Academic Programs - Undergraduate

Nutrition and Dietetics

What, how, and why we eat has a tremendous impact on our wellbeing and the world around us. When you study food, nutrition, and dietetics, you will develop the knowledge and skills for a career in this important field.

Food for thought

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The School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia is the destination for students passionate about food, nutrition, and health. In our program, you will develop the knowledge and skills to make real impacts within careers in food industry, dietetics, nutrition research, medicine, physiotherapy, nursing, dentistry and more.

You’ll benefit from small class sizes and close, personal connections with faculty, working alongside them in labs, research projects, and hands-on learning experiences.

Throughout your studies you can tailor your degree to match your goals. You can choose a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition or a BSc in Nutrition with Honours. You can choose Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology as a second major. You will choose a minor, and our degree has a Chemistry and Biology minor built into it, ensuring a strong scientific foundation. We have three options, or streams of study in Consumer Food, Kinesiology, or Dietetics. Dietetics students are eligible to apply for our 48-week, accredited practicum program offered in partnership with Nova Scotia Health.

Sample Courses

Program courses give you a solid foundation in nutrition and food science while building the skills to communicate, assess, and apply nutritional knowledge in real-world settings. Examples of courses you will take:

NUTR 1313
Human Nutrition 1 and 2
Explore the foundations of healthy eating principles, nutrients and their relationship to human health.

NUTR 2013
Principles of Nutritional Assessment
Learn how to assess the nutrition stats of individuals and populations.

NUTR 2323
Food and People
Understand why we eat what we eat.

Career Options After Graduation

Completing Nutrition and Dietetics from Acadia prepares you for a variety of rewarding careers.

  • Registered Dietitian (also "Nutritionist" in some contexts)
  • Health Professional (medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry)
  • Teacher or Educator
  • Food Product Developer
  • Researcher
 

Degree Timeline

First Year

  • Take required introductory courses
  • Gain comfort navigating the labs and working with our community partners
  • Join clubs and get involved on campus

Middle Years

  • Opportunity to become a teaching or research assistant
  • Connect with faculty about summer research
  • Option to enrol in the co-op program
  • Choose a program option

Final Year

  • Choose to complete honours program  
  • Navigate a lab space and community-based learning independently
  • Dietetics students prepare for practicum
  • Earn your degree

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