BS in Nutrition
Help people improve their health with a BS in nutrition.
Obesity and heart disease. Sugar and diabetes. Food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies. Nutritionists study the relationship between food and health challenges like these to help people improve their health.
UMass Amherst’s BS in nutrition develops an understanding of everything from the body’s basic nutrient needs to how economic and other factors affect food access. The 120-credit program offers three tracks: dietetics, nutrition and health sciences, and nutrition and society.
The dietetics track satisfies the requirements to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Nutrition and health sciences satisfies most prerequisites for pre-med, pre-dental, and other pre-health pursuits. Nutrition and society is ideal for post-grad nursing, secondary science education, and physician assistant programs.
Understanding nutrition concepts requires a strong science background, and students will complete a core of science courses in addition to nutrition coursework.
If you have an aptitude for science and like to work with people, the field of nutrition offers a unique opportunity to apply your talents on a personal level by helping people.
Benefits list
ACEND Accreditation
The dietetics track is accredited with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), and fulfills the ACEND Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements. It is the first step toward becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).
Career-Ready Skills
Graduates of this program have the skills to assess nutritional needs, provide counseling and education, and implement dietary plans for individuals or groups. The program can also prepare you for careers as physicians, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and biomedical researchers.
Featured class
With lab. Meal management; emphasis on nutritional, economic, time, ethnic, and cultural factors. Experimental application of the chemical and physical properties of food in food preparation. Prerequisite: CHEM 111 (or equivalent) and NUTRITN 230.
Featured faculty
Heather Wemhoener
Focus on clinical dietetics
Claire Norton
Undergraduate Program Director, Nutrition
Didactic Program in Dietetics Director, Nutrition
Focus on dietetics and eating disorders
Nicole Goldstein
Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Nutrition
Nutrition advising, and nutrition science communication and education
Lorraine Cordeiro
Director, Center for Research on Families
Focus on food security, adolescent health and nutrition, undernutrition, refugees/immigrants
Lindiwe Sibeko
Maternal and child health in racial/ethnic minorities and low-income populations, breastfeeding & lactation; community-based research; childhood obesity
Application information & deadlines
Prospective students interested in the nutrition major begin by applying to the university.
Fall 2023 Early Action Deadline
Prospective first-year students must submit their application via the Common App by Nov. 5.
Regular Decision Deadline
Prospective students should apply to the Common App by Jan. 15.
Spring Semester Application Deadline
Prospective students who wish to begin in the spring term should submit the Common App by Oct. 15.
Nutrition
Offering an interdisciplinary approach to the study and application of the relationship between diet, foods, and health.
