Declaring the Nutrition Major

Information for transfer students and those currently enrolled at UMass.

Want to Declare the Nutrition Major or Learn More About It?

The first step is to talk with one of our peer advisors or, during the pre-registration advising period, attend one of our info and advising sessions. See the Peer Advisor Office Hours here. 

After meeting with a peer advisor, you should contact nicolegoldst [at] nutrition [dot] umass [dot] edu (Nicole Goldstein) or cpnorton [at] nutrition [dot] umass [dot] edu (Claire Norton) to officially declare the nutrition major. 

Undergraduate Admissions

Admission to the undergraduate major as a first-year student requires admission to the university — there are no additional requirements for entry into the nutrition major. However, admission to the dietetics track has additional requirements and an application. Contact our advising team for more information.

Sophomore and junior transfer students must have prerequisites completed for admission into the nutrition major. Transfer students entering the nutrition major as sophomores are required to meet the prerequisites for taking Chem 111. This means they must receive credit for Math 104 or earn a sufficient score on the Math Placement Test.

Please refer to the UMass Admissions Office website for university requirements and application deadlines.

Dietetics Track Application

To qualify for entry into the dietetics track, students must earn at least a B in Nutrition 230 and have a cum GPA of 2.5 or higher. Contact our advising team for more information.

Transfer Students from Outside UMass

Are you transferring from another university or community college to the Nutrition Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst? If so, we hope that this page will help you prepare for your transition. 

We recommend that transfer students entering as juniors have completed the following:

  • at least two semesters of general chemistry equivalent to UMass Chem 111 and 112
  • one semester of biology equivalent to Bio 151
  • being prepared to take organic chemistry

It is also helpful if you have taken the following:

  • a microbiology course equivalent to UMass MICROBIO 255 (Medical Microbiology) or MICROBIO 310 (General Microbiology) + 265 (Microbiology Lab)
  • two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology equivalent to UMass Kinesiology 270 and 272

We recommend that transfer students entering as sophomores have completed the following:

  • CHEM 111 or meet the pre-requisites for taking Chem 111 (this means they must receive credit for Math 104 or earn a sufficient score on the Math Placement Test you must take upon entering UMass.

Please confirm with your advisor at your current college or university to make sure that you are taking the correct courses. 

Here is a resource to help you with other course equivalencies.

We look forward to seeing you at UMass!