Department of Foods & Nutrition
We are a developing department with special strengths in human and biochemical nutrition; obesity and diabetes; nutrition and bone health; dietetics and food quality and safety.
Undergraduate
Majors:
1. The Dietetics major is
the first step to becoming a registered dietitian. Registered
dietitians find careers with physicians, in food companies,
hospitals, public health, extension, government, wellness
programs, and education.
2. Consumer Foods.
Careers include working in public relations through TV
or radio or by writing articles for newspapers, magazines,
or extension bulletins.
3. The Nutrition Science major
is designed for the science-oriented student. This major
provides an excellent background for entry into medical,
dental, pharmacy, veterinary school, or other graduate
programs in the biological and health sciences.
Graduate Program:
Masters of Science and Ph.D. degrees are offered. The
program is well represented at national meetings and
graduates are placed in research positions with universities,
medical schools, federal laboratories, and industry.
Consumer Foods Major
The relationship among foods, nutrition and health serves as the cornerstone
of the Consumer Foods program of study.
Consumer Foods majors apply knowledge
about foods and food ingredients to food selection, preparation,
home processing, storage and serving of safe food to
the consumer. Appearance, flavor, and textural influences
on consumer willingness to eat food products is explored.
Cultural, religious, lifestyle, geographic and economic
influences on consumer food choices are also examined.
Internships
Internships allow qualified students to apply classroom
experiences to real life, and "try-on" various careers
in Consumer Foods. In today's competitive job market,
many employers require work experience. Opportunities
range from food service, to consumer research, to consumer
education. Recent internship locations have spanned Georgia,
the United States and North America.
Dietetics Major
Mission Statement
Optimal food and nutrient intake play a critical role in disease prevention and health maintenance. There is an increasing demand for professionals in the field of dietetics who can provide quality food and nutrition care services to individuals and groups. The mission of the didactic program in dietetics is to prepare students for successful careers in dietetics and encourage students to assume leadership roles in their profession and in society.
Career Opportunities
The field of dietetics offers many opportunities related
to foods and nutrition in health care, management,
education, business, and industry settings. Clinical
dietetics positions are available in hospitals, clinics,
health maintenance organizations, long term care facilities,
and private practice. Other opportunities include management
of foods or nutrition care services in health care
facilities, schools or restaurants; public health nutrition;
research and/or education in universities, medical
centers, and government agencies.
Didactic Program in Dietetics
The dietetics
major is a Didactic Program in Dietetics approved by
the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
(CADE) of the American Dietetic Association. Students
completing degree requirements receive a Bachelor of
Science degree.
Additional Requirements to become a Registered Dietitian
Upon completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics
students must complete a supervised practice program,
such as an CADE-accredited dietetic internship, to become
eligible to take the registration examination for dietitians.
Entrance Into the Major
Students who have completed two years of college and
are planning to transfer into this major need to be aware
of the following requirements: Preferred courses taken
as part of the core include statistics, psychology, fundamentals
of speech communication, biology and freshman chemistry.
Students should complete the equivalent of BIOL 1103/1103L
or 1107/1107L and CHEM1211/1211L with a grade of C or
better. Entrance to the major requires completion of
Area F Core requirements for the Dietetics major with
a grade of C or better in each of the courses. Note:
General chemistry courses should be equivalent to CHEM
1211, 1211L and 1212, 1212L, and organic chemistry should
be equivalent to CHEM 2211, 2211L.
Nutrition Science Major
The program of study in Nutrition Science is designed for students who are interested in training for careers in health-related fields, and who wish to understand the basis for nutrient functions and human nutrient requirements. Nutrition Science is an integrative discipline that requires specialized training in the roles of nutrients in supporting functions of the body and all its parts, from the whole person to the organ systems and their constituent cells. The mission of the faculty of Nutrition Science is to train students who will be competitive for admission to graduate degree programs in research, medicine, and the allied health sciences.
Career Opportunities
Nutrition Science offers superb preparation for students
who would like to pursue careers in biomedical research
or in the medical professions, including human or veterinary
medicine, dentistry, nursing, or physical therapy. Each
of these disciplines requires specialized graduate training.
Most people who are employed in the biomedical sciences
in universities and governmental laboratories have earned
doctorates in their field of specialization. The student
should be aware that admission to graduate programs is
competitive and usually requires that the Graduate Record
Examination or a specialized exam such as the Medical
College Admissions Test be passed successfully.
Entrance Requirements
Although the program in Nutrition Science does not require
a minimum grade point average for entrance, it is essential
to maintain a high cumulative average in order to be
competitive for entrance into any graduate program. It
is advisable to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or greater, and
to be aware that successful candidates for admission
to medical school usually have GPAs above 3.5.
For more
information:
The College of Family & Consumer Sciences
The University of Georgia
Dr. James Hargrove, Ph.D.
706/542-4678
jhargrov@fcs.uga.edu
Connie Rash
706/542-4878
crash@fcs.uga.edu
Or visit our web page: www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/ugrad/ |
FACS Departments Student Services UGA
