Nutritional Sciences
As a nutritional science 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.
What You’ll Learn
In the nutritional science 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 science 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 nutrition science as one of the “best fields for new college graduates,” based on projected job creation. With your nutritional science 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 science 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.
Required Courses
| Freshman Year | |
|
HSC 1122 |
Anatomy and Physiology I |
|
HSC 1000 |
Careers in Health Sciences |
| Choose 1 |
MTH 1016 Pre-Calculus |
|
FYW 1050 |
Introduction to College Writing |
|
HSC 1123 |
Anatomy and Physiology II |
|
HSC 3302 |
Introduction to Public Health |
|
MTH 1111 |
Statistics |
|
PHL 1000 |
Introduction to Philosophy |
| Sophomore Year | |
|
CHM 1210 |
Chemistry for Health Professions I |
|
BIO 1027 |
Principles of Biology I |
|
HSC 2350 |
Professional Development in Health Science |
|
AL |
Arts and Literature course |
|
SOSC |
Social Science course 1 |
|
CHM 1220 |
Chemistry for Health Professions II |
|
HSC 2300 |
Introduction to Nutritional Sciences |
|
RTS |
Christianity in Context |
|
Open Elective 1 |
|
| Junior Year | |
|
HSC 3510 |
Community Nutrition |
|
Interdisciplinary Elective |
|
|
SOSC |
Social Science course 2 |
|
H |
Historical Studies course |
|
HSC 3310 |
Health Behavior Promotion |
|
HSC 3336W |
Pathophysiology |
|
E |
Ethics course |
|
Open Elective 2 |
|
| Senior Year | |
|
HSC 4850 |
Health Sciences Internship |
|
HSC 3320 |
Microbiology for Health Professions |
|
Health Sciences elective |
|
|
Nutritional Science Elective 1 |
|
|
Nutritional Science Elective 2 |
|
|
|
Open Elective 3 |
|
|
Foreign Language course |
Electives
Tailor your academic experience by selecting electives from the following options:
|
Nutritional Sciences |
|
|
HSC 3520 |
Food Service Management |
|
HSC 3530 |
Medical Nutrition Therapy |
|
HSC |
Food Policy and Behavior |
|
HSC |
Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture |
|
HSC |
Food Systems |
|
HSC |
Food Science and Technology |
|
HSC |
Research Methods in Nutrition |
|
HSC |
|
|
Health Sciences |
|
|
HSC 3103 |
Global Public Health |
|
HSC 3200 |
Cultural Diversity in Healthcare Administration |
|
HSC 3312 |
Introduction to Epidemiology |
|
HSC 3400 |
Clinical Research Design |
|
HSC 3530 |
Medical Nutrition Therapy |
|
HSC 4800 |
Directed Study |
|
HSC 4810 |
Directed Research |
|
HSC 4855 |
Internship II |
|
SME 3311 |
Exercise Physiology |
|
SME 3347 |
Exercise Testing and Prescription |
|
SME 4338 |
|
|
Interdisciplinary Science Electives |
|
|
BIO 2009 |
Environmental Science |
|
BIO 2010 |
Ecology |
|
BIO 3063 |
Animal Behavior |
|
BIO 3065 |
Marine Biology |
|
BIO 3071 |
Conservation and Restoration Biology |
|
BIO 3307 |
Cellular Biochemistry |
|
CHM 2210 |
Organic Chemistry I |
|
CHM 2220 |
Organic Chemistry II |
More Information
Kyle McInnis
Associate Dean and Professor
978-837-3590
mcInnisk@merrimack.edu
Career Info
-
To learn more about career prospects in the health sciences, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ “Occupational Outlook Handbook.”