General Information

The Food and Nutrition Program at Bowling Green State University is committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from diverse backgrounds. We provide undergraduate and graduate students with an innovative, science-based educational foundation within a learning community that encourages and respects the viewpoint and lived experience of each person. Students are engaged in addressing the food and nutrition needs of diverse communities, families, and individuals across the lifespan (​including but not limited to race, ethnicity, age, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, religion, and sexual orientation). The Program successfully transitions graduates into a variety of professional settings, such as accredited supervised practice programs, graduate/professional programs, and the workforce, congruent with their professional goals. 

ADVISING

Faculty and professional advisors are committed to helping all students succeed. Students in the nutrition sciences program receive advising from Food & Nutrition faculty and from the College of Health and Human Services' Advising office, which provides a variety of services to assist students in meeting their personal and professional goals.

ALUMNI

Students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences degree program will be prepared for the following:

• Pursue advanced degrees in nutrition and other life sciences;
• Apply for entrance into professional schools of medicine; 
• Enter laboratory research careers in food, nutrition or pharmaceutical industry such as:

Nutritionist  analyzing the interaction of diet and exercise
Research scientist  in food and pharmaceutical industries
Product representative  for a pharmaceutical company
Software developer  for nutrient analysis of training table meals for athletes
Research scientist  for a governmental agency
Academic career  in food science and/or nutrition

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jonathan Kershaw, Ph.D
Position: Assistant Professor, Nutrition Sciences Program Coordinator 
Email: jkersha@bgsu.edu
Address: 136 Health and Human Services Building

DEGREES

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Sciences may require nine semesters to complete. Students will also receive a minor in both biology and chemistry.

ENTRY TO THE PROGRAM

Students pursuing a B.S. in Nutrition Sciences degree are encouraged to have high school preparation in calculus, chemistry, and biology.

FINANCIAL AID

Approximately 60 percent of BGSU students receive financial aid.

LICENSURE

There is no official licensure leading from the program in Nutrition Sciences. However, students who complete the B.S. in Nutrition Sciences degree program will be prepared to

1) pursue advanced degrees in nutrition and other life sciences; 
2) apply for entrance into professional schools of medicine; and 
3) enter laboratory research careers in food, nutrition or pharmaceutical industry.

SERVICES AND RESOURCES

Laboratory experiences are an integral part of the nutrition sciences major. A new 14-unit food preparation laboratory and a new chemistry lab for physical and chemical analysis of foods are located in the Health and Human Services Building. The chemistry and biology laboratories, which are required in the curriculum, are conducted in Overman Hall and the Life Sciences Building. Opportunities are available for students to interact and conduct research with professionals in the field and related disciplines, such as faculty in the departments of biology and chemistry at BGSU, and professionals working in community/public/clinical nutrition and the food industry. Students have also interacted with community agencies through partnership grants awarded to faculty.