The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Nutritional Science provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in Nutrition. Students desiring a career in nutrition as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) should pursue the Dietetics transfer plan. Following the completion of an accredited Bachelor of Science program at a university and an accredited internship, students may pursue a career in nutrition related healthcare, wellness and prevention, sports nutrition, food and nutrition management, etc. Application for the accredited internship is a highly competitive process.
The Nutritional Sciences transfer plan provides foundational nutrition principles that can be applied to other careers in healthcare. Students may choose to major in Nutritional Sciences, earn a bachelor degree, and then seek graduate educational programs in Physician Assistant, Medical Doctor or Physical Therapist.
Details
Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Type
Associate Degree
Total Credits Required
60-64
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in each course in the program.
What You'll Learn
- Communicate effectively orally and in writing, utilizing the vocabulary of nutritional sciences. (BIO156++, BIO181++, FON100, FON125, HCC145, MAT206, PSY230, (CRE), [FYC], (COM))
- Connect knowledge from the physical, biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences to the science of food and nutrition in health and disease processes. (BIO201++, BIO202, BIO205, CHM130, CHM130LL, CHM130AA, CHM150, CHM150AA, CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM151AA, CHM152, CHM152LL, CHM230, CHM230LL, EXS290, FON100, FON142AB, FON225, FON241)
- Apply food safety and food science principles in general practice. (FON100, FON142AB, FON241)
- Evaluate socially and culturally appropriate strategies in order to respect nutritional and agricultural diverse cultures and values. (FON100, PSY101, [HU], [SB], (COM))
- Describe and demonstrate the governance and ethics principles of food, nutrition, dietetics and health professionals. (BIO156++, BIO181++, BIO205, FON125, [FYC], [HU], [SB])
- Locate and evaluate nutrition literature using various technologies. (EXS290, FON100, FON142AB, FON225, FON241, MAT206, PSY230, (CRE), [FYC])
- Evaluate food systems and nutrition information based on scientific evidence. (BIO201++, BIO202, CHM130, CHM130LL, CHM130AA, CHM150, CHM150AA, CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM151AA, CHM152, CHM152LL, CHM230, CHM230LL, EXS290, FON100, FON225, MAT206, PSY101, PSY230, (CRE), [FYC], [MA])
Career Opportunities
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Credits: | 31-36 | |
| BIO156++ | Introductory Biology for Allied Health (4) OR | |
| BIO181++ | General Biology (Majors) I (4) OR | |
| One year of high school biology (0) | 0-4 | |
| (needed as prerequisite for BIO201++, BIO202, BIO205) | ||
| BIO201++ | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIO205 | Microbiology | 4 |
| CHM130 | Fundamental Chemistry (3) AND | |
| CHM130LL | Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory (1) | |
| OR | ||
| CHM130AA | Fundamental Chemistry with Lab (4) | |
| OR | ||
| CHM150 | General Chemistry I (4) OR | |
| CHM151 | General Chemistry I (3) AND | |
| CHM151LL | General Chemistry I Laboratory (1) | |
| OR | ||
| CHM150AA | General Chemistry I (5) | |
| OR | ||
| CHM151AA | General Chemistry I (4) | 4-5 |
| Note: (CHM15+ and CHM151LL) or CHM15+AA must be selected for students in the Nutritional Sciences transfer plans. | ||
| EXS290 | Introduction to Evidence Based Practice (3) OR | |
| FON225 | Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies (3) | 3 |
| FON100 | Introductory Nutrition | 3 |
| FON142AB | Science of Food | 3 |
| FON241 | Principles of Human Nutrition | 3 |
| MAT206 | Elements of Statistics (3) OR | |
| PSY230 | Introduction to Statistics (3) | 3 |
Course Sequence by Term
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Credits: | 4-11 | |
| Complete requirements in the transfer option that best aligns with your academic and professional goals. If your intended transfer institution is not listed, then select a combination of courses from the transfer options listed in order to meet the minimum credits required in the Restricted Electives section. Consult with an academic, faculty, or program advisor to prevent exceeding your university transfer program`s maximum transferable credits (typically 64). | ||
