Program Overview

Introduction to the BS in Nutrition Program

The BS in Nutrition program at Boston University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in nutrition, preparing them for careers in healthcare, research, and industry. The program offers three curricular tracks: Nutrition Science, Nutrition and Health, and Dietetics.

Program Tracks

• Nutrition Science Track: This track is a pre-health pathway designed to prepare students for medical, dental, veterinary, and other health professional programs. Students in this track will complete core science courses and begin fulfilling BU Hub requirements.
• Nutrition and Health Track: This track combines public health nutrition coursework with a concentration area such as global health, communications, psychology, hospitality administration, or exercising populations. Students may propose a unique concentration in consultation with their faculty advisor.
• Dietetics Track: This track is for students interested in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). The dietetics track is a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Mission Statement

The mission of the Boston University Programs in Nutrition is to cultivate an environment that fosters the knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve diverse populations. Our programs emphasize critical thinking about the relationship between food, nutrition, and health; effective communication methods; and readiness to contribute to future advancements in the field across clinical, community, research, industry, and communications settings.

Learning Outcomes

The program has four learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge to Serve Diverse Populations: Students will recall the nutritional requirements at each stage of the human life span, describe strategies that support healthy eating behaviors across diverse populations, and discuss global nutrition challenges and potential interventions.
2. Critical Thinking about the Relationship between Food, Nutrition, and Health: Students will integrate principles of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry to explain the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of macro- and micronutrients, and apply knowledge of life-stage-specific nutrition needs to assess dietary patterns and recommend appropriate nutritional interventions.
3. Effective Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate proficiency in written and oral communication for specific populations and contexts, and synthesize scientific information to meet the learning needs of diverse populations.
4. Skills for Future Advancement in the Field: Students will analyze the biological, behavioral, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that influence dietary intake and nutritional status across one or more life stages, evaluate strategies to support optimal nutrition during critical periods of growth, development, and aging, and evaluate the impact of dietary patterns and food choices on chronic disease prevention using evidence-based nutrition science.

BU Hub Requirements

All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities.

Degree Requirements

• All Tracks: A minimum of 128 units with a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation. The GPA must represent a record that contains no more than 16 units of D grades. A student may repeat a course only once to meet the requirement.
• Dietetics Track: The dietetics track includes gateway criteria designed to ensure students are well-prepared to meet the remaining requirements for becoming an RDN. To enter the dietetics track, students must obtain an average grade of C+ (GPA 2.3) in four specific gateway courses.

Curriculum

Each course carries 4 units unless otherwise indicated. The curriculum for each track is as follows:

Nutrition Science Track

First-Year

• CAS BI 107 Biology 1
• CAS CH 101 General Chemistry 1
• CAS PS 101 General Psychology
• CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar
• SAR HP 150 First-Year Sargent Seminar (0 units)
• SAR HP 151 Introduction to Health Professions (2 units)

Sophomore Year

• CAS BI 203 Cell Biology
• CAS CH 203 Organic Chemistry 1
• CAS MA 115 Statistics 1
• SAR HS 251 Human Nutrition Science

Junior Year

• CAS CH 373 Principles of Biochemistry
• CAS PY 105 Physics 1
• CAS MA 121 Calculus for the Life and Social Sciences 1
• SAR HP 353 Organization and Delivery of Health Care in the US

Senior Year

• SAR HS 384 Medical Nutrition Therapy 1
• SAR HS 385 Medical Nutrition Therapy 2
• SAR HS 415 Undergraduate Nutrition Practicum (2 units)
• SAR HS 467 Research Methods in Nutrition (2 units)

Nutrition and Health Track

First-Year

• CAS BI 105 Introductory Biology for Health Sciences or BI 107 Biology 1
• CAS CH 171 Principles of General Chemistry
• CAS MA 115 Statistics 1
• CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar
• SAR HP 150 First-Year Sargent Seminar (0 units)
• SAR HP 151 Introduction to Health Professions (2 units)

Sophomore Year

• CAS BI 211 Human Physiology
• CAS PS 101 General Psychology
• SAR HS 251 Human Nutrition Science
• Introductory-level concentration course

Junior Year

• SAR HS 300 Epidemiology 1
• SAR HS 397 Nutrition and Chronic Disease
• Intermediate-level concentration course
• Elective/BU Hub requirements outside the major

Senior Year

• SAR HP 353 Organization and Delivery of Health Care in the US
• SAR HS 415 Nutrition Practicum (2 units)
• Advanced-level concentration course
• Elective/BU Hub requirements outside the major

Dietetics Track

First-Year

• CAS BI 107 Biology 1
• CAS CH 171 Principles of General Chemistry
• CAS PS 101 General Psychology
• CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar
• SAR HP 150 First-Year Sargent Seminar (0 units)
• SAR HP 151 Introduction to Health Professions (2 units)

Summer

• Human anatomy modules

Sophomore Year

• CAS BI 211 Human Physiology
• CAS MA 115 Statistics 1
• SAR HS 251 Human Nutrition Science
• Elective/BU Hub requirements outside the major

Junior Year

• CAS CH 373 Principles of Biochemistry
• SAR HS 384 Medical Nutrition Therapy 1
• SAR HS 385 Medical Nutrition Therapy 2
• SPH PH 510 Introduction to Public Health

Senior Year

• CAS PH 251 Medical Ethics or CAS PH 150 Introduction to Ethics
• SAR HS 415 Undergraduate Nutrition Practicum (2 units)
• SAR HS 467 Research Methods in Nutrition (2 units)
• Elective/BU Hub requirements outside the major (8+ units)

Sargent College Thesis for Distinction

Nutrition students who maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 are eligible to apply for the Sargent College Senior Thesis for Distinction. This opportunity allows students to engage in an in-depth research project within their major or minor, under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Nutrition Summer Study Abroad Opportunity: Italy

The Padua Mediterranean Diet: Food, Culture & Health program immerses students in the food, agriculture, culture, cuisine, and lifestyle of the Mediterranean region while studying evidence-based research on the Mediterranean diet and health outcomes.

Accreditation

Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).