Nutrition Science Minor

Program Overview 

The 18-credit Nutrition Science minor will broaden students’ knowledge of the biological sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of nutrition. This minor provides further preparation for students who intend to pursue careers in the food, health, and fitness industries, or those planning to enter health and exercise science, nursing, physical or occupational therapy, nutrition research, and nutrition communication. In addition, a minor in Nutrition Science provides a strong knowledge base for students planning to attend graduate or medical school. 

The Nutrition Science minor provides students the opportunity to study food and nutrients, their physiological functions, nutritional requirements, and the myriad of influences on food choice and eating behavior throughout the lifecycle. Our program provides students with knowledge essential to nutritional sciences and the ability to develop critical thinking and professional communication skills throughout the lifecycle of basic foods. Students will develop a sound base in nutrition therapy and recognize both incidence and distribution in community settings essential for careers in food and nutrition.  

Mission

The mission of the Fairmont State Nutrition Minor is to prepare health-conscious leaders in the nutrition and food service industry through a science-based program.

Students completing the Nutrition Science Minor will be able to: 

  • Describe the relationship between food and nutrients in human health and well-being. 
  • Demonstrate critical thinking skills and analytical abilities to identify and explain dietary problems in the nutritional sciences. 
  • Evaluate nutritional status of individuals in various life-cycle stages and determine nutrition-related conditions and diseases by applying knowledge of metabolism and nutrient functions and food sources. 
  • Critique and effectively apply knowledge of the science of nutrition in professional health care environments.  
  • Describe the social and environmental responsibilities of food production and availability to facilitate healthy lifestyle choices.  
  • Recognize dietary patterns for prevention of chronic disease and demonstrate the necessary nutrient requirements. 
  • Analyze nutrition needs of communities and research incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health. 
  • Examine the multiple levels of influence (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and cultural) that shape food choice and eating behaviors. 

Compliment Your Major  

Nursing 

Knowledge of nutrition enables nurses to make sound assessments, to know when to make appropriate referrals, and to work effectively as a team member with dieticians in developing and accessing care plans to provide adequate nutrition for the patient. The Nutrition Science minor offers a complete understanding of nutrition-related responsibilities of the nursing career.  

Community Health  

Community Health professionals dedicated to changing their communities’ health environments would benefit from the nutrition minor by learning the associated contributions of nutrition-related health. The Nutrition Science minor provides the community health student who will have direct access to the community with a body of knowledge for efficacy in both community and organizational-based nutrition programs.   

Exercise Science  

Exercise Science students would excel in the health/fitness field when coupled with the wealth of nutrition information from this minor. Actively participating in the health-related fields will require an understanding in regards to nutrition-related metabolism and influences on athlete performance. Exercise Science and exercise physiology students could benefit from this interdisciplinary nutrition minor to help both fields of study become more versatile and effective in training the next generation of extreme athletes.  

Additional Careers in Nutrition   

  • Public Health Nutrition 
  • Food Labeling Specialist 
  • Food Scientist 
  • Community and Public Health Nutrition 
  • Food Service Management 
  • Health Educator