The nutrition program celebrated 100 years of graduates in 2022 and commemorated the milestone with special events and stories thoughout the year. Learn more here.
At UNH, you have three curriculum options (Dietetics Option, Nutrition and Wellness Option, Nutritional Sciences Option) for pursuing a bachelor's degree in nutrition. Students typically declare an option within the nutrition major no later than the second semester of their sophomore year.
The UNH Nutrition Major: Dietetics Option B.S. is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The United States Department of Education recognizes ACEND as an accrediting body.
Website: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend
Email: ACEND@eatright.org
Phone: 800-877-1600, ext. 5400
Mailing Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995.
Dietetics is the study of the ways in which food and nutrition affect human health. Students in this program learn how to provide nutrition information to individuals and families to improve their health and wellbeing. This degree option is the first step toward becoming a registered dietitian, who is someone engaged in the assessment, diagnoses and treatment of nutritional problems.
UNH offers a Didactic Program in Dietetics for students interested in becoming registered dietitians. The curriculum, which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), provides a strong foundation in nutrition, food science, dietetics and management, with integrated laboratory and clinical experiences and numerous research opportunities with award-winning faculty. Students can also participate in UNH-in-Italy, a study-abroad program that explores the links between food culture, sustainable agriculture and the policies and issues impacting the country’s food system. Graduates are prepared for the supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, as well as graduate school and entry-level nutrition positions that do not require an RD.
Nutrition is the study of how nutrients and food components function at molecular, cellular, and whole-body levels to impact human health and disease. Students are grounded in fundamental sciences as they develop nutrition-specific competencies in nutrition and health, foods, nutritional assessment, wellness, life cycle nutrition, and/or metabolic biochemistry.
The nutrition program prepares students for entry-level positions in health care, education, or the biotechnology industry, or entry into post-baccalaureate professional programs. Nutrition faculty have expertise in clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and food science, as well as assessing risk factors of chronic disease risk (i.e. obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, cognitive) in diverse populations (pediatric, young adult, older adult).
The curriculum for the Dietetics option is accredited by the Academic Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Students who complete the B.S. in Nutrition with the Dietetics option are eligible to apply for a dietetic internship, a prerequisite for becoming a registered dietitian.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NUTR 400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| NUTR 401 | Professional Perspectives on Nutrition | 1 |
| BMS 507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| SOC 400 or PSYC 401 |
Introductory Sociology or Introduction to Psychology |
4 |
| ENGL 401 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR 476 | Nutritional Assessment | 4 |
| BMS 508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| HMP 401 | United States Health Care Systems | 4 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHEM 403 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| NUTR 403 | Culinary Arts Skills Development | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
PSYC 402 |
Statistics in Psychology | |
SOC 402 |
Statistics | |
BIOL 528 |
Applied Biostatistics I | |
| Inquiry Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR 504 | Managerial Skills in Dietetics | 4 |
| CHEM 404 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUTR 550 | Food Science: Principle and Practice | 4 |
| NUTR 610 | Nutrition Education and Counseling | 4 |
| BMS 501 | Microbes in Human Disease | 4 |
| CHEM 545 & CHEM 546 |
Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory |
5 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR 600 | Field Experience in Nutrition | 2 |
| NUTR 650 | Life Cycle Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 773 | Clinical Nutrition | 4 |
| BMCB 658 | General Biochemistry ( (no lab required)) | 3 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUTR 700 | Career Development in Dietetics | 1 |
| NUTR 750 | Nutritional Biochemistry | 4 |
| NUTR 775 | Practical Applications in Medical Nutrition Therapy | 4 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 1-4 | |
| Credits | 14-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR 720 | Community Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 780 | Critical Issues in Nutrition | 4 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Total Credits | 128-132 | |
A grade of C-minus or better must be earned in all NUTR courses required by the major.
