Nutrition and Dietetics

Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act (SB1440)

Associate in Science
Transfer Preparation* (Major Code: 01366)

Nutrition and Dietetics is the study of chemicals and nutrients in food and their effects on the human body and the world.  The study of nutritional science contributes to preparing students for careers as nutritionists, registered dietitians, food scientists, or other dietetics professionals. Students in the program learn how the scientific method and process contributes to nutritional requirements and how nutrients function from a cellular to more practical level, and then apply this knowledge to their own health.  The program also provides students with the role of nutrition on disease prevention throughout the lifecycle and as an impact on society as a whole. 

Program Student Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the basis of the scientific method as it is used in developing hypotheses and theories, then apply the scientific method-based research, such as in peer-reviewed intervention, epidemiological, lab, and case studies, to the critical evaluation of nutrition-related literature and media, thus differentiating between proven scientific based research and myth.
  • Evaluate food customs of a specific culture and incorporate sources based on reliability and credibility; Assess the stigmatization, prejudice and/or discrimination experienced by individuals or groups who choose to adhere to non Western and/or non dominant food practices and recommend strategies to facilitate their acceptance.
  • Judge the effect of nutrition, hydration, and lifestyle factors that contribute to chronic diseases, assess one’s own diet for nutritional adequacy, and establish goals personally and practically to apply lifestyle changes, based on health status, body weight differences and goals, optimal sports performance, differing lifecycle stages, and differing environmental conditions.
The following is required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:
  • Completion of minimum 60 semester or 90 quarter units of transferable degree applicable courses.
  • Minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.
  • Minimum 18 semester or 27 quarter units in major or area of emphasis with a minimum grade of “C” (or “Pass”) for each course in the major.
  • Completion of the California State University General Education (CSU GE) Breadth pattern or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern for CSU.  For more information, refer to the catalog section, “Certificate of Achievement” under Graduation, Certificates, and Degree Requirements.
Required Core
HLTH 204FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION3
PSYC 101GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY3
BIOL 265GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY4
CHEM 200
& CHEM 210		GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II		10
List A
Select one of the following courses:3-5
BIOL 260
HUMAN ANATOMY
BIOL 261
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
MATH 119
ELEMENTARY STATISTICS
SOC 270
STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
CHEM 240
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
List B
Select one of the following courses:3-4
CHEM 110
ELEMENTARY ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
HLTH 121
CULTURAL ASPECTS OF FOOD AND NUTRITION
BIOL 211
INTRODUCTION TO CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
BIOL 100
& BIOL 101
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY
and PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY LABORATORY 1
CHEM 170
PREPARATION FOR GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1
Total Units26-29
*

Students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university should complete courses specific to the transfer institution of choice. University requirements vary from institution to institution and are subject to change. Therefore, it is important to verify transfer major preparation and general education requirements through consultation with a counselor in either the Counseling Center or Transfer Center. See catalog Transfer Courses Information section for further information.

1

Prerequisites to courses in the Required Core