Minor in Nutritional Sciences

When it comes to our health, we are what we eat.

In the Nutritional Sciences Minor, you will add depth to an existing major by exploring this concept and learning how the human body transforms our good into useable energy — as well as studying bodily changes like illness, disease, pregnancy, and exercise impact digestion and healthy living.

Learn from faculty who are leaders in the field and explore cutting-edge nutritional science and the practical applications to promote positive lifestyle changes in others. This minor will give you a valuable background in nutrition to complement your major degree requirements and long-term career plans in a variety of fields.

The Nutrition minor requires 18 credits of nutrition course work—9 credits must come from Prescribed courses, and the remaining 9 credits will come from additional Nutrition courses offered by the department.

University policy requires that students be officially enrolled IN a major before they may enroll in a minor. A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor.

Prescribed Courses (9 credits)

• Nutr 251 Introductory Principles of Nutrition (3 credits)
• Nutr 358 Assessment of Nutritional Status (3 credits)
  Prerequisites: NUTR 251
• Nutr 445 Energy and Macronutrient Metabolism (3 credits)
  Prerequisites: NUTR 251, BIOL 161-164, BMB 211, NUTR 211R

Additional Courses (9 credits)**

• Students must take 6 additional 400 level nutritional sciences credits excluding NUTR 495. NUTR 496 ( Independent Study)  may be counted towards the minor up to a 3 credit maximum.
• Students will select 3 additional credits from NUTR courses excluding NUTR 100.

Some courses are only offered in the fall or spring semesters. See Penn State's Schedule of Courses for information on when courses are offered.

**Check the University Bulletin to determine if these additional Nutrition courses require prerequisites.

Please see the Penn State Minor Policy for additional considerations regarding minors at Penn State.