Courses of Study 2018-2019 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Courses of Study 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Programs of Study and Courses


In Division of Nutritional Sciences .


Course Offerings    


Undergraduate Majors


The Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS) offers three majors with a B.S. degree in two different colleges: The College of Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

Majors offered in the College of Human Ecology:

Graduation Requirements - HE  

Policies and Procedures - HE  

Nutritional Sciences (NS-CHE)

College of Human Ecology: this major provides students with a strong foundation in the broad field of nutritional sciences as well as thorough training in chemistry and biology. Strong preparation in biology, chemistry, and math is required. Students may prepare for a variety of career interests, including medicine and other health careers, research, fitness and sports nutrition, nutrition counseling, clinical nutrition, dietetics, nutritional biochemistry, community nutrition, and nutrition education.

Human Biology, Health, and Society (HBHS)

This major gives students a strong foundation in biology, and fosters the exploration of human health issues from the perspectives of both biology and the social sciences, with emphasis on the individual. Students complete a rigorous curriculum in the natural sciences and then, choosing from a wide array of courses offered in the College of Human Ecology, focus their studies on health issues of their choice. Students can explore such topics as gene expression and metabolism related to disease states, biological and social aspects of growth and development, and policies and programs influencing health.

Global & Public Health Sciences (GPHS-CHE)

College of Human Ecology: Public health is the prevention of illness and promotion of wellness in communities, both large and small. The Global & Public Health Sciences major teaches the tools of public health research and action. The major is intended for students who are motivated to identify health problems in communities and implement actions that will protect or improve the lives of large numbers of individuals, and is especially appropriate for students who wish to pursue advanced study that would lead to leadership positions in governmental or non-governmental organizations that deal directly with current and emerging health concerns in the U.S. or internationally. In addition to completing core courses in public health, global health, and epidemiology, students take a minimum of one advanced course in each of the areas of Social & Behavioral Health, Biological Aspects of Public Health, Environmental Health, and Health Policy & Management. Additionally, majors are required to complete a minimum of three credit hours of supervised experiential learning in a laboratory or community setting.

 

Majors offered in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

Graduation Requirements - AG  

Policies and Procedures - AG  

Nutritional Sciences (NS-CALS)

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: this major provides students with strong training in human nutrition combined with supportive course work in food systems, agriculture and the life sciences. Strong preparation in biology, chemistry, and math is required and prepares students for a variety of careers as mentioned above. Students in the NS-CALS major supplement the core nutrition curriculum with courses in areas such as food policy, food science, animal and plant sciences, business and economics, and environmental sciences.

Global & Public Health Sciences (GPHS-CALS)

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Public health is the prevention of illness and promotion of wellness in communities, both large and small. The Global & Public Health Sciences major teaches the tools of public health research and action. The major is intended for students who are motivated to identify health problems in communities and implement actions that will protect or improve the lives of large numbers of individuals, and is especially appropriate for students who wish to pursue advanced study that would lead to leadership positions in governmental or non-governmental organizations that deal directly with current and emerging health concerns in the U.S. or internationally. In addition to completing core courses in public health, global health, and epidemiology, students take a minimum of one advanced course in each of the areas of Social & Behavioral Health, Biological Aspects of Public Health, Environmental Health, and Health Policy & Management. Additionally, majors are required to complete a minimum of three credit hours of supervised experiential learning in a laboratory or community setting.

Concentration

Concentration in Human Nutrition for Biological Sciences Majors

The Division also offers the Concentration in Human Nutrition for Biological Sciences majors enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences or the College of Arts and Sciences. The Concentration in Human Nutrition offers biology majors courses on the nature and biochemical function of essential and nonessential nutrients, nutrient requirements, the role of nutrients in gene expression, and the role of diet in both risk of chronic disease and treatment of existing disease states. Students in this program of study are encouraged to complete a diverse set of advanced courses that afford a perspective on current knowledge of nutrient requirements and function and how this knowledge can be put to use. With the exception of a core course in the structure and function of nutrients, the course requirements are unspecified.

