Meet Your Major

As a nutritional sciences major, you’ll study the relationship between food and health and learn how it affects you, those around you and the entire planet.

Featuring cutting-edge training, this program prepares you to tackle society’s biggest health problems, from obesity to chronic disease to inefficient food systems.

students looking at computer.

What You’ll Learn 

In the nutritional sciences program, you will:

  • Enhance your understanding of current issues in human nutrition, including approaches to food labeling, fad diets and the impact of modern agriculture.
  • Assess community-health and design programs that have the capacity to improve lives through nutritional health.
  • Apply psychological, social and behavioral principles to real-world clinical practice.
  • Use scientific methods and critical thinking to evaluate nutrition and food systems.

Hands-on Learning

In the nutritional sciences program, you’ll have opportunities to put your knowledge to work in the field. Conduct independent research; explore state-of-the-art technology, like the BodPod and Precision Sweat System; or get clinical experience by snagging an internship at top institutions like Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University Center for Genomics Research, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Want more? You can volunteer with local community programs or get involved in Active Science, Merrimack’s social entrepreneurial venture that gets school-age kids moving through a combination of physical activities, wearable technology and STEM learning.

Career Options

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently highlighted nutritional science as one of the “best fields for new college graduates,” based on projected job creation. With your nutritional sciences degree, you’ll be prepared for a career as a school food-service director, an educator or as a nutritionist for a public-health program, health club, sports organizations or commercial weight-loss program. Interested in an advanced degree? You’ll be ready for further study to become a registered dietician, physician, dentist, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, chiropractor, research scientist, pharmacist or professor.

What You’ll Take 

All nutritional sciences majors take a combination of mandatory and elective courses to satisfy the 126-credit and 32-course requirements. To remain in good academic standing, you must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.

Nutritional sciences students must complete four years of study with a minimum 128 school credits and 82 major credits. 

See the online course catalog for more information.

Professional Programs

Students interested in professional programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, physician assistant, etc., should consult with their adviser to be sure that they are meeting all necessary prerequisites. Nutritional sciences majors pursuing professional programs are also advised to include CHM 2220, CHM 2220L and two semesters of physics with lab in their program.