Who pursues this route?

Nutrition is the foundation of health.  Understanding the role of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment is essential to treating the whole patient. As such, many pre-health students pursue the Nutrition Sciences track in conjunction with their pre-requisite courses. Students in this program will learn about the science underpinning nutrition along with its application in clinical and research settings. This comprehensive training will support students’ transition into professional and/or graduate programs.  It will also prepare students to lead effective and integrative careers in health-related fields including the following: 
 
  • Pre-Medical
  • Pre-Physical Therapy
  • Pre-Dental
  • Pre-Physician Assistant
  • Pre-Pharmacy
  • Research Scientist

Student Experiences 
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​Hear from a former CHES graduate who matriculated through the Nutrition Sciences track.  She recently began her first semester of medical school: 

Nutrition Coursework

In addition to general education requirements, students in the Nutrition Sciences track take the following courses:
  •  Intro to Human Nutrition (NHM 101)
  • Intro to Dietetics & Nutrition (NHM 195)
  • Nutrition in Life Cycle (NHM 201)
  • Intro to Research in Food & Nutrition (NHM 295)
  • Community Nutrition (NHM 340)
  • Nutrition Counseling (NHM 345)
  • Nutrition Education (NHM 346)
  • Nutritional Biochemistry (NHM 361)
  • Nutrition at the Cellular Level (NHM 362)
  • Applied Nutrition (NHM 363)
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy I (NHM 365)
  • Experimental and Functional Food (NHM 454)
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy II (NHM 465)
  • Directed Professional Independent Study (NHM 491)
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BSC 215)
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology II (BSC 216) 
  • ​​To become a Registered Dietitian Nutrition (RDN), additional coursework is required. For the full program curriculum, click here: http://www.ches.ua.edu/major-course-checklists.html

Research Opportunities

Generally, students pursuing the Nutrition Sciences track are involved with research ongoing in the Department or across campus. If you’re interested in learning more about potential research opportunities, visit the following pages:

  • Emerging Scholars - A program designed for undergraduates to get involved with research in an area related to their interests. 
  • Faculty & Undergraduate Student Database - A hub for students to find available undergraduate research opportunities. 
  • Nutrition Faculty - Visit the websites of faculty in the Department to learn more about their research areas and potential opportunities for involvement.