Nutrition at Boston University

Diet and health care are topics are in the news and on everyone’s mind these days, so what better time to pursue a degree in Nutritional Science? After visiting Boston University, the Professor cannot think of a better place to study nutrition.

With 33,000 students, a top-ranking medical school, and a reputation for strong academic research, BU is both a world unto itself and an integral part of beautiful Boston. Many campus buildings, including student housing units, are located right on the city’s bustling Commonwealth Avenue, and BU is within walking distance of some of the city’s cultural highlights, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the nightlife of Landsdowne Street, and Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Students can easily board the “T,” Boston’s rail system, to access the rest of this compact metropolis.

For over a century, BU has been a place for students who want to be at the top of their game. BU has graduated seven Nobel Laureates, 35 Pulitzer Prize winners, six Academy Award winners, and a list of Emmy and Tony award winners, not to mention the MacArthur, Sloan, and Guggenheim fellowship holders and members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Sciences.

The Professor learned that the Nutritional Science department is positively thriving, which is why many future dieticians and nutritionists get their starts here. Students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science from the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. The Nutritional Science department is a small program within this large research university, which affords students some real advantages. Small classes allow for lively discussions, a close-knit community, and a lot of individual attention. Students also have access to BU’s enormous libraries, extensive career resources, elective courses from 10 different colleges within the university, and access to seminars and conferences within greater Boston’s medical community.

Nutritional Science students also have many opportunities for further learning. They participate in faculty research projects and can join on-campus nutrition and health groups. Among these groups are the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center, which develops nutrition and physical activity programs for the BU community and the public, and Health Leads, a nonprofit that helps low-income families live healthy lives. Nutritional Science students also have access to real-world learning experiences that are uniquely Bostonian. As part of their studies, they visit a diverse range of the city’s facilities, from hospitals to the Sam Adams Brewery.

The public’s enthusiastic interest in food and health makes for an ample range of career tracks for graduates. In fact, the career outlook for Nutritional Science students has never been better. Many of the program’s graduates work in the medical field, biomedical sciences, the food industry, education, public health, and private practice. Others apply to medical, dental, or veterinary school or to graduate-level programs in public health.

To learn more about Boston University’s application requirements and deadlines for Nutritional Science and other programs, please visit www.bu.edu.