| Transfer Plan 1: Dietetics | ||
| CHM230 | Fundamental Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHM230LL | Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| FON125 | Introduction to Professions in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics | 1 |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Transfer Plan 2: Nutritional Sciences | ||
| CHM152 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM152LL | General Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| Transfer Plan 3: Arizona State University (ASU), College of Health Solutions, Dietetics, Bachelor of Science (BS) | ||
| CHM230 | Fundamental Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHM230LL | Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| FON125 | Introduction to Professions in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics | 1 |
| HCC145 | Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals | 3 |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Transfer Plan 4: Arizona State University (ASU), College of Health Solutions, Nutritional Science, Bachelor of Science (BS) | ||
| CHM230 | Fundamental Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHM230LL | Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| HCC145 | Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals | 3 |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| AGEC-A | Credits: 18-30 | |
| A single course with an [L], [HU], [SB], [SG], or [SQ] designation may also be used to satisfy the Oral Communication, Critical Reading, and/or Awareness Area ([C], [G] and/or [H]) requirement(s). See the AGEC matrix on aztransfer.com for course designations.
| ||
| First-Year Composition [FYC] | Credits: 6 | |
| ENG101 | First-Year Composition (3) OR | |
| ENG107 | First-Year Composition for ESL (3) AND | |
| ENG102 | First-Year Composition (3) OR | |
| ENG108 | First-Year Composition for ESL (3) | 6 |
| Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] | Credits: 0 | |
| Met by EXS290 OR FON225 in the Required Courses area. | ||
| Mathematics [MA] | Credits: 3-6 | |
| MAT150 | College Algebra/Functions (5) OR | |
| MAT151 | College Algebra/Functions (4) OR | |
| MAT152 | College Algebra/Functions (3) OR | |
| MAT155 | College Algebra/Functions with Review (5) OR | |
| MAT156 | College Algebra/Functions with Review (6) | 3-6 |
| Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] | Credits: 0 | |
| Met by MAT206 or PSY230 in the Required Courses area. | ||
| Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] | Credits: 6 | |
| Any approved general education course in the Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] area. | 6 | |
| Recommend PHI216 Environmental Ethics OR PHI213 Medical and Bio-Ethics | ||
| Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] | Credits: 3-6 | |
| Any approved general education course in the Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] area. | 6 | |
| May be partially met by PSY101 in Restricted Electives. | ||
| Natural Sciences [SG]/[SQ] | Credits: 0 | |
| Met by (CHM130 AND CHM130LL) OR CHM130AA OR [(CHM150 or CHM151) AND CHM151LL)] OR CHM150AA OR CHM151AA AND | ||
| BIO201++ | in the Required Courses area. | |
| Awareness Areas | Credits: 0-6 | |
| These requirements may be shared with other AGEC requirements. See the AGEC matrix on aztransfer.com for course designations. | ||
| Cultural Diversity in the US [C] | Credits: 0-3 | |
| 0-3 | ||
| Historical/Global Awareness [H]/[G] | Credits: 0-3 | |
| Any approved general education course with the Historical [H] or Global [G] awareness area designation. | ||
| MCCCD Additional Requirements | ||
| MCCCD Additional Requirements | Credits: 0-6 | |
| Some courses in this area have [SB] and [L] designations and may also be applied to the corresponding AGEC requirements. See the AGEC matrix on aztransfer.com for course designations. | ||
| Oral Communication | Credits: 0-3 | |
| COM100 | Introduction to Human Communication (3) OR | |
| COM110 | Interpersonal Communication (3) OR | |
| COM225 | Public Speaking (3) OR | |
| COM230 | Small Group Communication (3) | 0-3 |
| Critical Reading | Credits: 0-3 | |
| CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking (3) OR | |
| Equivalent as indicated by assessment (0) | 0-3 | |
Course Area Key
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals. | ||
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.