In addition to fulfilling the requirements for a major in the college, students may elect to complete ACEND accredited academic requirements of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which are listed below. The DPD prepares students for careers as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Many of these courses are required by the Nutritional Sciences major. Completion of DPD requirements is verified by the Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics (Savage Hall).

The requirements listed below pertain to all students matriculating in August 2021 and January 2022.

All of the following sections are required to be completed to graduate.

Courses in areas 1-11 must be taken for a Letter Grade.

Overall Required Credits (120 credits)

  • Total 120 credits
  • Human Ecology: 43 credits
  • Human Ecology, outside the major: 9 credits (courses from DEA, FSAD, HD, PAM, or HE at the 3000/4000 level)

Physical and Biological Sciences

1. Inorganic Chemistry (8 credits)

Choose one of the following options:

  • CHEM 2070 General Chemistry I (4 cr) and CHEM 2080 General Chemistry II (4 cr)1
  • (AP Chemistry score of 5 or IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7) and CHEM 2080 General Chemistry II (4 cr)2
  • (AP Chemistry score of 5 or IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7) and CHEM 2150 Honors General and Inorganic Chemistry (4 cr)3

1Recommended for nearly all students, especially those on or considering a pre-health (e.g. pre-med) track. 

2Students may use an AP Chemistry score of 5 or an IB Chemistry score of 6 or 7 to place out of CHEM 2070. Pre-health (e.g. pre-med) students should not use AP scores to fulfill chemistry requirements. Students who take CHEM 2070 forfeit AP or IB credit. 

3Students should only select the third option if they are very strong in chemistry and are not considering a pre-health (e.g. pre-med) track. 

2. Organic Chemistry (5-10 credits)1

Choose one of the following labs:

  • CHEM 2510 Introduction to Experimental Organic Chemistry (2 cr) OR
  • CHEM 3010 Experimental Chemistry (4 cr)

AND one of the following lecture options:

  • CHEM 1570 Elementary Organic Chemistry (3 cr, not for pre-health) OR
  • CHEM 3530 Principles of Organic Chemistry (4 cr) OR
  • CHEM 3570-3580 Introductory Organic Chemistry (3 cr each, must take both, CHEM 3570 alone will not fulfill the requirement)

1Students interested in pre-health tracks should take a two-course sequence of organic chemistry lectures (CHEM 3570-3580).

3. Microbiology (3 credits)

  • BIOMI 2900 General Microbiology Lecture (3-4 cr)

4. Introductory Biology (8-10 credits)

Choose one of the following labs:

  • BIOG 1500 Investigative Lab (2 cr) OR
  • BIOSM 1500 Investigative Marine Biology Lab (3 cr)

AND choose two out of the three following lecture options1:

  • BIOMG 1350 Cell and Developmental Biology (3 cr)
  • BIOG 1440 Comparative Physiology (3 cr) OR2 BIOG 1445 Comparative Physiology (autotutorial) (4 cr)
  • BIOEE 1610 Ecology and the Environment (3 cr) OR2 BIOEE 1780 Evolution and Diversity (3 cr)

1Students may use an AP Biology score of 5 to place out of one introductory biology lecture. Pre-health (e.g. pre-med) students should not use AP scores to fulfill biology requirements.

2Students cannot take both courses within one category to fulfill this requirement.

5. Physiology (6 credits)

  • NS 3410 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr) AND
  • NS 3420 Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory (2 cr)

6. Biochemistry (4-6 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  • NS 3200 Introduction to Human Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3300 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3310 Principles of Biochemistry (3 cr) and BIOMG 3320 (2 cr) Principles of Biochemistry
  • BIOMG 3310 Principles of Biochemistry (3 cr) and BIOMI 2900 General Microbiology (3 cr)
  • BIOMG 3330 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr)
  • BIOMG 3350 Principles of Biochemistry (4 cr)

Behavioral Science

7. Psychology (3 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  • HD 1150 Human Development: Infancy and Childhood (3 cr) OR
  • HD 1170 Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood (3 cr) OR
  • PSYCH 1101 Introduction to Psychology (3 cr)

Communication

8. First Year Writing Seminars (6 credits)

Note: The 2 required first year writing seminar courses must be completed during the first two semesters at Cornell.

