Nutritional Sciences draws upon biology, chemistry and the social sciences to answer such questions as:

• How do dietary patterns influence the health and well-being of individuals, communities and populations?
• What are the biological mechanisms through which nutrients affect metabolism?
• What are recommended dietary patterns for people of different activity levels and medical conditions?
• How can people be encouraged to adopt and maintain healthy eating patterns?
• What are the roles of government and business in providing accessible, healthy food supplies and in promoting healthy eating practices?

After completing undergraduate requirements, most students continue their studies in graduate school, dietetic internships or medical school.

If you’re enrolled in the College of Human Ecology, you will draw on your preparation in chemistry, biology and math to prepare for a career in many nutrition-related fields, including medicine and other health careers, research, fitness and sports nutrition, nutrition counseling, clinical nutrition, dietetics, nutritional biochemistry, community nutrition and nutrition education.

If you’re in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, your work in nutrition will be combined with coursework in food systems, agriculture and the life sciences. You likely will supplement the core nutrition curriculum with courses in such areas as food policy, food science, animal and plant sciences, business and economics, and environmental sciences to prepare for a career in a nutrition-related field.

During your first two years of undergraduate studies, you will explore the general field of Nutritional Studies, while completing a core curriculum of foundational courses in chemistry, biology and the social sciences.

You also may have opportunities to do undergraduate research and further your learning through field experience. 

Other opportunities exist for broadening your learning experience and putting classroom learning into practice. You might, for example, participate in the Practicing Medicine program or Off-Campus Opportunity.

The foundational curriculum includes introductory chemistry and biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and math, as well as introductory courses in the social sciences. Specific college-level requirements (e.g., social sciences and humanities classes) will depend on whether a student is completing an NS through CHE or CALS. in all cases, it is very important to plan and sequence chemistry and biology course appropriately and as early as possible.

You also will complete five core courses in nutritional sciences:

• NS 1150: Nutrition, Health and Society
• NS 2450: Social Science Perspectives on Food and Nutrition
• NS 3450: Introduction to Physicochemical and Biological Aspects of Foods
• NS 3310: Nutrient Metabolism
• NS 3320: Methods in Nutritional Sciences

In addition, you will take at least three advanced level courses in nutritional sciences and courses to meet the general education requirements for your college. You may choose from a broad range of advanced courses including:

• NS 3030: Nutrition, Health and Vegetarian Diets
• NS 3060: Nutrition and Global Health
• NS 3150: Obesity and the Regulation of Body Weight
• NS 4200: Diet and the Microbiome
• NS 4300 Proteins, Transcripts, and Metabolism: Big Data in Molecular Nutrition
• NS 4250: Nutrition Communications and Counseling
• NS 4410: Nutrition and Disease
• NS 4450: Toward a Sustainable Global Food System: Food Policy for Developing Countries
• NS 4480: Economics of Food and Malnutrition
• NS 4500: Public Health Nutrition
• NS 4570: Health, Poverty, and Inequality: A Global Perspective

• Integrate knowledge from the biological and social sciences to address nutrition and health problems facing individuals, societies and governments.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex and evolving nature of scientific knowledge in the promotion of health and the etiology and prevention of disease.
• Demonstrate the ability to access and critically evaluate scientific information from the primary research literature to investigate the influences of nutrition and other environmental factors in human health and disease.
• Develop positions on nutrition-related health issues.
• Communicate positions on nutrition-related health issues to colleagues and lay/target audiences.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles, considerations and dilemmas relevant to the research and practice of nutrition.

The NS major provides an excellent foundation for several different career paths, including:

• Medicine and other health careers such as physical therapist, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical pharmacy
• Dietetics including nutrition counseling, clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and management of food and nutrition services in business and the health industry (see also the Didactic Program in Dietetics - DPD)
• Fitness and Wellness including corporate wellness, sports nutrition, exercise science, and athletic training (also see Applied Exercise Science minor)
• Nutrition Communications including nutrition education and outreach programs for businesses, governments, and community organizations
• International Nutrition & Global Health including programs concerned with hunger, health, and food supply issues in non-industrialized countries (also see the Global Health minor)
• Research including careers that use biochemical, physiological, genomic, clinical, and social science methods to understand how food, diet, and health are related (also see Undergraduate Research and the DNS Honors Program)

Following graduation from Cornell, most NS majors pursue their career interests through programs of advanced study such as graduate school, dietetic internships, and medical school.

Expect your career interests to develop and possibly change while you are at Cornell. The first two years of curriculum allow you to explore the field of nutrition while you complete foundational courses in chemistry, biology, and the social sciences. The first-year course, NS 1150 Nutrition, Health and Society, introduces students to some important health issues and helps students develop their critical thinking and writing skills. In a 1-credit course, NS 1200 Nutrition and Health: Issues, Outlooks and Opportunities (spring term), students can meet experts working in different fields and learn about critical issues and trends in these fields as well as the requisite knowledge and skills to work in these areas. Take advantage of the different speakers and seminars offered throughout the year to learn about various career options, and discuss your career  interests with your faculty advisor and with college counselors specializing in career planning. If you want to explore other majors, minor fields, or pre-professional paths, your advisor will suggest some people to contact.

Transferring into the NS major
In general, successful applicants for transfer into the NS major demonstrate:

• Successful completion of NS 1150
• Adequate progress and proficiency in introductory natural sciences courses
• An appropriate plan to meet NS and College graduation requirements

Students who are interested in transferring into the NS major within their home College (e.g. to NS-CALS from another CALS major, or to NS-CHE from another CHE major) should contact dnsstudentservices@cornell.edu. Students who are interested in an Internal Transfer to the NS major from a different College at Cornell should contact the Admissions office of their target College (Human Ecology or CALS).

Adding NS as a second major
Students in CHE may not have two majors. Students in CALS may add NS-CALS as a second major, but may not add the NS major to the Biological Sciences major if their Biological Sciences major concentration is in Human Nutrition. CALS students who are interested in adding the NS major should contact dnsstudentservices@cornell.edu.

See current NS Curriculum Sheets here

The requirements listed below pertain to all students matriculating in August 2023 and January 2024. Please see the corresponding edition of the Cornell University Courses of Study for previous requirements.

All of the following sections (1-19) are required to be completed to graduate.

Overall Credits (REQUIRED):

• Total: 120 credits
• Agriculture and Life Sciences: 55 credits
• 9 credits from outside the major (anything but NS courses)
• Please note: Courses in areas 1-15 must be taken for a Letter Grade.
• Please note: DNS students may not use courses to fulfill more than one requirement among areas 1-15, even though DUST indicates otherwise for CALS students.