At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
The sports nutrition minor is designed for students who have an interest in applying nutrition principles to sport or other physically demanding professions (i.e., athletic trainer, coach, tactical positions in armed forces and or public services, etc.) that may require an understanding of nutrition, the basic competencies involved in sports, nutrition, or a need to communicate with specialized nutrition professionals (i.e., sports dietitians). In this minor, students will learn about nutrition recommendations that can be shared with athletes and other professions. This minor is designed for students who are in majors that relate to human performance sciences.
What is Sports Nutrition?
The Sports Nutrition minor is designed for students interested in applying advanced nutrition principles to sport, athletics, and physically demanding professions, including tactical roles in the armed forces and public service. This program emphasizes how nutrition influences performance, recovery, and overall health in active populations at all levels of athletics including high school, college, and professional.
Students will also develop foundational competencies for effectively communicating with athletic support teams such as coaches, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning staff, and sports dietitians and learn how evidence based nutrition integrates into training and performance environments. The curriculum also prioritizes critical thinking related to dietary supplements, marketing practices, and the communication of complex scientific concepts to the public. This minor is especially well suited for students majoring in fields related to human health, human performance, kinesiology, or other disciplines where understanding the relationship between nutrition and physical performance enhances professional preparation.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You are pursuing a career in human performance or health, such as kinesiology, exercise science, athletic training, physical therapy, or strength and conditioning.
- You work with or aspire to work with athletes at the high school, collegiate, or professional level.
- You plan to enter physically demanding or tactical professions, including the armed forces, firefighting, emergency medical services, or law enforcement.
- You want to deepen your own understanding of sports nutrition and apply these principles to your personal training or athletic pursuits.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 18 |
Requirements for the Minor
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Courses | ||
| Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| HM 230 | Principles of Food Production Management | 3 |
| NUTR 251 | Introductory Principles of Nutrition  | 3 |
| NUTR 358 | Assessment of Nutritional Status | 3 |
| NUTR 407 | Nutrition for Exercise and Sports | 3 |
| NUTR 487 | Advanced Performance Nutrition | 3 |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| KINES 160N | Fitness with Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| or KINES 350 | Exercise Physiology | |
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Nicole Hastings
Academic Adviser
110 Chandlee Laboratory
University Park, PA 16802
nxh5261@psu.edu
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
110 Chandlee Laboratory
University Park, PA 16802
tpm5262@psu.edu