UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences is offering a new minor in nutrition studies designed for students of any major across the University to learn the fundamentals of nutrition with the ability to tailor coursework to fit their career goals.
This new minor is specifically created for students who have an interest in nutrition to learn how the principles of nutrition contribute to health promotion and community well-being.
Mary Dean Coleman-Kelly, director of the nutritional sciences undergraduate program and the dietetics internship and teaching professor in the department, explains how a minor in nutrition studies can enhance students’ future careers.
“A student who is a psychology or journalism major, for example, and has an interest in nutritional sciences can add this minor to their studies and build a knowledge base in this area to have them stand out in their field,” Coleman-Kelly said.
This is the second minor offered by the Department of Nutritional Sciences and allows students to tailor the courses to align with their interests in nutrition. Of the 18 credits needed to complete the minor, only one 3-credit course is required. This flexibility enables students to use the remaining 15 credits to choose classes that match their career goals.
Coleman-Kelly explains how each minor offered by the Department of Nutritional Sciences best serves students based on their needs and backgrounds.
“Our new minor in nutrition studies is best for Penn State students in any major who are interested in wellness and health promotion and how nutrition can inform the development of food systems and nutrition policy,” she said. “The minor in nutritional sciences is a good fit for students whose major requires advanced science classes and are looking to integrate nutrition into medical, food science, agriculture and other related careers.”
Students interested in learning more about the new minor should visit the nutrition studies page to see how this program may benefit their career path.