Nutritional Sciences Bachelor of Science Degree

The nutritional sciences degree blends biological, chemical, and behavioral sciences to create a potent mix of course work that prepares you for dynamic careers that translate the science of food into treatment, policy, and practice. RIT’s bachelor’s degree in nutrition covers the study of specific nutrients and their functions, the development of dietary standards, and the application of these standards to a person’s life. You will learn to analyze food and to develop strategies to help people make dietary changes that can positively impact good health in both the short- and long-term.

Learn more about the program goals of the bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences.

Comprehensive Nutrition Courses

RIT’s nutrition major offers a challenging selection of nutrition courses that prepare you with an in-depth understanding of nutrition as an important factor of good health. An effective nutrition professional is skilled in working with people to address behavioral issues, teach clients about nutrition and health properties in food, and offer nutrition guidance, advice, and supervision. The nutrition major offers a comprehensive curriculum that provides a solid foundation in nutritional sciences as well as skills in leadership, communication, problem solving, and team dynamics.

Elective Nutrition Courses

The curriculum is flexible in allowing you to choose elective courses that explore areas of nutrition you find interesting or provide a level of knowledge that aligns with your career goals. We offer more than 180 elective courses covering a range of topic areas related to nutritional sciences and its related fields. A sampling includes:

* For a full list of nutrition elective courses please contact the program chair.

Enhance Your Nutrition Degree

Adding a minor in a complementary area of study deepens your expertise in the core areas of nutrition, exercise, health care, public health, and more. With dozens of minors to choose from, you’ll have your choice of topics to study. While you may choose any minor or immersion as part of your studies, select minors serve to boost the bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences. These include:

• Exercise Science
• Global Public Health
• Health Communication
• Health, Culture, and Society
• Psychology
• Spanish

Prospective Students: Effective January 1, 2024, a minimum of a master's degree is required to be eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentialing exam. RIT’s accelerated dual degree in nutritional sciences (BS) and dietetics and nutrition (MS) meets these requirements. Learn more about Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Furthering Your Education in Nutritional Sciences

Today’s careers in nutrition benefit from advanced degrees that are grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, research, study abroad, and more.

For nutritional science majors, two accelerated pathways enable you to pair the BS degree with a master’s degree to broaden your career opportunities and prepare you for exciting careers in the nutritional sciences field.

• BS Nutritional Sciences/MS Dietetics and Nutrition: The nutritional sciences BS degree provides a solid foundation in science, nutrition, dietetics education, and the business of nutrition. The dietetics and nutrition MS enhances your knowledge of medical nutrition therapy, research methods, nutrition research, and the delivery of nutrition intervention through advanced-level nutrition courses and supervised experiential learning. Upon successful completion of the BS/MS degree, you will be prepared to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentialing exam and become a graduate-trained Registered Dietician Nutritionist.
• BS Nutritional Sciences/MS Health and Well-Being Management: The nutritional sciences BS degree provides a strong background in science, nutrition, and an introduction to research methodology and implementation. The health and well-being management MS prepares you for a career in health and well-being management program design, administration, and research. This pairing is an excellent choice if you are interested in pursuing medical or dental school, a health science graduate degree, or doctoral studies in nutrition, health promotion, exercise science, or public health.
• Nutritional Sciences BS/Sustainable Systems MS: In this comprehensive accelerated dual degree, you will build a strong foundation in the biological aspects of human nutrition while developing the systems thinking skills needed to lead change across global food systems. You will explore how environmental, social, and economic factors shape nutrition and health outcomes and analyze the full food value chain, from soil health and water use to food access and dietary patterns. The course work in the sustainable systems MS deepens this integration with advanced study in sustainability concepts, systems modeling, and applied projects focused on developing evidence-based strategies for more sustainable and equitable food systems. This accelerated program prepares you for impactful careers in sustainable food policy, environmental health, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit advocacy, and related fields.

Nutritional Sciences as a Pathway to Medical School

Nutrition is a powerful tool in managing health. By making positive nutritional changes to one’s lifestyle, people suffering from a host of medical issues–from obesity, diabetes, kidney ailments, heart disease, and more–can treat and manage them effectively. Diet also plays a powerful role in preventing disease.

