UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2024-2025

Program: Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, B.S.

Food Science Option

Program Description

The Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science program focuses on the biological, chemical and physical components of food and the ways in which these ingredients affect health. The Food Science option focuses on the physical, microbiological and chemical makeup of food and examines how it is grown and/or manufactured, processed, preserved, packaged, transported, and otherwise prepared according to industry and government specifications and regulations.

Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU, and requirements can change at any time. For example, licensure or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right to work in the United States (e.g., Social Security number or taxpayer identification number) or successfully passing a criminal background check. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet licensure or credentialing requirements. Information concerning licensure and credentialing requirements is available from the department. See Notice to Students: Licensure and Certification for more information.

Program Requirements

1. Required Core Courses (51-62 units)

2. Food Science Option Courses (17 units)

FCS 302 Food Product Development (2)
FCS 306 Food Safety and Quality Assurance (3)
FCS 400 Food Chemistry (3)
FCS 401/L Food Analysis and Lab (2/1)

Electives (6 units)

BIOL 285 Biology of Cancer (2)
BIOL 431/L Food Microbiology and Lab (2/2)
BLAW 280 Business Law I (3)
EOH 456 Fundamentals of Toxicology (3)
FCS 308 Advanced Nutrition: Micronutrients (3)
FCS 323 Family and Individual Money Management (3) 
FCS 324 Consumer Rights, Issues, and Problems (3)
FCS 428 Corporate Consumer Affairs (3)
JOUR 100 Mass Communication (3)
JOUR 110/L News Reporting I and Lab (2/1)
JOUR 310 Feature Writing (3)
JOUR 350 Photojournalism (3)
JOUR 460 Magazine Journalism (3)
MATH 150A Calculus I (5)
PHYS 100A and PHYS 100AL General Physics I and Lab (3/1)
PHYS 100B and PHYS 100BL General Physics II and Lab (3/1)
SUST 310 Best Practices in Sustainability (3)
SUS 500 Foundations of Sustainable Systems (3)

3. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

12 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: CHEM 101 or CHEM 103 satisfies B1 Physical Science; BIOL 101 or BIOL 106 satisfies B2 Life Science; BIOL 101L or BIOL 106L satisfies B3 Science Laboratory Activity; and MATH 140 satisfies B4 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning. FCS 207 satisfies E Lifelong Learning and fulfills Information Competence, or HSCI 337 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning or E Lifelong Learning.

If taken, FCS 323 or FCS 324 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning or E Lifelong Learning and fulfills Information Competence; BLAW 280, JOUR 100 or SUST 310 satisfies E Lifelong Learning.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 68-79

General Education Units: 36

Additional Units: 5-16

Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree: 120

Contact

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Chair: Yi Cai
Sequoia Hall (SQ) 141
(818) 677-3051

Program Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in locating, interpreting, evaluating and citing scientific literature to solve problems and make ethical, evidence-based, practice decisions.
  2. Communicate effectively in their field of study using written, oral, visual and/or electronic forms.
  3. Apply a critical understanding of theoretical and scientific knowledge from subdisciplines in nutrition and food science to current and future issues of health and well-being for individuals, families and global communities.
  4. Describe sociocultural competence relative to diversity, equity and/or inclusion.