The concentration in dietetics and nutrition management in the Nutrition Science major is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to work in the health industry as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). The program emphasizes hands-on and real-world learning experiences through practicums and laboratories. Areas of focus include clinical dietetics, counseling, food service, and sports nutrition.
It is important to understand that to become a registered dietitian nutritionist, one must complete an 8-12 month internship AFTER completion of the degree at CSU. Completing this concentration alone and earning the B.S. degree is not sufficient to become a dietitian. As of 2024, one must have a master's degree to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.
See the department's website for the Dietetics and Nutrition Management concentration for specific learning outcomes for the ACEND Accredited Dietetics Program.
Learning Objectives
- Scientific and Evidence Base of Practice: Integration of scientific information and translation of research into practice.
- Professional Practice Expectations: Beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors for the nutrition and dietetics practitioner level of practice.
- Clinical and Client Services: Development and delivery of information, products, and services to individuals, groups, and populations.
- Practice Management and Use of Resources: Strategic application of principles of management and systems in the provision of services to individuals and organizations.
- Leadership and Career Management: Skills, strengths, knowledge, and experience relevant to leadership potential and professional growth for the nutrition and dietetics practitioner.
Effective Fall 2026
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| FSHN 115 | Health Equity | 1C | 3 |
| FSHN 150 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| Select one group from the following: | 4 | ||
| Group A: | |||
| Principles of Animal Biology (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| Group B: | |||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| Select one group from the following: | 5-8 | ||
| Group A: | |||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| Group B: | |||
| General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| General Chemistry Lab I (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| General Chemistry II | |||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30-33 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| BMS 300 or HES 300 | Principles of Human Physiology Physiology for Clinical Health Professions | 4 | |
| CHEM 245 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | 4 | |
| CHEM 246 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 | |
| FSHN 292 | Careers in Nutrition Science Seminar | 1 | |
| FSHN 300 | Culinary Nutrition | 3 | |
| FSHN 301 | Culinary Nutrition Laboratory | 2 | |
| FSHN 302 | Dietetics Management and Leadership | 3 | |
| SPCM 200 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| STAT 201 or 204 | General Statistics (GT-MA1) Statistics With Business Applications (GT-MA1) | 1B | 3 |
| Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Junior | |||
| BC 351 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 | |
| FSHN 340 | Food as Medicine | 3 | |
| FSHN 350 | Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| FSHN 360 | Nutrition Assessment | 2 | |
| FSHN 386A | Practicum: Food Service Management | 1-2 | |
| FSHN 392 | Dietetic Practice Seminar | 1 | |
| LIFE 205 | Microbial Biology | 3 | |
| LIFE 206 | Microbial Biology Laboratory | 2 | |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Elective | 6-7 | ||
| Total Credits | 29 | ||
| Senior | |||
| FSHN 428 | Nutrition Teaching and Counseling Techniques | 3 | |
| FSHN 449 | Pathophysiology of Nutrition-Related Diseases | 2 | |
| FSHN 450 | Medical Nutrition Therapy | 4B | 3 |
| FSHN 451 | Community Nutrition | 4A | 3 |
| FSHN 459 | Nutrition in the Life Cycle | 3 | |
| FSHN 470 | Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 | |
| FSHN 492 | Seminar in Dietetics and Nutrition | 4C | 2 |
| Guided Electives (see list below) | 9-12 | ||
| Total Credits | 28-31 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
Guided Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FSHN 220 | Intro to Nutrition for Sports and Fitness | 3 |
| FSHN 271 | Integrative Wellness Coaching I | 3 |
| FSHN 272 | Integrative Wellness Coaching II | 3 |
| FSHN 335/HEM 335 | Food, Society and Social Media | 3 |
| FSHN 361 | Global Nutrition | 2 |
| FSHN 420 | Advanced Sports Nutrition | 3 |
| FSHN 435 | Lactation Benefits and Promotion | 2 |
| FSHN 445/HDFS 445 | Early Childhood Health, Safety, and Nutrition | 3 |
| FSHN 453 | Biology of Body Weight Regulation | 3 |
| FSHN 455 | Food Systems--Impact on Health/Food Security | 2 |
| FSHN 486A | Practicum: Counseling | 1-3 |
| FSHN 486B | Practicum: Sports Nutrition | 3 |
| FTEC 110 | Food-From Farm to Table | 3 |
| FTEC 115 | Cultural Aspects of Fermented Foods | 3 |
| FTEC 155 | Introduction to Food Science | 3 |
| FTEC 210 | Science of Food Fermentation | 3 |
- 1
Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits. At least 42 total credits must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| FSHN 150 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | X | 3 | ||
| PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| Select one of the following groups: | X | 4 | |||
| Group A: | |||||
| Principles of Animal Biology (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||||
| Animal Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||||
| Group B: | |||||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FSHN 115 | Health Equity | X | 1C | 3 | |
| MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| Select one of the following groups: | X | 5-8 | |||
| Group A: | |||||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||||
| Group B: | |||||
| General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||||
| General Chemistry Lab I (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||||
| General Chemistry II | |||||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 14-17 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CHEM 245 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | X | 4 | ||
| CHEM 246 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory | X | 1 | ||
| FSHN 292 | Careers in Nutrition Science Seminar | X | 1 | ||
| FSHN 300 | Culinary Nutrition | X | 3 | ||
| FSHN 301 | Culinary Nutrition Laboratory | X | 2 | ||
| Historical Perspectives | X | 3D | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 14 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| BMS 300 or HES 300 | Principles of Human Physiology Physiology for Clinical Health Professions | X | 4 | ||
| FSHN 302 | Dietetics Management and Leadership | X | 3 | ||
| SPCM 200 | Public Speaking | X | 3 | ||
| STAT 201 or 204 | General Statistics (GT-MA1) Statistics With Business Applications (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| BC 351 | Principles of Biochemistry | X | 4 | ||
| FSHN 350 | Human Nutrition | X | 3 | ||
| FSHN 386A | Practicum: Food Service Management | X | 1-2 | ||
| FSHN 392 | Dietetic Practice Seminar | X | 1 | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | X | 3 | |||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Elective | X | 3-4 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FSHN 340 | Food as Medicine | X | 3 | ||
| FSHN 360 | Nutrition Assessment | X | 2 | ||
| LIFE 205 | Microbial Biology | X | 3 | ||
| LIFE 206 | Microbial Biology Laboratory | X | 2 | ||
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 13 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FSHN 449 | Pathophysiology of Nutrition-Related Diseases | X | 2 | ||
| FSHN 451 | Community Nutrition | X | 4A | 3 | |
| FSHN 459 | Nutrition in the Life Cycle | X | 3 | ||
| Guided Electives (see list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 6 | |||
| Total Credits | 14 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FSHN 428 | Nutrition Teaching and Counseling Techniques | X | 3 | ||
| FSHN 450 | Medical Nutrition Therapy | X | 4B | 3 | |
| FSHN 470 | Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism | X | 3 | ||
| FSHN 492 | Seminar in Dietetics and Nutrition | X | X | 4C | 2 |
| Guided Electives (see list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 3-6 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 14-17 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||

