Middle Tennessee State University
BS in Nutrition and Food ScienceMurfreesboro, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Scholarships
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Introduction
Everyone must eat, but does everyone know the most cost-effective, tasty, and healthy way to do so? The Nutrition and Food Science major in MTSU's Department of Human Sciences is designed to train students to apply the science of human nutrition and the art and skills of food preparation to improve the health of their clients. The major offers three options:
Dietetics
This option is an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics, the first step required to become a registered dietitian. MTSU’s program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Food Industry
This option prepares students to work for food processors, government agencies, and non-government organizations, or pursue graduate studies in food science.
Nutrition and Wellness
With the increased awareness of the role that nutrition has on wellness, this option prepares students to work with people of all ages, cultures, and economic means in individual and group settings to select foods that will promote healthy body weights and adequate nutrition throughout their life cycles.
Admissions
Curriculum
Curriculum: Nutrition and Food Science
Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.
Freshman
- ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
- ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
- SOC 1010 - Introductory Sociology 3 credit hours (Soc/Beh Sci) (recommended)
- HSC 1010 - Career Orientation 1 credit hour
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts (2 prefixes) 6 credit hours
- Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
- NFS 2220 - Nutrition for the Health Sciences 3 credit hours
- CHEM 1010 - Introductory General Chemistry I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) and
- CHEM 1011 - Intro to General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
or
- CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) and
- CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
or
- CHEM 1030 - Chemistry for Consumers 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) and
- CHEM 1031 - Chemistry for Consumers Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
- BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) and
- BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
Subtotal: 30 Hours
Sophomore
- NFS 3200 - Food Science 3 credit hours and
- NFS 3201 - Food Science Lab 0 credit hours
- NFS 3260 - Community Nutrition 3 credit hours
- NFS 3280 - Sports Nutrition 3 credit hours
- MATH 1010 - Mathematics for General Studies 3 credit hours (Math) (recommended)
- COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
- Electives 4 credit hour
- BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credit hours
- BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab 0 credit hours and
- ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) or
- ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) or
- HUM 2610 - World Literatures 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)
Choose 6 hours from:
- HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours
- HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours
- HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours
- HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours
- HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 32 Hours
Junior
- HSC 4410 - Consumer Economics 3 credit hours
- Electives 9 credit hours
- CDFS 3320 - Family Relations 3 credit hours
- NFS 3100 - Cultural Food Studies 3 credit hours
- NFS 4210 - Nutrition in Aging 3 credit hours
- NFS 4240 - Experimental Food Study 3 credit hours
- NFS 4250 - Life Cycle Nutrition 3 credit hours
- NFS 4260 - Food Safety Issues from Production to Consumption 3 credit hours
- NFS 4270 - Advanced Nutrition I 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 33 Hours
Senior
- HSC 4000 - Senior Seminar 1 credit hour
- Electives 9 credit hours
Choose 15 hours:
- BIOL 2100 - Microbiology in Disease 3 credit hours and
- BIOL 2101 - Microbiology in Disease Lab 0 credit hours
- BIOL 2230 - Microbiology 4 credit hours and
- BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab 0 credit hours
- CHEM 1020 - Introductory General Chemistry II 4 credit hours and
- CHEM 1021 - Intro to General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours
- CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II 4 credit hours and
- CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours
- CHEM 2030 - Elements of Organic Chemistry 4 credit hours and
- CHEM 2031 - Elements of Organic Chemistry Lab 0 credit hours
- CHEM 3530 - Principles of Biochemistry 4 credit hours and
- CHEM 3531 - Principles of Biochemistry Lab 0 credit hours
- HLTH 3020 - Terminology in Health and Human Performance 3 credit hours
- HSC 4102 - Internship: Nutrition and Food Science 3 or 6 credit hours
- NFS 4100 - Food Service Management for Culinary Arts 3 credit hours
- NFS 4271 - Advanced Nutrition II 3 credit hours
- NFS 4500 - Nutrition Education 3 credit hours
- NFS 4550 - Nutrition and Weight Management 3 credit hours
- NFS 4555 - Food Laws and Regulations 3 credit hours
- NFS 4570 - Fundamentals of Culinary Arts 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 25 Hours
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
The major in Nutrition and Food Science offers preparation for careers in community nutrition services; county, state, and federal health departments; food processing; food marketing; and quality control. Examples include
- Catering manager
- Food researcher
- Food-service manager (schools, hospitals, residential care facilities, prisons, etc.)
- Production manager
- Public nutrition educator
- Purchasing manager
- Quality assurance specialist
- Restaurant manager and/or owner
- Sales representative
The Dietetics concentration can lead to careers as registered dietitians/nutritionists in hospitals and other health care facilities or in private practice. They may work in the community and public health settings, academia, and research. A growing number of RDs work in the food and nutrition industry, in business, journalism, sports nutrition, and corporate wellness programs.