The Nutrition and Wellness concentration in the BS Nutrition and Foods program in the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management addresses the growing need for degreed food and nutrition professionals to learn best practices for promoting healthy lifestyles to diverse industries, organizations, communities and populations. These professionals are trained to fill positions at the local, state, national and global levels, including jobs within government health agencies such as WIC, Head Start, 4-H, cooperative extension, school systems, non-profit agencies, food systems and food security organizations, environmental education, and community health programs across the state, region, country and globally. Additionally, the Nutrition and Wellness concentration will prepare students who seek careers in corporate wellness, nutraceuticals, wellness facilities or further education in the health sciences.
Program goals include the training of nutrition and wellness professionals who:
- Understand the basic role of nutrition in the development and prevention of chronic diseases
- Understand the socio-environmental factors impacting the accessibility, availability, adequacy, and safety of food and water systems serving communities, and the relationship between these systems and health outcomes
- Demonstrate skills in the health assessment of communities, with a focus on food systems, food security, and rural health
- Understand and value the role of public health nutrition policy in influencing the food environment at the community level
Upon completion of the Nutrition and Wellness concentration, graduates will:
- Have a foundational knowledge of digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food and nutrients.
- Be able to apply nutrition principles in diverse community settings using their knowledge of cultural foods and food assistance programs.
- Be able to describe and develop programs to address economic and health disparities at the local, state, and national levels
- Be able to provide leadership at all levels of community and governmental agencies in the development, dissemination, and implementation of nutrition policy
This concentration is part of the App State Online degree offerings, if you wish to complete this concentration online you must apply and be admitted through App State Online. For more information click on https://online.appstate.edu/ or contact Melissa Bryan (bryanmm@appstate.edu).