Food and Nutrition Major

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) – Department of Food and Nutrition

Food and Nutrition Mission

The Food and Nutrition program at Framingham State University will develop a course of study that enables graduates to actively participate in the changing food environment, in the nutrition education process, and in health care delivery systems according to the highest standards of client service and professional ethics.

• The Coordinated Program in Dietetics Concentration (UFNP) integrates an academic and supervised practice curriculum to prepare students to be entry-level dietitians. The Program meets the academic and experiential requirements which qualify students to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians upon graduation and to be a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist in Massachusetts.

• The Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration (UFND) (Didactic Program in Dietetics) offers an academic curriculum to prepare students to be accepted in an ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) accredited Dietetic Internship to become a registered dietitian nutritionist or into a graduate program, or to pursue a career in a food, nutrition or related field.

Program Accreditation

The General Education Requirement

All students must satisfy a general education requirement consisting of ten (10) courses outside of the major department. The General Education Domain II-B (Natural Sciences) and laboratory requirement are satisfied through the completion of the major requirements.

Course Prerequisites

Courses may have specified conditions for enrollment, such as prior completion of less advanced courses, permission of the instructor, or appropriate placement test scores. Students should refer to course descriptions in the department listings for prerequisite requirements.

Requirements for Major:

Major core requirements (9):

• NUTR 110 Fundamentals of Nutrition Science
• NUTR 262 Food, Culture, and Society with Lab
• NUTR 364 Experimental Study of Food
• NUTR 381 Medical Nutrition Therapy I
• NUTR 384 Foodservice Systems
• NUTR 478 Community Nutrition
• NUTR 482 Management of Food and Nutrition Services

General Dietetics Studies Pre-concentration (UFNG)

This pre-concentration begins preparation to become a registered dietitian.  All new students, both First-Year or Transfers, admitted into this major are placed in this pre-concentration.

Pre-Concentration Requirements (6 courses):

• BIOL 130 Principles of Biology with Lab
• BIOL 235 Principles of Human Physiology with Lab
• CHEM 107 Principles of Chemistry with Lab
• CHEM 108 Principles of Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis with Lab
• CHEM 207 Organic Chemistry I with Lab
• CHEM 300 Principles of Biochemistry with Lab

Concentrations - Students must be apply and be accepted into one of the following:

Nutrition and Dietetics (UFND)

Students are prepared to meet the requirements of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Students in this concentration intend to apply for admission to an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited supervised practice program upon graduation. Twenty-four (24) students are accepted to this concentration each year. Admission to the DPD is competitive. Applications are accepted only in the spring semester; applicants must be enrolled in or have completed CHEM 300 Principles of Biochemistry.  Minimally, second semester sophomore standing is required, but applications are accepted from juniors and seniors.

• Students apply to this concentration while they are enrolled in or after completing CHEM 300 Principles of Biochemistry. In addition, transfer students must complete one (1) semester at the University before being accepted into this concentration.
• Students who are not accepted into the Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration or the Coordinated Program in Dietetics Concentration another major in the University.
• Minimal requirements for departmental admission into the Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration include a GPA of 2.70, a GPA of 2.50 in science courses, and a minimum grade of C- (1.70) in any Biology, Chemistry and Food and Nutrition courses. An application form can be found on the departmental website framingham.edu/nutrition.
• During the fall semester of their senior year, students work with the DPD Director to apply to a post-baccalaureate ACEND-accredited supervised practice program by registering for NUTR 005 Preparation for Academy Dietetic Internship (no course credit).
• Students are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietetic Technicians upon graduation.

  
Concentration Requirements (5 courses):

These courses are in addition to the major core requirements (9 courses) and pre-concentration requirements (6 courses).

• BIOL 307 Microbiology with Lab
• NUTR 005 Preparation for Academy Dietetic Internship (non-credit)
• NUTR 374 Human Nutrition Science
• NUTR 481 Medical Nutrition Therapy II
• One additional HLTH or NUTR course at or above the 200-level
• PSYC 101 General Psychology or
  
  • SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology or
  • ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology
• STAT 117 Introduction to Statistics or
  • STAT 208 Biostatistics or
  • ENVS 202 Data Analysis for Scientists

NOTE: Students completing this concentration have met the academic requirements to sit for the Massachusetts licensure exam to be a licensed nutritionist dietitian (LDN). See http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/nu/.

Coordinated Program in Dietetics (UFNP)

The Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD) includes both the academic requirements and the supervised practice requirements which qualify students to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians upon graduation. Admission to the CPD is competitive. Applications are accepted only in the spring semester; applicants must be enrolled in or have completed CHEM 300 Principles of Biochemistry.  Minimally, second semester sophomore standing is required, but applications are accepted from juniors and seniors. Transfer students must be matriculated at the University before applying for the concentration.  An application form can be found on the departmental website www.framingham.edu/nutrition.

Twenty-four (24) undergraduate and graduate students are admitted to this program each year.

One (1) course must be taken during summer session following sophomore or junior year to meet graduation requirements. Options for summer session include: General Education courses not previously taken or BIOL 307 Microbiology. Intersession options for General Education courses are also available in sophomore or junior year. Students are required to take NUTR 427 Nutrition in the School Environment (0.5 course-credit), an online course, during the summer proceeding the last year of the program. Continuing Education course tuition/fees apply.

  Concentration Requirements (11 courses):

These courses are in addition to the major core requirements (9 courses) and pre-concentration requirements (6 courses).

• BIOL 307 Microbiology with Lab
• NUTR 002 Orientation to Dietetics (non-credit)
• NUTR 374 Human Nutrition Science
• NUTR 427 Nutrition in the School Environment (0.5 course-credit)
• NUTR 481 Medical Nutrition Therapy II
• NUTR 481L Medical Nutrition Therapy II Clinical Practice (non-credit)
• NUTR 485 Practicum in Foodservice Systems
• NUTR 486 Practicum in Community Nutrition
• NUTR 487 School Nutrition Practicum (0.5 course-credit)
• NUTR 488 Seminar in Clinical Nutrition
• NUTR 489 Practicum in Clinical Dietetics (2 course-credits)

• ACCT 220 Introduction to Financial Accounting
• BIOL 142 Introduction to Human Biology with Lab or
  • BIOL 235 Principles of Human Physiology with Lab
• CHEM 103 Introductory Chemistry with Lab or
  • CHEM 107 Principles of Chemistry with Lab
• CHEM 201 Introductory Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry with Lab or
  • CHEM 207 Organic Chemistry I with Lab
• HLTH 222 Public Health and Epidemiology
• MGMT 280 Organizational Behavior or
  • ENTR 301 Cultivating and Managing Innovation
• MRKT 181 Marketing Principles
• NUTR 495 Internship in Food and Nutrition

Choose one (1) elective course from the following:

• COMM 215 Science Communication
• COMM 226 Writing for Visual Media
• COMM 303 Organizational Communication
• COMM 234 Intercultural Communication
• ENGL 286 Professional Writing
• ENGL 311 Writing about Science
• ENGL 338 Grant Writing
• ENGL 371 Business Writing