This Bachelor of Science program in Nutrition and Food Studies combines interests in food and nutrition with an interest in health, culture, or business. It includes a strong foundation of study in the liberal arts and sciences, core lecture and laboratory courses that explore and integrate food studies, nutrition, and management, a concentration in one of two areas of professional study: nutrition and dietetics or food studies, and extensive opportunities for elective courses and internships designed to help students apply their knowledge to meet their own interests and career goals.
Students choose the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration or the Food Studies concentration. All students take courses in nutrition, food and identity, food science, and food production and management, as an introduction to the full spectrum of ways in which food and nutrition intersect with society. They learn about the nutrient value of food, eating behaviors, cultural determinants of food intake, food marketing, and personnel management. They also learn the basics of food preparation and management in the department's foods laboratory facility.
Faculty work with students to locate challenging internships selected from New York City's extensive professional resources: hospitals and health centers, restaurants, hotels, newspapers, magazines, consulting firms, food companies, and community agencies. Internships help students develop their professional skills and often lead to future employment.
This concentration explores the cultural, historical, and sociological aspects of food, production, and consumption. Employing approaches from the humanities and social sciences, the degree prepares students to analyze the current American food system, its global connections, and local alternatives. Core courses focus on critical thinking and writing about food.