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Undergraduate
Majors 2) The Nutrition Science major encompasses all aspects of the consumption and utilization of food and its constituents. Key areas of study include the biochemical reactions important to utilization of nutrients and food constituents, the impact of diet on health and disease, and nutrition-related policy and public health issues. The nutrition science major includes two options for studying these areas: nutritional biochemistry and community nutrition. Nutrition Science as it is taught on the Davis campus is a biological science and requires a complete background in chemistry and biology, along with calculus and either physics (nutritional biochemistry option) or economics (community nutrition option). These courses are generally completed during the first two years, and along with biochemistry, must be completed before most nutrition classes can be taken. During their junior and senior years, students in the nutritional biochemistry option take additional course work in biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, physiology, immunology, and/or toxicology. Students in the community nutrition option take additional course work in social and health-related sciences. A checklist for Nutrition Science with nutritional biochemistry emphasis and a checklist for Nutrition Science with community nutrition emphasis are also available online in MS Word 6.0 format. The Department allows some flexibility in the major program to provide for maximum individual growth, development, and career choices. At the same time, the student has the opportunity to become qualified by commonly accepted community standards for professional positions, such as those in Dietetics, in which their education is useful to society. Minor
Programs Regardless of the emphasis, Nutrition as it is taught on the Davis campus is a biological science and requires a background in chemistry and biology. Both majors contain the same core courses within the biological and physical sciences. Courses in English, statistics, social sciences and humanities as well as the UC Davis General Education requirements are also required. These courses are generally completed prior to upper division coursework and, along with biochemistry, must be completed before most Nutrition classes can be taken. This allows time for in-depth study in Nutrition during the Junior and Senior years, when students can take courses in nutrition principles, human nutrition, diet therapy, experimental nutrition, developmental nutrition, food and culture, and community nutrition. Career Goals & OpportunitiesAll of the majors in the Nutrition Department are traditional academic programs designed to give students a broad, versatile education. They are not intended to prepare students for a specific slot in the job market, but rather educate students in a specific area and provide the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for coping with a changing world. Consult with an adviser in your major about how to round out your program to suit your career goals. Also remember that there is little correlation between grades and career success. Many employers hire people based on their interest in a job, their willingness to learn and work hard, and their ability to get along with people. Graduate and professional programs usually have minimum GPA requirements, but they are also interested in candidates who show the characteristics needed to be successful in their programs. Students with degrees in Nutrition find employment within a wide range of organizations. Employers include: medical facilities, research laboratories, biotechnology firms, government agencies, schools, pharmaceutical companies, and the food industry. With so many options available, it is important for you to decide in which area of nutrition and in what kind of organization you would like to work. Are you interested in lab work? Do you want to work for a small company or a large one? Do you want to work in the health field? Are there courses at Davis which you should be taking to prepare for certain careers? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer before deciding on a specific career. Many of the careers you may wish to pursue require specialized training after graduation from UC Davis. Many of our graduates have continued their education and have gone into such diverse fields as dentistry, nursing, teaching, veterinary medicine, and law. Some students enter these programs immediately after graduation, others prefer to work for a few years and then return to school. If you are thinking about a career that does require additional training, become familiar with the requirements to get into the post-graduate program. These requirements may include specific classes (e.g., education classes for a teaching career) or tests (MCAT, GRE, etc.) that you need to take. The Clinical Nutrition major qualifies students to apply for the American Dietetics Association "accredited internship," enabling them to become a Registered Dietitian, the professional credential necessary to work in a clinical setting. Once dietitians are registered, they generally seek employment in administrative, therapeutic, teaching, research, or public health/public service positions in clinics, hospitals, schools, or other similar institutions. There is a growing role for dietitians working in settings outside of the traditional hospital (for example, in state and federal nutrition programs, nutrition education, Peace Corps and Cooperative Extension work). Students who complete the undergraduate preparation in clinical nutrition are also qualified to enter graduate programs in dietetics, nutrition science, public health nutrition, and food service management. A list of jobs held by alumni of the Clinical Nutrition program at UC Davis is available online. The Nutrition Science
major is excellent preparation for professional or graduate training in
medicine, public health, or other health sciences. The nutritional biochemistry
option also provides preparation for technical work in nutrition in the
animal, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The community nutrition option
prepares students for jobs in administrative, teaching, or public health/public
service positions. Students who complete the additional academic requirements
for an internship in dietetics are also qualified for careers in dietetics
following completion of an internship. A list of jobs held by alumni of the Nutrition Science program at UC Davis
Contact
Information
UNDERGRADUATE
STAFF ADVISOR PEER ADVISORS* |
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Department of Nutrition | 3135 Meyer Hall | University of California | One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-5270 Phone: (530) 752-4630 | Fax: (530) 752-8966 Please send comments to: nutrition@ucdavis.edu |