Food and Nutrition

Learning Format

On-Campus

Types

Bachelor's
Food and Nutrition

Explore How Food and Nutrition Affects Human Health

Nutrition and Dietetics is a dynamic, expanding, and fascinating career path. As a dietitian, you can make a real difference in people’s lives by improving their nutritional health and working to create healthy food environments. You can put your food and nutrition passion to work in healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion programs, fitness and sports operations, food services, school systems, technology companies, counseling, research, nutrition and food businesses, and even in private practice.

We are a small, close-knit community of faculty and students. By keeping classes small, our dedicated faculty members can provide you with individualized academic support, advising, and career counseling. We attract the highest caliber faculty who will offer you a diverse and enriching curriculum to prepare you for jobs in nutrition and dietetics.

Framingham State University offers two Dietetic programs designed to support the path to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). To sit for the national certification exam you must have completed and graduated from (1) an accredited undergraduate program, (2) completed 1,000 hours of supervised, accredited internship and (3) as of January 2024 have a Masters level education.

  • Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD): The CPD program combines dietetic undergraduate, graduate, and internship opportunity elements all coordinated within the Framingham State University program and accomplished within an accelerated “4+1” calendar of 5 years to completion.
  • Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD): The DPD program provides the dietetic undergraduate element as well as the faculty mentorship to compete competitively for acceptance into an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) post-baccalaureate dietetic internship or a graduate degree program in nutrition or a related field

Framingham State University offers a non-dietetics concentration in Nutrition and Food Service Program Management for those students who want to graduate with a degree in Food and Nutrition. Students entering this track must complete the seven (7) food and nutrition major core requirements in addition to concentration requirements.  This concentration does not prepare students to become a registered dietitian but does prepare them for a wide range of careers in foodservice and food and nutrition program management.

This concentration prepares you for a career as a nutrition and food service program manager.   Upon graduation, you can enter a manager position and be responsible for planning, staffing, directing, and controlling any number of food and beverage operations such as restaurants, school nutrition programs, college dining services, onsite employee dining, and more

Food and Nutrition

Learning Outcomes

  • Community: Students will be able to interpret and apply nutrition concepts to evaluate and improve the nutritional health of communities.

  • Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT): Students will be able to interpret and apply nutrition concepts to evaluate and improve the nutritional health of individuals with medical conditions.

  • Food: Students will be able to identify and apply food principles to food and nutrition systems.

  • Education/Communication: Students will be able to demonstrate a variety of communication strategies in nutrition and food education emphasizing information technology.

  • Professional Issues: Students will be able to integrate knowledge and skills in food and nutrition with professional issues affecting the nutrition and/or dietetics fields. 

  • Management: Students will be able to apply management principles to evaluate human, physical and fiscal resources in organizations.

Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz '21, Graduate of Dietetics Program

“My interest in community nutrition led me to The Greater Boston Food Bank, where I feel fulfilled and re-energized as the Manager of Nutrition. FSU set me up for success by providing me with the skills needed to serve many different populations."

Career Opportunities

Food and Nutrition majors will be prepared to pursue career opportunities across a wide range of exciting fields, including:

Two Students walking on FSU Campus

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Applies evidence-based information about nutrition and diet to contribute to the health and wellness of individuals, groups, and communities.

Health Coach

Offers clients advice on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes to reach their goals. 

Health Educator

Manage community outreach and youth development programs, creating awareness of healthy living.

Food Service Management

Responsible for the operation of restaurants/establishments that prepare and serve food and drinks.

Our Faculty

Ann Johnson

Ann W Johnson, Ph.D., MBA, RD, SNS

Department Chair & Professor, Nutrition & Health Studies Department
(508) 626-4689
ajohnson3@framingham.edu
Hemenway Hall
Andrea Gorman

Andrea Gorman, Ph.D., MS, RD, LDN

Professor, Director, Coordinated Program in Dietetics, Nutrition & Health Studies Department
(508) 626-4759
agorman1@framingham.edu
Hemenway Hall
Photo of Michael Crosier, Ph.D., RD

Michael Crosier, Ph.D., RD

Professor, Nutrition & Health Studies Department
(508) 626-4753
mcrosier@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
Photo of Jerusha Nelson, Ph.D., RDN

Jerusha Nelson-Peterman, Ph.D., RD

Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics, Professor, Nutrition & Health Studies Department
508-626-4757
jnelsonpeterman@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
View All

Learn More

If the Food and Nutrition major sounds like a good fit but you would like to learn more, contact Admissions at admissions [at] framingham.edu (admissions[at]framingham[dot]edu) or 508-626-4500.

 Apply 

Take the next step