BS in Nutrition in Nutrition and Health Option

Boston University’s Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Nutrition and Health option, prepares students to improve community wellbeing through nutrition education, public health initiatives, food policy, and health promotion. The program combines nutrition and food science with a concentration in areas such as global health, communications, psychology, hospitality administration, or exercise populations, making it a strong choice for students interested in creating healthier communities and influencing how people understand and access nutritious food.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students develop a foundation in biological sciences, chemistry, statistics, and academic communication through courses such as CAS BI 105 – Introductory Biology for Health Sciences or CAS BI 107 – Biology 1, CAS CH 171 – Principles of General Chemistry, and CAS MA 115 – Statistics 1. They also begin fulfilling Boston University Hub requirements and take introductory courses that prepare them for further study in nutrition and health.

Year 2: Students build their understanding of the human body and food through CAS BI 211 – Human Physiology, SAR HS 251 – Human Nutrition Science, and SAR HS 230 – Food Science. SAR HS 281 – Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle helps them understand how nutritional needs change across different stages of life, while concentration courses begin connecting nutrition to their chosen area of interest.

Year 3: Students explore population health and nutrition-related challenges through SAR HS 300 – Epidemiology 1, SAR HS 397 – Nutrition and Chronic Disease, and SAR HS 395 – Food, Supplements, and Consumer Health. They also progress through intermediate and advanced concentration courses, applying nutrition knowledge to areas such as public health, global health, communications, psychology, or exercise populations.

Year 4: Students connect their learning to healthcare systems and community nutrition through SAR HP 353 – Organization and Delivery of Health Care in the U.S. and SAR HS 489 – Lifecourse Approach to Community Nutrition. Students may also take SAR HS 415 – Undergraduate Nutrition Practicum and SPH PH 510 – Essentials of Public Health as recommended courses, gaining further exposure to professional settings and public health practice.

Focus Areas

Public health nutrition, community health promotion, global health, nutrition communication, food policy, food science, nutrition throughout the life cycle, chronic disease prevention, health psychology, hospitality administration, exercise and wellness, nutrition research.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates develop the ability to explain the relationship between nutrition and health, understand nutritional needs across the life span, evaluate nutrition-related research, and recognise how food environments influence health outcomes. They also build skills in health communication, community nutrition, program development, and evidence-based health promotion, preparing them to contribute to public health initiatives and nutrition-related organisations.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Nutrition and Health option focuses on public health nutrition, health promotion, and related concentration areas. It is distinct from Boston University’s ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which is designed for students pursuing the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist pathway. Students interested in becoming RDNs should consult the university about the additional accredited education, supervised practice, and examination requirements.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Boston University’s Sargent College offers an interdisciplinary approach to nutrition, connecting scientific coursework with public health, communication, and community-focused learning. The university identifies career opportunities for Nutrition and Health graduates in public health organisations, community services, media, business, food industries, and health and fitness centres. A specific employment rate or average starting salary for this particular track was not identified in the official program information.