In medical school, less than 20 hours of instruction over four years are dedicated to the role of nutrition in medical care. The known impact of lifestyle on chronic diseases highlights the importance of nutrition education for medical professionals. An undergraduate degree in nutritional sciences is an excellent pre-med major. Not only does a nutrition major fulfill the pre-med requirements for course work in biological and physical sciences, but it also provides you with the comprehensive nutrition knowledge needed to treat and manage health issues. A background in nutrition, paired with a medical degree or an advanced degree in other health professions, such as nursing, dentistry, and physical or occupational therapy, positions you well for providing comprehensive patient care as a medical professional.

Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advising

RIT’s Office of Pre-Health Advising offers an advising program that’s open to all majors and provides personal, individualized academic counseling to help you create a comprehensive long-term strategy to assist you in building successful applications to medical, dental, and veterinary schools or graduate degrees in the health professions (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.). Our pre-health advisors will have in-depth conversations with you around critical topics that include academic planning and course selection, MCAT and other admission exams, undergraduate research opportunities, clinical experiences and field work, timelines, and much more. Learn more about pre-med/pre-health advising.

What Can You Do with A Nutritional Sciences Degree?

With its grounding in science, nutrition, dietetics education, the business of nutrition, and a foundation of nutrition research methodology, RIT’s nutritional sciences major prepares you for a wide range of career opportunities across all areas of health care, including preparation for graduate programs in medicine and the health sciences.

Careers in Nutrition

RIT’s nutrition major prepares you for careers as a health professional or an administrator of nutrition and health promotion programs. These positions provide guidance to the public on how to use nutrition as a tool to achieve better health, as a preventive measure to stave off disease and health issues, or as a tool in an overall treatment plan that helps maintain health.

Nutritionists and nutrition scientists apply their knowledge to:

• Guide patients in better utilizing food and nutrition to manage and treat a variety of health issues
• Help businesses offer employee wellness programs
• Assist food systems administrators and engineers involved in food innovation and technology
• Oversee government programs addressing food insecurity and population health issues

Nutrition Certifications and Advanced Degrees

Careers in nutrition are diverse, ranging from health guidance and nutritional counseling, policy development, and communications to social and community services. You can choose to select electives to become eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential, a respected qualification in health care education. By earning the dual degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics and nutrition, you are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentialing exam.

Professional positions where expertise in nutrition is paramount are also available in a range of diverse settings, including sports fitness programs, the hospitality industry, nutrition writing, federal and school nutrition programs, and more.

A Supportive, Welcoming Nutritional Sciences Community

Two key differences in RIT’s nutritional sciences major is our small program size and our dedicated faculty members. Our major is small by design, but robust in offering elective courses and individualized attention. Faculty members are experts in nutrition education and provide personalized, hands-on guidance to students. You’ll build one-on-one relationships with your professors, who will guide you on course selection, encourage your exploration of different professional endeavors, and advise you on career paths that align with your interests and goals.

You will also benefit from the resources and advantages of being at RIT, a top 100 national university, including:

• Nationally Ranked Co-op Program: There’s a reason RIT is ranked 6th among top schools for co-op and internship programs by U.S. News & World Report (2025). Our co-op program is designed to provide you with career experience–early and often–in a variety of nutrition and dietetic environments. You’ll gain career experience that sets you apart and that employers look for in their next top hires.
• Hundreds of Clubs and Student Organizations: Develop your leadership skills, boost your resume, make new friends, and expand your community. With more than 300 clubs to choose from, you’ll find the perfect place to grow and learn. For nutritional science majors a few clubs of interest include the Student Dietetics and Nutrition Association, RIT Vegan Club, and Global Public Health Association, to name a few.
• Study Abroad Opportunities: Immerse yourself in a different culture and gain a global perspective on health and nutrition with study abroad for health sciences. Study the Mediterranean Diet in Croatia or childhood anemia in Ghana. Study abroad opportunities are also available at RIT’s global campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo, or through affiliate programs at other universities.

Student Dietetics and Nutrition Association

The Student Dietetics and Nutrition Association is a student club comprised of nutrition students and supports experiential learning outside of the classroom. The club promotes health and nutrition on campus as well as volunteer opportunities with local organizations. Club activities include volunteering at local food banks and schools, presenting health related information at RIT events, and educational activities for members.