Nutritional Sciences (Research), Bachelor of Science
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences Program (BSNS) is focused on graduating students with exceptional knowledge and skills in wellness and nutrition. The BSNS program is designed to prepare students for nutritional sciences careers and position them to pursue higher education at the levels of Masters and PhD in Nutritional Sciences, Dietetic programs at the Masters level, in addition to related fields at the UTRGV and other Higher Education institutions within the US. Nutritionists are specialists in the use of nutrition and food to promote health and wellness. NUTR is also available as a minor for students of any other major at UTRGV. Students must apply and be admitted to this major.
Admission requirements for this program beyond university admission requirements.
- Admission to the program is determined by a minimum High school or current undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale with no additional criteria. Students who have completed college level courses should have a minimum GPA of 2.7 in Nutrition, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics courses required in the program. With the exception of a minimum GPA, the program is open enrollment and program capacity will only be limited by personnel availability and laboratory space. Deadline to apply to the program will be April 30th of each year. It is highly recommended for students to get advice from the Program Faculty and Academic Advising.
Progression requirements required for this program.
- Students must maintain a grade of "C" or above in all the Science, Math and Nutrition major requirement courses to remain in the program. The students are also expected to complete the required prerequisites for the courses. They are also expected to co-register in courses as detailed in the degree plan. Students are required to follow procedures as detailed in the student handbook.
Specific graduation requirements required for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
- Completion of the major is based on the student receiving a minimum grade of "C" in all Required Courses and Concentration courses under the Major Requirements section in the degree plan and core curriculum courses required for the major.
Core Curriculum – 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
020 Mathematics – 3 hours
030 Life and Physical Sciences – 6 hours
080 Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 hours
090 Integrative & Experiential Learning - 6 hours
BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 are given one hour credit hour for the lab component.
Complete 3 additional hours from the Integrative and Experiential Learning section of the approved core curriculum.
Major Requirements – 78 hours
Required Courses - 59 hours
Nutritional Sciences Foundation Courses
Research Concentration - 19 hours
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120