Foundation Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BMS 507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BMS 508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| SOC 400 | Introductory Sociology | 4 |
| or PSYC 401 | Introduction to Psychology | |
| Choose ONE statistics course | 4 | |
BIOL 528 | Applied Biostatistics I | |
PSYC 402 | Statistics in Psychology | |
SOC 402 | Statistics | |
Science Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 403 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 404 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| BMS 501 | Microbes in Human Disease | 4 |
| CHEM 545 & CHEM 546 | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 5 |
| BMCB 658 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
Nutrition Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| NUTR 401 | Professional Perspectives on Nutrition | 1 |
| NUTR 476 | Nutritional Assessment | 4 |
| NUTR 650 | Life Cycle Nutrition | 4 |
Dietetics Option Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 403 | Culinary Arts Skills Development | 4 |
| NUTR 504 | Managerial Skills in Dietetics | 4 |
| NUTR 550 | Food Science: Principle and Practice | 4 |
| NUTR 610 | Nutrition Education and Counseling | 4 |
| NUTR 700 | Career Development in Dietetics | 1 |
| NUTR 720 | Community Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 750 | Nutritional Biochemistry | 4 |
| NUTR 773 | Clinical Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 775 | Practical Applications in Medical Nutrition Therapy | 4 |
| NUTR 780 | Critical Issues in Nutrition | 4 |
| HMP 401 | United States Health Care Systems | 4 |
Dietetics Capstone Experience
One capstone experience, supervised and approved within the major, is required of all seniors. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirement for Dietetics students is satisfied through the completion of NUTR 720 Community Nutrition or NUTR 780 Critical Issues in Nutrition during their senior year.
NOTE: Both NUTR 720 Community Nutrition and NUTR 780 Critical Issues in Nutrition are required courses; one of these courses must be taken during the student's senior year to fulfill the university's capstone requirement.
Students entering the University as first-year or transfer students may declare Nutrition as part of the UNH admission process. First-year and transfer students who are admitted directly into Nutrition will be assigned an academic faculty advisor who will work with you throughout your course of study.
We welcome applications from UNH students who wish to transfer to the Nutrition Major from other degree programs. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
The following guidelines will be used in review of submissions from UNH students wishing to transfer into the Nutrition Program.
All students wishing to transfer into the Nutrition Program must have:
All students may transfer into one of the following:
Students interested in transferring into the Nutrition: Dietetics Option, must also meet the following 3 requirements:
To facilitate a change of major into Nutrition, students will submit an application requesting the transfer from another degree program.
Students admitted to the Nutrition major at UNH are required to declare, and be formally admitted into, one of the following options:
Nutrition majors designate an option once they have successfully completed: 1) NUTR 400, 2) NUTR 401, & 3) BMS 507 or CHEM 403 (CHEM 411 for Wellness). The Fall and Spring semester deadlines are September 15th and February 15th, respectively
The University of New Hampshire Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is a baccalaureate program which provides students with the foundation knowledge and learning outcomes to fulfill the competencies established by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The program consists of four years of academic coursework equaling 128 credit hours of coursework, which includes DPD courses, general education courses, and electives.
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Policies & Procedures Handbook is a guide for undergraduate students admitted into the Dietetics Option.
The mission of the dietetics program at the University of New Hampshire is to provide a quality baccalaureate program for students seeking careers in dietetics. The program is designed to meet the accreditation standards for foundation knowledge and learning outcomes of the The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by providing a strong science-based foundation with a professional preparation in nutrition, food science, dietetics and management with integrated laboratory and clinical experiences. Students are encouraged to participate in outreach activities in addition to research, service, and academic activities. Graduates will be prepared for supervised practice leading to eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, as well as graduate school and entry-level nutrition positions that do not require an RD.
Dietetics graduates, who complete a post-graduate dietetic internship and pass the national Registration Examination for Dietitians are eligible for jobs in:
Dietetics students, who choose not to apply for a post-graduate dietetic internship or take a “gap year” before applying for a dietetic internship are eligible for jobs in:
DPD program graduates are also eligible to take the registration examination for dietetic technicians to become a Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (NDTR). Professionals that hold this credential may work independently or under the supervision of an RDN in a variety of settings including:
Course requirements for the Dietetics Option are found in the undergraduate catalog. A grade of C- or better must be earned in all NUTR courses required by the major. Students admitted to the Dietetics Option must maintain a cumulative GPA of ≥ 3.2.
CHANAS is a wonderful venue for those interested in undergraduate and graduate research projects. Each semester UNH students work as research assistants for the project and, in the process, gain valuable research and clinical skills.
Advising is available for UNH students, alumni, and post baccalaureates pursuing health professional careers.
The Pre-Health Advising Office provides support throughout the process of preparing for health professions school from advising on the courses they should take to helping navigate through the complex steps of the application process.
The UNH Nutrition: Dietetics Option B.S. is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The United States Department of Education recognizes ACEND as an accrediting body.
Website: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend
Email: ACEND@eatright.org
Phone: 800-877-1600, ext. 5400
Mailing Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995.
