USF to Offer Nutrition Degree
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne is launching a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. The school says it will be the first degree of its kind in northeast Indiana. The program will begin this fall. February 25, 2014
News Release
Feb. 25, 2014 FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The University of Saint Francis will offer northeast Indiana’s first Bachelor of Science in nutrition this fall. The degree offers the option of a special concentration in health promotion.
The university is offering the degree to fill a community and professional need. “Since the public and private sectors are placing a greater emphasis on preventative medicine and promoting healthy lifestyles, the already strong demand for nutritionists is expected to increase in the foreseeable future,” said Katie Wiedman, chair of the Department of Exercise Science and Health.
The degree serves the fast-changing and ever-growing needs of the healthcare and food industries, which translates into jobs for degree-holders. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of nutritionists is expected to grow faster than average, about 21 percent by 2022, because of the increased emphasis on disease prevention, a growing and aging population and public interest.
Students interested in careers in food service management, research and development in food and nutrition, health and nutrition marketing, sports nutrition and corporate wellness, food and nutrition-related businesses or community nutrition education will be prepared by a curriculum covering business, the biological, social and psychological aspects of health, and the ability to communicate this knowledge to the public.
Students who choose the concentration in health promotion will engage in service learning in various community nutrition, clinical nutrition and food service management sites. The sites will expose students to area nutrition providers and establish relationships with the organizations for the development of career possibilities. Graduates who wish to seek higher education can directly apply to a Master of Science in nutrition and dietetics or pursue medical, dental or other pre-professional programs.
Director and registered dietitian Beverly Moellering brings solid experience and leadership to the new degree. She spent 10 years at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, teaching adult, pediatric and adolescent weight management classes, providing cardiac risk reduction classes, offering nutritional counseling and supporting the Fort-4-Fitness Kids Marathon. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Purdue University, her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt Medical Center and her master’s degree at Ball State University.
High school students entering the Bachelor of Science in nutrition should have strong science and mathematics backgrounds. Financial aid is available in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work study. Over 99 percent of USF undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance, and many receive more than one type. More information is available at sf.edu/financialaid.
Admission information is available at sf.edu/admissions.
The University of Saint Francis, founded in 1890 as a comprehensive university in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership, School of Professional Studies and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, the university designs focused curriculum for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. More than 2,400 students from a broad geographic region attend USF for its academic excellence.Source: University of Saint Francis