparing to become registered dietitians follow the Didactic Program in Dietetics which is accredited by the:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
120 South Riverside Plaza., Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
(800) 877-1600, ext. 5400
The Nutritional Sciences curriculum is strongly based in science and integrates the Nutritional Sciences core requirements with additional courses in the laboratory or behavioral sciences. A minor in Nutrition for Exercise and Sport and a minor in Food Science and Technology are described in the Minors section.
For detailed information, please refer to the Department of Nutritional Sciences website.
Admission Requirements
Non-Nutritional Sciences majors in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 that wish to declare or change their major to Nutritional Sciences can do so at any time during the calendar year.
Location
Modality
Requirements
Nutritional Sciences majors must successfully pass the following courses:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| NUSC 1165 | Fundamentals of Nutrition | 3 |
| NUSC 2200 | Nutrition and Human Development | 3 |
| NUSC 3236 | Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism | 3 |
| NUSC 4237W | Writing in Nutritional Sciences | 1 |
| or NUSC 4297W | Senior Thesis in Nutrition |
| NUSC 4250 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sport | 3 |
| or NUSC 4270 | Immunological Mechanisms of Disease |
| BIOL 1107 | Principles of Biology I | 4 |
| 7-8 |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry I
and Fundamentals of General Chemistry II | |
| General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II | |
| 3-6 |
| Organic Chemistry | |
| Organic Chemistry
and Organic Chemistry | |
| 7-8 |
| Human Physiology and Anatomy
and Human Physiology and Anatomy | |
| Principles of Biology II
and Comparative Animal Physiology | |
| Principles of Biology II
and Anatomy and Physiology of Animals | |
| MCB 2000 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| Total Credits | 38-43 |
In addition to the courses listed above, a minimum of six credits, numbered 2000 level or above, must be earned from courses in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. Credits earned in field experiences and independent studies cannot be used to meet this six-credit requirement.
Students must successfully pass either NUSC 4237W Writing in Nutritional Sciences or NUSC 4297W Senior Thesis in Nutrition to fulfill their writing in the major requirement and the advanced information literacy requirement. There are no advanced requirements for computer technology.
A minor in Nutrition for Exercise and Sport and a minor in Food Science are described in the “Minors” section.
Didactic Program in Dietetics
Nutritional Science students preparing to apply for a dietetics internship in preparation to become registered dietitians may enroll in the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the University of Connecticut, which is currently granted accreditation by:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6695
(800) 872-5327
To declare a concentration in the Didactic Program in Dietetics within the Nutritional Sciences major, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have successfully completed the following courses:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
NUSC 1165
& NUSC 2200 | Fundamentals of Nutrition
and Nutrition and Human Development 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 8 |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry I
and Fundamentals of General Chemistry II | |
| General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II | |
| BIOL 1107 | Principles of Biology I 2 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 18 |
To earn a verification statement, students must meet the above grade requirements; complete the core requirements for all Nutritional Sciences majors (including MCB 2000 Biochemistry, PNB 2264 Human Physiology and Anatomy, and PNB 2265 Human Physiology and Anatomy) and earn a Didactic Program in Dietetics GPA of at least 3.0 by successfully completing the following courses with a “C” grade or higher:
University Common Curriculum Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see Common Curriculum Requirements.
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's Common Curriculum requirements. For more information, see the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources section of this catalog.
Accelerated Nutritional Sciences BS/MS
University of Connecticut undergraduates can pursue a fast track pathway (4 + 1 program) that allows them to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in 5 years. Students elect to emphasize one of three overlapping areas in human nutrition:
- Molecular Nutrition
- Metabolism
- Community Nutrition
Each emphasis area is interdisciplinary in approach and is supported by a broad range of local, national, and international collaborations.
