Nutrition Major: Health and Wellness Option (B.S.)
The nutrition program celebrated 100 years of graduates in 2022 and commemorated the milestone with special events and stories throughout the year. Learn more here.
At UNH, you have three curriculum options (Dietetics Option, Health and Wellness Option, Nutritional Sciences Option) for pursuing a bachelor's degree in nutrition. Students typically declare an option within the nutrition major no later than thesecond semester of their sophom*oreyear.
Read more about our Health and Wellness option below.
What is health and wellness?
Health and wellness is a flexible program that provides students with a foundation in chemistry, anatomy, physiology and microbiology, while also including courses on stress, wellness and exercise science. Students gain real-world experience providing hands-on nutrition and health guidance. To help align their degree program with career goals, students are strongly encouraged to pursue a minor in areas such as kinesiology, business or health management, or a dual major in EcoGastronomy.
Why study health and wellness at UNH?
The health and wellness program at UNH prepares students for employment in a variety of wellness and health promotion settings including schools, fitness centers, nonprofit organizations and community agencies. Students have exceptional opportunities within a dynamic curriculum that includes specific courses in weight management, sports nutrition and the physiological impacts of stress, as well as applied research and community engagement. We also offer the UNH-in-Italy program, which allows students to experience the medieval city of Ascoli Piceno while studying diet, nutrition and food culture in another part of the world.
Potential careers
- Community agencies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Nutrition education
- Schools and fitness centers
- State and local government agencies
- Wellness promotion
Contact
Gretchen Arnold
Program Coordinator | Nutrition
Clinical Associate Professor
Email: Gretchen.Arnold@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-3083
Office: Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems, Kendall Hall Rm 125, Durham, NH 03824-
Noah Hopkins '24
Harnessing his own experience to build a career helping others
Noah Hopkins ’24 is a nutrition and wellness major from Bath, Maine. A type 1 diabetes diagnosis when he was 4 years old has fueled Noah’s interest in health and nutrition, and his experience at UNH is preparing him for a career helping people living with the disease.
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N.H. Governor Recognizes Nutrition Program Milestone
Issues Commendation for 100 Years of Graduates
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Bobby Kasmire '23
"Food is supposed to be fun"
Bobby Kasmire is a nutrition major: nutrition and wellness option from Southbury, Connecticut.
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Precious Chigwada '24
Hitting the ground running in her first year
Precious Chigwada ’24 is a nutrition: dietetics major from Newmarket, New Hampshire who is busy enjoying her classes, taking advantage of exciting opportunities within her major and preparing for a successful career as a registered dietitian.
Learn More
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Sophie Kenny '19, '20G, '22G
Diving into Diet and Mental Health
Sophie Kenny '19, '20G, '22G earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition: nutrition and wellness and a graduate certificate in the didactic program in dietetics from UNH and is now a master’s student in nutritional sciences at the university.
Learn More
View All Nutrition Major: Health and Wellness Option (B.S.) Spotlights
Curriculum & Requirements
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Nutrition is the study of how nutrients and food components function at molecular, cellular, and whole-body levels to impact human health and disease. Students are grounded in fundamental sciences as they develop nutrition-specific competencies in nutrition and health, foods, nutritional assessment, wellness, life cycle nutrition, and/or metabolic biochemistry.
The nutrition program prepares students for entry-level positions in health care, education, research, or the biotechnology industry, or entry into post-baccalaureate professional programs. Nutrition faculty have expertise in clinical nutrition, telehealth, epidemiology, and food science, as well as assessing risk factors of chronic disease risk (i.e. obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, cognitive) in diverse populations (pediatric, young adult, older adult).
Students who complete the Health and Wellness option are prepared for jobs in agencies or businesses that have an emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion, including schools, employee wellness agencies, fitness centers, and non-profit or community organizations.
SAMPLE Course Sequence for Nutrition and Wellness
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NUTR400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| NUTR401 | Professional Perspectives on Nutrition | 1 |
| BMS507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| SOC400 or PSYC401 | Introductory Sociology or Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| ENGL401 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR476 | Nutritional Assessment | 4 |
| BMS508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| HMP401 | United States Health Care Systems | 4 |
| Discovery course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHEM411 | Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences | 4 |
| NUTR403 | Culinary Arts Skills Development | 4 |
| Inquiry course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR506 | Nutrition and Wellness | 4 |
| BMCB501 | Biological Chemistry | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
BIOL528 | Applied Biostatistics I | |
PSYC402 | Statistics in Psychology | |
SOC402 | Statistics | |
| Elective (WI) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUTR546 | Nutrition in Exercise and Sports | 4 |
| NUTR610 | Nutrition Education and Counseling | 4 |
| BMS501 | Microbes in Human Disease | 4 |
| NUTR Elective or Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR650 | Life Cycle Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR Elective or Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NUTR755 | Concepts and Controversies in Weight Management | 3 |
| NUTR758 | Practicum in Nutrition and Wellness | 2 |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Discovery Course or Elective | 4 | |
| 600-Level or 700-Level Elective or Elective (any course) | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NUTR720 | Community Nutrition | 4 |
| 600-level or 700-level Elective | 4 | |
| Discovery Course | 4 | |
| Elective (any course) | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Total Credits | 128-130 | |
Degree Requirements
Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement: No
All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.
