Program Overview

The degree of Bachelor of Science, with a major in family and consumer sciences or nutrition (dietetics, community nutrition, or nutrition science) requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (2) degree requirements; (3) program/major requirements; and (4) supporting requirements. No minor is required.

Family and Consumer Sciences or Nutrition core courses are used to satisfy the lower-division UCA Core requirements in Responsible Living. Family and Consumer Sciences and Nutrition courses are used to satisfy the upper-division UCA Core requirements in Critical Inquiry, Communication, Diversity, and Responsible Living. To fulfill the UCA Core Capstone requirement, students seeking a degree in Dietetics will take NUTR 4335 Nutrition Senior Seminar; those seeking a degree in Community Nutrition will complete NUTR 4339 Community Nutrition Practicum; those seeking a degree in Nutrition Science will complete NUTR 4301 Research in Nutrition and Family Sciences, and those in Family and Consumer Sciences will complete FACS 4340 FCS Professional Practice.

The BS in Community Nutrition program affords its graduates the skills needed to work in various employment positions including Department of Health and Human Services (Women, Infants, and Children program), Child Nutrition programs in public schools, Cooperative Extensions, corporate wellness programs, entrepreneurship, nonprofit feeding programs such as The Hunger Relief Alliance, as well as others. Students will be able to take the exam for the ServSafe Certification and will be prepared to go to graduate school. Students who elect a BS in Community Nutrition will not be awarded a verification statement to make them eligible to apply for a dietetic internship. If the student decides at a later date to apply for an internship, classes like Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and the DPD requirements of Medical Nutrition Therapy I and II (as well as others) will be required.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Community Nutrition enter the Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1365 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit that completes their 1000-level math requirements.