2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog


Nutrition with emphasis on Pre-Professional Health Careers and Post-Graduate Education (Option III)

With a focus on the scientific basis of human nutrition, the nutrition major provides students with knowledge and skills to work in a myriad of food and nutrition settings focused on attaining and maintaining the health and well-being of individuals across the lifespan. In addition to preparing graduates for careers in clinical, management, community or business/entrepreneurial nutrition settings, the nutrition major prepares students for graduate education programs and for careers in research and development, medical/nutritional sales, medicine, physician assistant (physician associate), dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy and other allied health professions. Students who major in nutrition take courses that include nutrition, food science, food and culture, community nutrition, food systems management, medical nutrition therapy and nutrition research. These courses are based on a solid science and math background, which include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, psychology and elementary statistics. 

Students should consult with their advisers on the specific course requirements for entering postgraduate work in the health professions.  Additional coursework may be necessary to complete coursework requirements for some professional schools. The nutrition major does not meet Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements to progress towards becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Additional coursework is necessary to fulfill DPD requirements.

Requirements

The program of study requires a minimum of 47 NTDT hours on a 120-hour degree, consisting of the following 38-41 NTDT credit hours:

Major Requirements

NTDT 10003Contemporary Issues in Nutrition

3

NTDT 10103Food Preparation

3

NTDT 20403Nutrition

3

NTDT 21163Food and Culture

3

NTDT 30123Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle

3

NTDT 30133Meal Management

3

OR

NTDT 50223Culinary Medicine Seminar

3

NTDT 30144Quantity Food Production

4

NTDT 30303Communication and Education for Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics

3

NTDT 30331Medical Terminology

1

NTDT 30233Essentials of Dietetics Practice

3

NTDT 30333Medical Nutrition Therapy I

3

NTDT 40333Medical Nutrition Therapy II

3

NTDT 40343Nutritional Biochemistry

3

OR

BIOL 40513Fundamentals of Biochemistry (requires additional pre-requisite courses)

3

NTDT 40403Research Methods in Nutrition

3

Major Electives - Students may choose from the following NTDT courses for the remaining NTDT 6-9 credit hours

NTDT 30163Sports Nutrition

3

NTDT 30313Food Systems Management

3

NTDT 30643Veganism, Sustainability, and Plant-based Food Studies

3

NTDT 40413Business Principles in Dietetics

3

NTDT 40603Nutrition Counseling

3

NTDT 50323Gut Microbiota and Health

3

NTDT 50363Community Nutrition and Public Health

3

Associated Requirements

CHEM 10113General Chemistry I

3

CHEM 10123General Chemistry II

3

CHEM 10122General Chemistry II Laboratory

2

CHEM 30123Organic Chemistry I

3

BIOL 20214Anatomy and Physiology

4

OR

BIOL 40403Mammalian Physiology (requires additional pre-requisite courses)

3

BIOL 20234Microbiology of Human Disease

4

OR

BIOL 30304Microbiology

4

MATH 10043Elementary Statistics

3

ECON 10223Introductory Microeconomics

3

OR

ECON 10233Introductory Macroeconomics

3

SOCI 20213Introductory Sociology

3

PSYC 10213Introduction to Psychology

3

MANA 30653Survey of Management

3

MARK 30653Principles of Marketing

3

No minor is required.

All upper-level (30000 and 40000) NTDT courses, with the exception of NTDT 30123 Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle and NTDT 30331 Medical Terminology, must be taken at TCU.

Students may not take both NTDT 30133 and NTDT 50223.