Major Requirements
A minimum grade of C-minus or better must be earned in all NUTR courses required by the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| BMS507 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BMS508 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| SOC400 | Introductory Sociology | 4 |
| orPSYC401 | Introduction to Psychology | |
| Choose ONE statistics course | 4 | |
BIOL528 | Applied Biostatistics I | |
PSYC402 | Statistics in Psychology | |
SOC402 | Statistics | |
| Science Core Courses | ||
| CHEM411 | Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences | 4 |
| orCHEM403 &CHEM404 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | |
| BMS501 | Microbes in Human Disease | 4 |
| BMCB501 | Biological Chemistry | 4 |
| Nutrition Core Courses | ||
| NUTR400 | Nutrition in Health and Well Being | 4 |
| NUTR401 | Professional Perspectives on Nutrition | 1 |
| NUTR476 | Nutritional Assessment | 4 |
| NUTR650 | Life Cycle Nutrition | 4 |
| Nutrition and Wellness Courses | ||
| NUTR403 | Culinary Arts Skills Development | 4 |
| NUTR506 | Nutrition and Wellness | 4 |
| NUTR546 | Nutrition in Exercise and Sports | 4 |
| NUTR610 | Nutrition Education and Counseling | 4 |
| NUTR720 | Community Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR755 | Concepts and Controversies in Weight Management | 3 |
| NUTR758 | Practicum in Nutrition and Wellness | 2 |
| HMP401 | United States Health Care Systems | 4 |
| NUTR Elective | 4 | |
| 600-level or 700-level elective | 4-5 | |
Nutrition and Wellness Capstone Experience
One capstone experience, supervised and approved within the major, is required of all seniors. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirement for Wellness students is satisfied through the completion ofNUTR720 Community Nutrition or NUTR755 Concepts and Controversies in Weight Managementduring their senior year.
BothNUTR720and NUTR755are required courses; one of these courses must be taken during the student's senior year to fulfill the university's capstone requirement.
- Locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical, evidence-based conclusions and decisions.
- Apply critical thinking skills.
- Deliver effective and professional oral and written communication.
- Demonstrate cultural humility, awareness of personal biases and an understanding of cultural difference they contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Articulate aspects of nutrition and wellness for various populations across the lifespan.
- Discuss the impact of policies and guidelines on food and nutrition services.
Explore Program Details
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Gretchen Arnold
Clinical Associate Professor
Program Coordinator | Nutrition
Email: Gretchen.Arnold@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-3083
Sherman Bigornia
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Email: Sherman.Bigornia@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-2413
Research Interests
Jennifer Chadbourne
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Email: Jennifer.Chadbourne@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-2231
Maria Carlota Dao
Assistant Professor
Email: Carlota.Dao@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-4723
Research Interests
Maggie Dylewski Begis
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics
Email: Maggie.Dylewski@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-4524
Noereem Mena
Assistant Professor
Email: Noereem.Mena@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-1394
Research Interests
Jesse Stabile Morrell
PRINCIPAL LECTURER
Associate Chair
Director | UNH in Italy
Email: jesse.morrell@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-2547
Research Interests
Amy Taetzsch
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Director of Masters of Science with Dietetic Internship
Email: Amy.Taetzsch@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-3280
Initial Admission to the major as a First-year or Transfer Student
Students entering the University as first-year or transfer students may declare Nutrition as part of the UNH admission process. First-year and transfer students who are admitted directly into Nutrition will be assigned an academic faculty advisor who will work with you throughout your course of study.
Change of Major Requirements for Existing UNH Students
We welcome UNH students who wish to declare the Nutrition Major or change their majorfrom other degree programs. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; see below for entry requirements.
What Are the Steps to CHANGE My Major?
To facilitate a change of major into Nutrition, students should complete two steps*:
1) Submit an application requesting the transfer from another degree program. This online application is then reviewed by the program coordinator. Students are assigned an academic faculty advisor who will work with you throughout your course of study.
2) Request to change your major in Webcat. Atutorial for the process of changing a majoris available.
ARE THERE REQUIREMENTS TO CHANGE MY MAJOR?
Current UNH students wishing to change their major and join the Nutrition Program must have:
- Earned a minimum of 12 UNH credits
- Completed OR be enrolled in NUTR 400 and NUTR 401
All students may transfer into one of the following:
- Nutrition: No Option
- Nutrition: Nutrition & Wellness
- Nutrition: Nutritional Sciences
Students interested in transferring into the Nutrition: Dietetics Option, must also meet the following 3 requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.2
- Minimum earned grade in introductory nutrition (e.g. NUTR 400) = B
- Minimum earned grade in one semester of chemistry w/lab or anatomy/physiology with lab = C+
Students admitted to the Nutrition major at UNH are required to declare,and be formally admitted into one of the following options:
- Dietetics
- Nutritional Sciences
- Health and Wellness
Nutrition majors designate an option once they have successfully completed: 1) NUTR 400, 2) NUTR 401, & 3) BMS 507 or CHEM 403 (CHEM 411 for Wellness).The Fall and Spring semester deadlines are September 15th and February 15th, respectively.
Nutrition Departmental Honors
Nutrition Minor
Field Experience (NUTR 600)
UNH-in-Italy Study Abroad
Nutritional Sciences MS
Advising is available for UNH students, alumni, and post baccalaureates pursuing health professional careers.
The Pre-Health Advising Office provides support throughout the process of preparing for health professions school from advising on the courses they should take to helping navigate through the complex steps of the application process.
Register with Pre-Professional Health Office
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More to Explore
- Honors in Major
- Research
- Scholarships
- Study Abroad
