Students learn about chemicals and nutrients in food and their effects on the human body and the world. The study of nutritional science contributes to preparing students for careers as nutritionists, registered dietitians (RD), food scientists, or other dietetics professionals.
The Associate in Science in Nutrition and Dietetics for Transfer degree (AS-T in Nutrition and Dietetics) prepares students for success in a baccalaureate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with the lower-division coursework required to transfer into the CSU system. Students learn about chemicals and nutrients in food and their effects on the human body and the world.
The study of nutritional science contributes to preparing students for careers as nutritionists, registered dietitians (RD), food scientists, or other dietetics professionals. The study of Nutrition provides a broad foundation in a practical and personally applicable exposure to a variety of scientific areas of nutrition such as chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, and biology. Popular topics include microbial pathogens, environmental contaminants, nutrigenomics, macronutrient balance, energy metabolism, obesity, global issues, biochemistry of exercise, and micronutrient and phytochemical utilization.
Students in the program learn how the scientific method and process contributes to nutritional requirements and how nutrients function from a cellular to more practical level, and then apply this knowledge to their own health. The program also helps students understand the role of nutrition in disease prevention throughout the lifecycle and as an impact on society as a whole.