Human Nutrition  

 

Undergraduate Minors


Nutrition and Health Minor:

The Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS) offers the Nutrition and Health minor to Cornell students who are not in our major programs of NS-CALS, NS-CHE, HBHS, GPHS, and Biological Sciences with a Concentration in Human Nutrition. The minor allows students to choose from courses concerned with human health and nutrition, economic influences on human nutrition, epidemiology and public health, food quality and food service management, nutritional biochemistry, and the psychological and social influences on human nutrition. The minor consists of NS 1150 - Nutrition, Health, and Society plus 9 credits of 2000-plus-level didactic NS courses, as well as NS 1220 - Nutrition and the Life Cycle. Several NS courses are excluded from use toward the minor.

Course Requirements for the Nutrition and Health Minor

Global Health Minor:

The Global Health minor is intended to complement any academic major offered at the university and to provide students with basic knowledge about global health as well as the necessary skills and experience to begin to build their own unique global health career. The minor is open to all undergraduate students in all colleges. For more information about the minor, check the Global Health Program website.

Applied Exercise Science Minor (DNS Students only):

Students should complete courses in physiology and anatomy (NS 3410 and NS 3420) after introductory biology. Division of Nutritional Sciences majors (only) may complete the Applied Exercise Science Minor at Ithaca College, which includes courses in kinesiology, exercise physiology, and biomechanics. Students who wish to apply to graduate schools to study physical therapy should complete a year of introductory physics, a course in statistics, a course in ethics, and three courses in psychology. Students should check the specific requirements of their schools of interest. For information about the Applied Exercise Science Minor, visit the DNS Exercise Minor website, or contact the DNS Academic Affairs office, B21 Savage Hall, (607) 255-4410.

 

Career Options and Course Planning


Requirements for the majors are the minimum set of courses necessary for a bachelor’s degree in these fields. Students should supplement their requirements with elective courses and other learning experiences that will prepare them for entry-level jobs or advanced study in their field(s) of interest. A summary of suggested electives for different career interests follows:

Medicine and Other Health Careers:

Recommended courses for pre-med students include calculus and two semesters of physics. Specific information about medical school admissions requirements can be obtained from the university’s Health Careers office, 203 Barnes Hall. Students interested in other health careers should acquire specific information about those requirements. Courses of interest may include those related to the biological and social determinants of health; human growth, development, and behavior through the life course; interpersonal communications; advanced biology; sociology; psychology; and ethics.

Dietetics:

Students who wish to work in the areas of clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, sports nutrition, community nutrition or food and nutrition management should complete the academic requirements for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Didactic Program in Dietetics is accredited by The Academy, and provides students with the course work necessary for application to an accredited supervised practice program (e.g., Dietetic internships). Students successfully completing didactic program requirements at Cornell are issued a Verification Statement. A one-time fee is involved to cover the cost of program materials and transcript evaluation. The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) policy and procedure for issuing verification statements can be found at on the DPD website. Upon completion of an accredited supervised practice, students are eligible to take the Registered Examination of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and become a Registered Dietitian (RD). Students who do not pursue supervised practice may opt to apply to sit for the Registration Examination conducted by CDR to become a Diet Technician, Registered (DTR). Courses in foods, nutrition and disease, microbiology, food service management, and nutritional care are added to the courses required for the nutrition programs. For more information about meeting The Academy’s requirements, contact the DNS Dietetics office, 115 Savage Hall, (607) 255-8443.

Biomedical Research/Nutritional Biochemistry:

Recommended electives include calculus, physics, genetics, advanced biology and chemistry, toxicology, and nutritional sciences courses related to the physiology, biochemistry, and metabolism of different nutrients and disease states.

Public Health and Community Nutrition:

Suggested electives include courses in epidemiology, communications, education, human development, policy analysis and management, maternal and child nutrition, geriatric nutrition, nutrition and disease, and food economics.

Nutrition, Food, and Business:

Recommended electives include courses in management, marketing, economics, communications, hotel administration, and food science.

Nutrition and Agriculture:

Recommended electives include courses in food science, animal science, plant sciences, international agriculture, agricultural economics, biological sciences, and development sociology.

International Nutrition:

Recommended electives include courses in language, anthropology, agricultural economics, policy, economics, development sociology, international agriculture, and nutritional sciences related to maternal and child health and problems of developing nations.

Biology and Behavior:

Recommended electives include courses in psychology, human development, and neurobiology.

Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy:

Recommended electives include courses in economics, sociology, government, policy analysis, and management.