Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise

The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise (HNFE) was established in 1960. It is one of 12 academic departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and has 30 faculty members, 15 staff members, nearly 900 undergraduate students, and 45 graduate students. The ultimate mission of the department is to promote human health. This is done by integrating teaching, research, and Extension programs on nutrition, foods, and exercise. HNFE offers an accredited dietetics internship program and administers the Virginia Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.

The Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Undergraduate Major at Virginia Tech

The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise currently offers four options of study:

Consumer Foods - Students combine knowledge in nutrition and food sciences with marketing, management, and communications to prepare for careers in the public or private sector with the food industry, academia, and 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 - Students study 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 approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). It is a diverse program that covers course work from chemistry to nutrition, foods to management, and counseling to microbiology. Upon completion of the B.S. degree, students are required to complete a Dietetic Internship to become eligible to take the national Registration Examination for Dietitians. Internships are competitive and not guaranteed.

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 and Fitness Specialist 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 are exposed to additional competencies and clinical experiences with chronic disease patients.

Science of Food, Nutrition, and Exercise - Students 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.

Academic Preparation

All admission offers for this program of study are made through the University's Admissions Office. To be a competitive candidate for freshman admission, follow the guidelines listed on the Admissions website. In order to be a competitive candidate, students seeking to transfer into the HNFE program after one year of college work should have a 3.0 grade point average and successfully complete transferable course work in English, mathematics, and appropriate lab sciences. Students planning to transfer under the Guaranteed Admissions Articulation Agreement between Virginia community colleges and the College should follow the academic guidelines noted under College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on the Admissions Articulation Agreements web page.

Upon admission to Virginia Tech, HNFE is a restricted major. Students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average for the Science, EHP, and Consumer Foods options, and a 3.0 for the Dietetics option or to double major/option. The student must also have completed general chemistry and organic chemistry with grades of "C" or better.

Career Opportunities

The careers related to study in HNFE reflect the vast combinations of the nutrition, foods, and exercise science disciplines. Many alumni of the program continue on for advanced degrees in the medical professions (medical school, physical therapy, pharmacology, etc.) or graduate programs of study. Students in the dietetics program apply for a nine- to ten-month internship following their B.S. as part of the Registered Dietitian (R.D.) certification process. Emphasis on gaining and maintaining certifications often dictates specific job qualifications.

Beyond the Classroom

Undergraduate Research: Students get involved in studies of obesity, muscle physiology, exercise science, and human performance. They contribute to the department's project-oriented research goals.

Experience: Internship, volunteer, and service learning experiences are a must for students looking to develop skills and make the connection between theory and practice. They learn to put knowledge to work.

Leadership: A variety of student organizations give students opportunities to get involved in department- and career-related organizations.

People make the difference: The faculty and staff of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise are passionate about putting their knowledge to work for their students and for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mission: To promote health by the integration of human nutrition, food, and exercise focused on the prevention and therapeutic treatment of problems in healthy and vulnerable populations through teaching, research, extension, and continuing education.

Facilities

The department has a number of teaching facilities for undergraduate education including:

  • Human performance lab for exercise science
  • Food Science kitchen / laboratory
  • Metabolic / Nutritional Assessment laboratory

Students involved in undergraduate research projects have access to laboratory space based on the project, funding, and faculty supervision of the research project.

Overview of Course Work

All HNFE options have a strong foundation in the human sciences. A progression of courses from General Chemistry and Nutrition through Organic and Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology to Metabolic Nutrition, and a professional Senior Seminar are similar across options. Each option has course work specific to the field and some options provide Controlled Electives to allow students to tailor the degree to their career choice. For additional information on the specific curricula for each option, please refer to the department Web page (Academic > Undergraduate).

For More Information Contact:

Laurie Bianchi, Coordinating Counselor
Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
338 Wallace Hall (0430)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-5987
lbianchi@vt.edu

Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Homepage

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