Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise

Exercise Bike

The mission of the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise is to promote human health. This is done by integrating teaching, research, and extension programs of nutrition, foods, and exercise. HNFE offers an accredited dietetics internship program and administers the Virginia Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.

Undergraduate Program - Bachelor's Degree

Students majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise may choose one of five emphasis areas including:

Community and International Nutrition - Students work with diverse populations to positively impact overall health. They gain a background in nutritional sciences and skills in international and community health education that will prepare them for careers in public health programs such as Head Start, Women Infants and Children (WIC), Cooperative Extension, wellness centers, consumer education, and with businesses and foundations with international community interests.

Consumer Foods - Students combine their knowledge of nutrition and food sciences with marketing, management, and communications to prepare for careers in the public or private sector with the food industry, academia, or government agencies. Positions include areas such as product development, food microbiology and safety, quality control, and consumer and public relations in the food industry. The consumer foods professional can translate the technical information from food-industry research into information that can be easily understood and at the same time bring consumer concerns to the attention of food industry leaders.

Dietetics - Dietetics is the science of managing food and nutrition to promote health. It is a vital, growing field open to creativity and opportunity. The HNFE program is accredited by the American Dietetics Association (ADA). This diverse program covers course work from chemistry to nutrition, foods to management, and counseling to microbiology. Upon completion of the B.S. degree, students apply to a supervised ADA-approved dietetic internship as a required component of the process towards becoming a Registered Dietitian (R.D.).

Exercise and Health Promotion - Students prepare for careers in the areas of corporate wellness, community health programs, and cardiac rehabilitation programs. The foundation of this option is set in the knowledge, skills, and abilities specified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for its certification program at the Health Fitness Instructor level. Courses tend to be both basic and applied, and include a requirement of hands-on experience in health-fitness and rehabilitation exercise programs. Students also are exposed to additional competencies and clinical experiences with chronic disease patients.

Science of Food, Nutrition, and Exercise - Gain the knowledge needed to meet the preprofessional requirements for most medical, dental, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacology, and graduate programs. This option provides a strong background in the basic sciences of chemistry, biology, and physics combined with nutritional sciences, and a wide selection of upper-level electives spanning nutrition, foods, exercise science, chemistry, and biology. Exposure to research in the curriculum prepares graduates for careers in many areas of life sciences research.

Graduate Programs

The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise awards the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in six areas: Community and International Nutrition, Foods, Nutrition, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Muscle Physiology, and Nutrition in Sports and Chronic Disease.

Extension Programs

The purpose of Extension projects in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise is to put research into action in the Commonwealth. Four HNFE faculty members hold appointments within Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.

Contact Information:

Joseph E. Marcy, Interim Department Head
338 Wallace Hall (0131)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-5540
Fax: (540) 231-3916
jmarcy@vt.edu

Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Homepage