Nutrition Science, Bachelor of Science College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
The study of nutrition encompasses all aspects of the consumption and utilization of food and its constituents. Key areas of study include: the biochemical reactions important to the utilization of nutrients and food constituents; the impact of diet on health and disease; and, nutrition-related policy and public health issues. The nutrition science major includes two options for studying these areas: nutritional biology and nutrition in public health.
The Program
Nutrition, as it is taught on the Davis campus, is a biological science and requires a complete background in chemistry and biology, along with calculus and physics (nutritional biology option) or economics (nutrition in public health option). These courses are generally completed during the first two years, and along with biochemistry, must be completed before most nutrition classes can be taken. During their junior and senior years, students in the nutritional biology option take additional course work in biochemistry, physiology, and toxicology. Students in the nutrition in public health option take additional course work in social and health-related sciences.
Career Alternatives
Both options are excellent preparation for professional or graduate training in medicine, public health, or other health sciences. The nutritional biology option also provides preparation for technical work in nutrition in the animal, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The nutrition in public health option prepares students for jobs in administrative, teaching, or public health/public service positions.
Becoming a Registered Dietitian
The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) requires a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian1. There are two routes for the Nutrition Science major:
- A Coordinated Graduate Program in Nutrition & Dietetics.
- A Future Graduate Program in Nutrition & Dietetics.
These master’s degree programs include the didactic coursework and supervised practice (dietetic internship).
Lead Faculty Advisor
Peng Ji, Ph.D.
Advising Center for the major is located in 3202 Meyer Hall; 530-752-2512; 530-752-7094.
Graduate Study
The Department of Nutrition offers programs of study and research leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nutrition. For information on graduate study contact the graduate advisor. See Graduate Studies.
- 1
Effective Jan 1, 2024.
The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Nutrition Science Bachelor of Science is 138.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | ||
| Biological Science | ||
| BIS 002A | Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth | 5 |
| BIS 002B | Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology & Evolution | 5 |
| BIS 002C | Introduction to Biology: Biodiversity & the Tree of Life | 5 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHE 002A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHE 002B | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHE 002C | General Chemistry | 5 |
| Choose a series: | 6-8 | |
| Organic Chemistry: Brief Course and Organic Chemistry: Brief Course | ||
OR | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Health & Life Sciences and Organic Chemistry for Health & Life Sciences | ||
OR | ||
| Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Nutrition | ||
| NUT 010 | Discoveries & Concepts in Nutrition | 3 |
| or NUT 010V | Discoveries & Concepts in Nutrition | |
| or NUT 010Y | Discoveries & Concepts in Nutrition | |
| Statistics | ||
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| Applied Statistics in Agricultural Sciences | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or STA 013Y | Elementary Statistics | |
| Applied Statistics for Biological Sciences | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| PSC 041 | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
| or SOC 046 | Introduction to Social Research Methods | |
| The remaining preparatory subject matter is based on which major option you choose: | 15-21 | |
| Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal | 62-70 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | ||
| Biochemistry | ||
| Choose a series: | 6-10 | |
| Animal Biochemistry & Metabolism and Animal Biochemistry & Metabolism | ||
OR | ||
| Structure & Function of Biomolecules and Bioenergetics & Metabolism | ||
