Program Description
Food Science and Human Nutrition majors apply principles of basic and applied sciences to the design and manufacture of high quality, sustainable, convenient, safe and nutritious foods, in addition to identifying the relationship between nutrients and human health. The curriculum allows flexibility for concentrating in one of two areas:
In the Food Science and Technology Concentration, students choose to focus their program of study in one of three emphasis areas: (1) Food Packaging and Manufacturing Operations; (2) Sustainable Food, Nutrition and Health; or (3) Culinary Science. All three emphasis areas are approved by the Institute of Food Technologies (IFT), with the Culinary Science emphasis also being one of a few select national programs approved by the Research Chef’s Association as meeting the requirements for the title of Culinology™.
The food industry is a global effort that requires highly skilled individuals with strong science knowledge and technical skills. Our program not only prepares students in these areas, but also has a focus on engaging students in “real world” team-led research projects and understanding the creation and development of successful global food business enterprises. The program has hands-on food business entrepreneurship, study abroad and internship opportunities.
Opportunities for employment include a wide variety of career paths, such as new food product research and development, design of sustainable food systems, quality assurance management, analytical testing, operations management, food packaging applications, marketing, customer services and technical sales. Local, state and federal agencies also need graduates for positions in sustainability food safety ad regulatory positions.
In the Nutrition Concentration, students choose to focus their program of study in one of four emphasis areas: (1) Dietetics; (2) Basic and Behavioral Science; (3) Community Health and Wellness; or (4) Food Industry. The same course plan is followed the first two years with the junior and senior years varying according to the emphasis plan. Students normally choose the emphasis by the beginning of the spring semester of the sophomore year so as not to delay graduation. The Dietetics emphasis prepares students for an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program to become a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN). The curriculum for the Nutrition concentration with a Dietetics emphasis is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) as a Didactic Program in Dietetics. The Basic and Behavioral Science emphasis prepares students for graduate study in nutrition and health professions. The Community Health and Wellness emphasis prepares students for careers in community nutrition interacting with healthy populations. The Food Industry emphasis allows students to pair nutrition and food science knowledge for job opportunities in food product development.
To become a RD or RDN, students must complete three main steps. Information on these steps is available at https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/students-and-advancing-education-intro. Successful completion of Clemson University’s B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a concentration in Nutrition and an emphasis in Dietetics fulfills only the first step of the three step process to become a RD or RDN. Students who select the Dietetics emphasis must complete a formal application process and meet specific criteria for acceptance into the emphasis. The demand for dietetic internship positions greatly exceeds the number of available positions. Due to the competitive nature of dietetic internship acceptance, minimum grade criteria in specific courses are required for Dietetics emphasis acceptance. Two application times for admission into the Dietetics emphasis are available, one at the beginning of the spring semester and one at the beginning of the fall semester. Acceptance and successful completion of the Dietetics emphasis curriculum will not guarantee acceptance into an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship, step two in the process of becoming a RD or RDN.
For Dietetics emphasis admission, students must meet the following requirements: (1) Documented attendance at a dietetics program information session discussing the steps to become a RD/RDN; (2) Complete at least 60 credit hours by the end of the semester the student is applying; (3) Have a minimum GPA of 3.20; (4) Complete BIOL 1030 and BIOL 1050 (or BIOL 1100 ), BIOL 1040 and BIOL 1060 (or BIOL 1110 ), CH 1010 , CH 1020 , CH 2230 , CH 2270 , BIOL 2220 , PSYC 2010 and ECON 2000 or ECON 2120 with a C or better; (5) Complete NUTR 1010 , NUTR 2030 and NUTR 2160 with a B or better; and (6) Complete a Dietetics emphasis application form by the beginning of either spring semester or fall semester.
Students are allowed to apply up to two times. Once in the Dietetics emphasis, a student may complete the curriculum, but must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00. To receive a signed Declaration of Intent and/ or Verification Statement, students must comply with the GPA, grade and other requirements indicated in the “Declaration of Intent and Verification Statement Policy.” A signed Verification Statement is required for admission to an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program, but receipt of a Verification Statement does not guarantee acceptance into an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program. (See the FNPS Handbook for more details.)
To receive a signed Declaration of Intent and/or Verification Statement, a student must meet the following academic and professional requirements: 1. Earn a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college/university; 2. Complete all the academic requirements of a dietetics education program accredited by ACEND; 3. Demonstrate an overall minimum GPA of 3.00 based on all completed college coursework; 4. Complete all DPD-required NUTR and FDSC courses with a B or better; 5. Complete all other DPD-required coursework with a C or better; and 6. Adhere to Clemson University’s Academic Integrity Policy and the Student Code of Conduct.
Academic Program Fee
Please visit https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/food-nutrition-packaging-sciences/students/undergraduate.html for detailed information about the departmental Academic Program Fee.
Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Degree Program
The Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences also offers an accelerated five-year combined bachelor’s/master’s program that allows students to count up to twelve hours of graduate credit toward both the BS degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and the MS degree in Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences. Details are available from the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences or at www.clemson.edu/fnps.
