Examine how nutrition impacts human health and well-being and discuss social, economic, and psychological issues around food.

Gain a broad overview of nutrition through an introductory course and three advanced electives. Open to all Cornell undergraduates except DNS majors (NS, HBHS, GPHS) and Biological Sciences majors in the Human Nutrition concentration.

Nutritional Sciences

This program is offered through the Division of Nutritional Sciences.

hands chopping vegetables in a kitchen
college student working on a laptop

Minor requirements

Total Credits

12 NS credits

Required Introductory Courses

NS 1150 Nutrition, Health, and Society OR NS 1220 Nutrition and the Life Cycle

Electives

9+ credits from the approved course list below

Important Notes

  • All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
  • Only external transfer students may petition to substitute a transfer course for the introductory requirement.
  • Transfer courses and special studies credits (NS 4000, 4010, 4020, 4030, 4990) do not count toward elective requirements.
  • Petitions will only be considered for new NS courses not yet listed. NS 2600 will not be approved as an elective under any circumstances.
     

NS 3060 Nutrition and Global Health (3 cr)
NS 4450 Toward a Sustainable Global Food System (3 cr)
NS 4480 / AEM 4485 Economics of Food and Malnutrition (3 cr)
NS 4570 / ECON 4740 Health, Poverty, and Inequality (3 cr)

NS 3600 Epidemiology (3 cr)
NS 4500 Public Health Nutrition (3 cr)
NS 4510 Nutrition & Health Equity (3 cr)
 

NS 2470 Food for Contemporary Living (2 cr)
NS 3450 / FDSC 2000 Physicochemical and Biological Aspects of Foods (3 cr)

NS 3150 / PSYCH 3150 Obesity and Body Weight Regulation (3 cr)
NS 3410 Human Anatomy and Physiology (Lecture) (4 cr)
NS 4200 Diet and the Microbiome (3 cr)
NS 4210 Precision Nutrition and Health (3 cr)
NS 4410 Nutrition and Disease (4 cr)
NS 4420 Implementation of Nutrition Care (3 cr; priority to Dietetics students)
NS 5510 Nutrition Assessment (3 cr; limited to seniors and graduate students)
 

NS 3200 Introduction to Human Biochemistry (4 cr)
NS 3310 Human Nutrition and Nutrient Metabolism (4 cr)
NS 3320 Methods in Nutritional Sciences (3 cr; priority for NS majors and Dietetics students)
NS 4300 Big Data in Molecular Nutrition (3 cr)
 

NS 2450 Social Science Perspectives on Food and Nutrition (3 cr)
NS 4250 Nutrition Communications and Counseling (3 cr; priority for dietetics students)
 

Process and forms

We report completed minors to college registrars twice a year after final grades are posted. The minor appears on transcripts but not diplomas.

Submit the Nutrition and Health minor intent form when you decide to join the minor.

Submit the Nutrition and Health minor completion form when all requirements are met or when you are entering your final semester at Cornell.