| Biological Science | ||
| BIS 101 | Genes & Gene Expression | 4 |
| Food Science & Technology | ||
| FST 100A | Food Chemistry | 4 |
| FST 100B | Food Properties | 4 |
| Microbiology | ||
| MIC 102 | Introductory Microbiology | 3 |
| MIC 103L | Introductory Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior | ||
| NPB 101 | Systemic Physiology | 5 |
| NPB 101L | Systemic Physiology Laboratory | 3 |
| Nutrition | ||
| NUT 111AY | Introduction to Nutrition & Metabolism | 3 |
| NUT 111B | Recommendations & Standards for Human Nutrition | 2 |
| NUT 112 | Nutritional Assessment | 4 |
| NUT 116A | Clinical Nutrition | 3 |
| The remaining depth subject matter is based on which major option you chose when completing your preparatory courses: | 33 | |
| Depth Subject Matter Subtotal | 76-80 | |
| Total Units | 138-150 | |
| Focus Area | Units |
|---|---|
| Nutritional Biology Option | 139-150 |
| Nutrition in Public Health Option | 138-147 |
Preparatory Subject Matter
Nutritional Biology Option
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one: | 4-5 | |
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| General Psychology | ||
or PSC 001V | General Psychology | |
or PSC 001Y | General Psychology | |
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
or SOC 001V | Introduction to Sociology | |
| Social Problems | ||
| Choose a series: | 6-8 | |
| Short Calculus and (Discontinued) | ||
OR | ||
| Calculus for Biology & Medicine and Calculus for Biology & Medicine | ||
| Choose a series: | 6-8 | |
| Principles of Physics and Principles of Physics | ||
OR | ||
| General Physics and General Physics | ||
| Total Units | 16-21 | |
Nutrition in Public Health Option
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one: | 4-5 | |
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
or SOC 001V | Introduction to Sociology | |
| Social Problems | ||
| ECN 001A | Principles of Microeconomics | 4 |
| or ECN 001AV | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| or ECN 001AY | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| PSC 001 | General Psychology | 4 |
| or PSC 001V | General Psychology | |
| or PSC 001Y | General Psychology | |
| Choose 3-5 units from: | 3-5 | |
| Food in American Culture | ||
| Introduction to Chicana/o Studies | ||
| Chicana/o & Latina/o Health Care Issues | ||
| Comparative Health: Top Leading Causes of Death | ||
| Food Justice: Chicana/o & Indigenous Communities | ||
| Food Systems | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
or ECN 001BV | Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| Introduction to Environmental Toxicology | ||
| Food Science, Folklore & Health | ||
| Introduction to Critical Gender Studies | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Introduction to International Agricultural Development | ||
| Natural History of Infectious Diseases | ||
| Introduction to Native American Studies | ||
| Current Topics & Controversies in Nutrition | ||
| Individual Study for Undergraduates | ||
| Introduction to Bioethics | ||
| American National Government | ||
or POL 001Y | American National Government | |
| International Relations | ||
| Contemporary Problems of the American Political System | ||
| Feeding the World: Influences on the Global Food Supply | ||
or SAS 002V | Feeding the World: Influences on the Global Food Supply | |
| Food Distribution in a Hungry World | ||
| Total Units | 15-18 | |
Depth Subject Matter
Nutritional Biology Option
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| NPB 114 | Gastrointestinal Physiology | 3 |
| NUT/ETX 104 | Environmental & Nutritional Factors in Cellular Regulation & Nutritional Toxicants | 4 |
| NUT 117 | Experimental Nutrition | 6 |
| Restricted Electives | 20 | |
| Choose at least 9 units from Nutrition: | ||
| Nutrition through the Life Cycle | ||
| Principles of Epidemiology in Nutrition | ||
| Developmental Nutrition | ||
| Animal Nutrition | ||
| Clinical Nutrition | ||
or NUT 116BY | Clinical Nutrition | |
| Community Nutrition | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Nutritional Anthropology | ||
| Environmental Stress & Development in Marine Organisms | ||
| Journalistic Practicum in Nutrition | ||
| Experiments in Nutrition: Design & Execution | ||
| Comparative Animal Nutrition & Metabolism | ||
| Proseminar in Nutrition | ||
| Internship | ||
| Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| The remaining balance of restricted elective units may be chosen from any of the following courses: | ||