Quantitative and Analytical

9. Statistics (3-4 credits)

Choose one of the following:

  • STSCI 2150 Introductory Statistics for Biology (4 cr) OR
  • PAM 2100 Introduction to Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • AEM 2100 Introductory Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • BTRY 3010 Biological Statistics I (4 cr) OR
  • ILRST/STSCI 2100 Introductory Statistics (4 cr) OR
  • MATH 1710 Statistical Theory and Application in the Real World (4 cr) OR
  • PSYCH 2500 Statistics and Research Design (3-4 cr) OR
  • SOC 3010 Statistics for Sociological Research (4 cr)
  • A score of 4 or 5 on the Statistics AP Exam

Professional Sciences

10. Nutrition Core Courses (16 credits)

  • NS 1150 Nutrition, Health and Society (3 cr)
  • NS 2450 Social Science Perspective on Food and Nutrition (3 cr)
  • NS 3450 Introduction to Physiochemical and Biological Aspects of Food (3 cr)
  • NS 3310 Nutrient Metabolism (4 cr)
  • NS 3320 Methods in Nutritional Sciences (3 cr)

11. Dietetic Courses (25 credits)

  • NS 1220 Nutrition and the Life Cycle (3 cr)
  • NS 2470 Food for Contemporary Living (2 cr)
  • HADM 1360 Introduction to Food Service Management (3 cr) OR HADM 3365 Foodservice Management Essentials (3 cr)
  • NS 4250 Nutrition Communications and Counseling (3 cr)
  • NS 4410 Nutrition and Disease (4 cr)
  • NS 4420 Implementation of Nutrition Care (3 cr)
  • NS 4500 Public Health Nutrition (3 cr) OR NS 1600 Introduction to Public Health (3 cr)
  • NS 4880 Applied Dietetics in Food Service Management (4 cr)

12. Electives (Variable)

Any courses that are not taken in Areas 1-11 above, count as Electives

13. Physical Education Requirement (2 courses)

Physical Education must be completed in order to graduate. However, physical education does not count toward college and university minimum credit requirements for full-time status, nor does it count towards the 120 credits required for graduation.

14. Swim Test Requirement

A successful swim test must be completed in order to graduate.

 

College Polices

120 Overall Credits 

  • Students must complete 120 credits toward graduation.
  • A maximum of 15 credits of AP credit and in absentia credit can count toward the 120 total credits.
  • 15 credits of study abroad/exchange or Cornell in Washington, or 12 credits of Capital Semester, can count toward total electives. 

43 HE Credits 

  • Students must complete a minimum of 43 HE credits.
  • HE non-departmental courses at the 2000 level and below do not count toward the 43 HE credits.
  • Students must complete 5 HE credits by the end of the first year and 12 HE credits by the end of the sophomore year. 

9 HE Credits Outside the Major 

Students must complete a minimum of 9 HE credits outside of the major. These credits are given for any Human Ecology course outside your major (except 4030). These can be taken S/U only if course is not used to fulfill a curriculum requirement. 

Pass/Fail Courses (S/U)

  • S/U grading option may not be used for any required course unless it is the only grade option offered for that course.
  • S/U may be used for the 9 HE credits outside the major and for electives.
  • Students may apply no more than 12 credits of S/U toward graduation requirements. If a required course is only offered S/U, it will not count toward this limit. Students may take more S/U courses if they choose, but the additional credit will not be applied toward graduation.
  • The deadline for changing grade options is the 57th calendar day of the semester, the same as the “drop” deadline. 

Special Study Courses (4000, 4010, 4020, 4030)

  • A maximum of 12 credits of special study course work from Human Ecology or other colleges will count toward the 120 overall credits. Courses will be indicated on the class roster with a Component of either IND or RSC. (Additional credits can be taken but will not be applied.)
  • A maximum of 12 credits of 4000-4030 may count toward the 43 HE credit requirement.
  • A maximum of 3 credits of 4000-4020 (not including 4030) may count toward the 9 credits outside the major requirement as long as the special study is in a department outside the student’s major.
  • Students cannot TA (4030) the same course for credit more than once or take and TA the same course simultaneously. 4030 does not fulfill any requirements toward the major. Registration for 4030 may not exceed 5 credit hours per semester. 
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