NORTH MANCHESTER – Manchester University is adding to its health science offerings with a nutrition sciences major beginning in fall 2022.
In the Manchester nutrition sciences major, students are prepared to develop lifelong personal health practices and advise others on what to eat as part of a healthy lifestyle. Food and nutrition are the foundations of preventative health and have the power to reduce the risk of most chronic diseases, according to a news release from Manchester University.
Manchester nutrition majors develop a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between nutrition, food and lifestyle habits as they relate to human health and climate change. Students can major in nutrition sciences or pursue a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) concentration; a minor in nutrition sciences is also available and provides a strong complement to other health science degrees.
Students will study global nutrition, food science, organic chemistry, meal prep, diet planning and metabolism.
Careers could include corporate wellness; health management; health, medical or nutrition professional sales; food and nutrition communication; humanitarian nutrition support, such as food banks or global food support organizations; health department nutrition educator and wellness coach, with certification.
The nutrition sciences major with RDN concentration is designed to prepare students for further study, including fulfilling requirements for acceptance into RDN-eligible master’s degree programs (master’s degrees will be required for RDN’s by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by 2024). Those who plan to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) national credentialing examination for certification as an RDN should follow this track.
Careers for those with RDN certification include clinical dietitian, nutrition manager (school food system management, hospital food management, public health nutritionist, corporate sites), government food policy professional, private dietetics practitioner/nutrition entrepreneur, recipe developer and global nutrition policy advocate.
Those who include the RDN concentration will also be prepared to pursue advanced academic studies in diverse disciplines, such as food chemistry, nutritional biochemist, nutrigenomics, nutraceutical sales, science liaison officer and academia and health education.
A major or minor in nutrition sciences also prepares students pursuing other health careers, such as physical therapy, athletic training and human performance.