| Molecular Control of Biosystems | ||
| Cell Biology | ||
| Human Gross Anatomy | ||
| Human Gross Anatomy Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Medicinal Chemistry | ||
| Computational Drug Design | ||
| Biology of Parasitism | ||
| Biology of Parasitism Laboratory | ||
| Food Toxicology | ||
| Genes & the Environment | ||
| Exercise Metabolism | ||
| Nutrition for Physically Active Persons | ||
| Food Microbiology | ||
| Microbiome of People, Animals, & Plants | ||
| Infancy & Early Childhood | ||
or HDE 100AV | Infancy & Early Childhood | |
| Middle Childhood & Adolescence | ||
| Adulthood & Aging | ||
| Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Laboratory Associated Lecture | ||
| Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Human Genetics & Genomics (Discontinued) | ||
| Human Microbiology | ||
or MIC 111 DISCONTINUED | ||
| Medical Mycology | ||
| General Virology | ||
or MIC 162 DISCONTINUED | ||
| Human Immunology | ||
| Human Immunology | ||
| Foundations 1: From Molecules to Individuals | ||
| Stress Physiology in Health & Disease | ||
| Comparative Physiology: Endrocrinology | ||
| Nature vs. Nurture: Physiological Interactions Among Genes, Nutrients & Health | ||
| General Immunology for Physiologists | ||
| Introductory Mycology | ||
| Fundamentals of Immunology | ||
| Medical Bacteria & Fungi | ||
| One Health: Human, Animal & Environment Interfaces | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Biology | ||
| Writing in the Professions: Health | ||
or UWP 104FV | Writing in the Professions: Health | |
or UWP 104FY | Writing in the Professions: Health | |
| Total Units | 33 | |
Nutrition in Public Health Option
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| NUT 113 | Principles of Epidemiology in Nutrition | 4 |
| NUT 118 | Community Nutrition | 4 |
| SPH 101 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | 22 | |
| Choose at least 9 units from Nutrition: | ||
| Environmental & Nutritional Factors in Cellular Regulation & Nutritional Toxicants | ||
| Nutrition through the Life Cycle | ||
| Developmental Nutrition | ||
| Clinical Nutrition | ||
or NUT 116BY | Clinical Nutrition | |
| Experimental Nutrition | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Nutritional Anthropology | ||
| Journalistic Practicum in Nutrition | ||
| Experiments in Nutrition: Design & Execution | ||
| Proseminar in Nutrition | ||
| Internship | ||
| Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| The remaining balance of restricted elective units may be chosen from any of the following courses: | ||
| Community Health & Education | ||
| Media & Health | ||
| Educational Psychology: General | ||
| Philosophical & Social Foundations of Education | ||
| Health Behaviors Across the Lifespan | ||
| Garden & Farm-Based Experiential Education Methods | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Human Learning & Memory | ||
| Cultural Diversity & Community Change | ||
| Survey of Ethnicity in the US | ||
| Fundamentals of Organization Management | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Community Development | ||
| Comparative Ethnicity | ||
| Social Change & Agricultural Development | ||
| Contemporary Leadership | ||
| Health Policy | ||
| Agricultural Policy | ||
| Public Policy & the Governmental Process | ||
| Human & Applied Sciences | ||
| Human Gross Anatomy | ||
| Human Gross Anatomy Laboratory | ||
| Quantitative Methods: Chicano/Latino Health Research | ||
| Exercise Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Motor Learning & the Psychology of Sport & Exercise | ||
| Exercise Metabolism | ||
| Exercise & Aging in Health & Disease | ||
| Infancy & Early Childhood | ||
or HDE 100AV | Infancy & Early Childhood | |
| Middle Childhood & Adolescence | ||
| Adulthood & Aging | ||
| Physiology & Applied Sciences | ||
| Principles of Environmental Toxicology | ||
| Food Toxicology | ||
| Nature vs. Nurture: Physiological Interactions Among Genes, Nutrients & Health | ||
| Public Health Sciences | ||
| Introduction to Health Economics, Services, Policy, Administration & Management | ||
| Globalization & Health: Evidence & Policies | ||
| Intermediate Human Epidemiology | ||
| Introduction to Program Planning & Evaluation | ||
| History of Epidemiology in Public Health | ||
| Health Disparities in the U.S. | ||
| Introduction to Health Informatics | ||
| Total Units | 33 | |