College Counseling: Great Schools for Food and Nutrition Sciences Programs

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Emily Standish, GoLocalPDX College Admission Coach

Photo credit: iStock

Are you concerned about what you eat? Concerned enough to study it on a molecular level?

If so, you’re a perfect fit for a degree in Nutrition Science. Students in the field of Nutrition Sciences study biological and physical sciences as a basis for understanding food’s impact on our health. With the growing prominence of this science students can play a key role in raising awareness about the effects of diet and nutrition on physical health.

Registered Dieticians, Sports Nutrition and Wellness Counselors, Product Developers for food manufacturers, and researchers for pharmaceutical companies are a few of the professions that Nutrition Sciences majors can work in. Here are a few of the places where your journey can begin:

Russell Sage College, Troy, NY

Housed in the Department of Health Sciences, Nutrition Science majors take advantage of the Bureau of Labor Statistics prediction Nutrition Science jobs will grow by 20 percent by 2020.
Nutrition Sciences majors acquire internships in food allergy research, local farm cooperatives and farmer’s markets, and Cooperative Extension Programs
By the numbers: 56 percent accepted; No SAT or ACT scores required.

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Students at A& M can choose one of four tracks within Nutrition Science: Dietetics, Molecular and Experimental Nutrition, General Nutrition, and Teacher Certification.
Food Science and Technology majors prepare to enter the fields of product development, food safety, product design, and food process technology.
By the numbers: 69 percent accepted; SAT Mid-range: CR 520-630, M 550-660; ACT Mid-range 23-29.

Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL

The undergraduate program at Tuskegee offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Dietetics, Food Science, Nutrition Sciences, Public Health Nutrition, Food Science/Biology, and Nutrition Science/Biology
The Department of Food Science and Nutrition conducts ongoing research in the areas of Food Safety, Food Product Development, Nutritional Biology, and Community Nutrition.
By the numbers: 41 percent accepted; SAT Mid-ranges: CR 400-500, M 390-500; ACT Mid-range: 17-22.

University of Idaho, Moscow, ID & Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Only eight miles apart, UI and WSU merged their food-science programs to become the School of Food Science (http://sfs.wsu.edu/about-us/ ); UI maintains a Nutrition Science major with a Registered Dietician track
The School of Food Science oversees Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shop and the WSU Creamery,
School of Food Science faculty collaborate with cereal scientists at the USDA Western Wheat Quality Laboratory.

University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

Research at UNL in the emerging field of nutrigenomics investigates the potential to match a person’s genetic makeup with foods that will prevent disease.
UNL students acquire internships at Disney World, ConAgra, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln Poultry, and others
By the numbers: 64 percent accepted; SAT Mid—range: CR 490-660, M 520-670; ACT Mid-range: 22-28.

Most of the land grant colleges in the US have Nutrition Sciences programs, including Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, and many others. For a complete list of colleges and universities that offer Nutrition Sciences programs, search www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org.

Emily Standish is a partner in Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC (www.collegeadmissioncoach.com) which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact me at [email protected]