Required courses for Nutritional Sciences/Natural Science Majors
A faculty advisor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences (the "home" department for the major) will assist in planning your schedule. In your first two years in the program, you will complete the background courses required in such areas as biology, chemistry, physiology, physics, and math. You will also take introductory courses in nutrition. Upper-division coursework in the degree program begins in the junior year and involves courses in nutrition, genetics, and biochemistry.
Completion of the CALS degree requirements will satisfy all University General Education Requirements (GER). All CALS students must meet both the college's requirement for written and oral communication and the university requirement for Communications A and B. In addition, CALS college-wide course requirements in Economics, Ethnic Studies, Humanities, Social Science, and International Studies must also be met.
Special Notes: For the Bachelor of Science Degree, students must complete a minimum of 124 credits with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Students must take their last 30 credits in residence while officially enrolled in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Degree credit will be granted only once for courses that are repeated. Other degree requirements are outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.
The course requirements specifically for students majoring in Nutritional Sciences/Natural Science are listed below. Note that several courses are considered equivalent and may be substituted for each other (e.g. Microbiol 101 or 303 and Biochem 501 or Biomolecular Chem 314). Please see the Four Year Road Map for advice on when to take which courses. You can also download a Curriculum Worksheet for help in planning your courses.
Nutritional Sciences
311 Comparative Animal Nutrition. (Crosslisted with Dy Sci, An Sci) II; 3 cr (B-I). Nutrients and their source, assimilation, function and requirement. P: Biochem 201 or Bmolchem 314 or Chem 341 or Chem 343 or cons inst.
332 Human Nutritional Needs, I, II; 3 cr. Lectures, discussion. Biological basis of the nutritional requirements of humans and the influence of psychological and societal factors on the manner of their fulfillment. Prereq: Chem 103; Chem 104 or Biochem 201 or Bmol Chem 314.
350 World Hunger and Malnutrition. (Crosslisted with Agronomy, Inter-AG, AAE) II; 3 cr (B-I). Hunger and poverty in developing countries and the United States. Topics include: nutrition and health, population, food production and availability, and income distribution and employment.
431 Nutrition in the Life Span, II; 3 cr. Influence of nutrition on growth and development; physiological basis of nutritional requirements throughout the life span, including the relationship of food habits and nutrition to selected chronic diseases; principles of nutritional intervention in community programs. Prereq: Jr st; Nutr Sci 332 & Physiol 335 or cons inst.
499 Capstone in Nutrition. II; 2 cr (A). Capstone in the nutritional sciences, emphasis is on the integration of nutritional knowledge and the interpretation and application of nutrition-oriented research. P: Sr st & Nutr Sci 431; Nutr Sci 510 or con reg.
510 Biochemical Principles of Human and Animal Nutrition, (Crosslisted with Biochem) I; 3 cr. Lectures in nutrition for students with a substantial background in biochemistry. Emphasis on biochemical and physiological fundamentals of nutrition. Discussion of protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, minerals and vitamins and their roles and interrelationships in nutrition and metabolism. Prereq: Biochem 501 or 602 or cons inst.
540 Community Nutrition Programs and Policy Issues. II; 1 cr (B-I). Students will increase their understanding of community-based nutrition needs, intervention programs and policy issues in the U.S. Written assignments will demonstrate students' positions on related issues. P: Nutr Sci 431 or cons inst.
631 Clinical Nutrition, I; 4 cr. Body systems in relation to the alterations in nutrition and metabolism that accompany disease states. Research related to therapeutic nutrition. Prereq: Nutr Sci 332, 431; Biochem 501 or Biomolchem 314; or cons inst.
672 Herbals, Homeopathy, and Dietary Supplements. (Crosslisted with Phm Prac) II; 2-3 cr. Covers regulations and clinical science regarding the use of herbals, homeopathic remedies, and dietary supplements, focusing on peer-reviewed studies and integration with allopathic drugs; includes discussion of marketing issues. P: Phm Sci 432 or Biochem 501 or Bmolchem 314; Physiol 335; or cons inst.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II, SS; 2-4 cr (A). P: Honors candidacy.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II, SS; 2-4 cr. Continuation of 681. P: Nutr Sci 681 and honors candidacy.
691 Senior Thesis: Nutrition. I, II, SS; 1-4 cr (A). P: Sr st & cons inst.
692 Senior Thesis. I, II, SS; 1-4 cr. P: Nutr Sci 691; Sr st & cons inst.
699 Special Problems. I, II, SS; 1-3 cr (A). P: Cons inst.
Biochemistry
501 Introduction to Biochemistry, I, II; 3 cr. Chemistry, nutrition, and metabolism of biological systems. Not accepted toward departmental M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Prereq: Chem. 341 or 343.
507 General Biochemistry I. I; 3-4 cr (P-A). Chemistry of biological materials, intermediary metabolism and protein structure. First semester of a year long first course in biochemistry. P: Chem 345. Honors stdts register for 4 cr, all others register for 3 cr.
508 General Biochemistry II. II; 3-4 cr (P-A). Chemistry and metabolism of nucleic acids and protein synthesis. Molecular and cellular biology. P: Biochem 507. Honors stdts register for 4 cr, all others register for 3 cr.
Biocore
301 Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics. (Crosslisted with Biology) I; 3 cr (B-I). Focuses on history of life and the development of our ideas about evolution and natural selection; principles of genetics, including Mendel's laws and the structural and functional organization of chromosomes; interrelationships between individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, and their environments. P: Math 221, Chem 104 or 109, prev or con reg in Chem 341 or 343; or cons inst.
302 Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory. (Crosslisted with Biology) I; 2 cr (b-B-I). Writing-intensive course with opportunities for students to make observations and generate and test their own ideas. Includes field trips to local marsh, prairie, and woodland communities and projects that deal with evolutionary relationships, interactions between organisms, adaptations, and genetics. P: Prev or con reg in Biocore 301.
303 Cellular Biology. (Crosslisted with Biology) II; 3 cr (B-I). Cellular and molecular basis of life. The main themes are the structure and function of cells and organelles, the flow of energy in cells, and the storage, expression, and regulation of genetic information. P: Biocore 301, Chem 341 or 343; or cons inst.
304 Cellular Biology Laboratory. (Crosslisted with Biology) II; 2 cr (b-B-I). Writing-intensive course in which students undertake projects in areas such as enzyme catalysis, subcellular fractionation, motility, growth of bacteriophage, genetic mapping, genetic analysis of a biochemical pathway, and transformation of bacterial cells with DNA. P: Prev or con reg in Biocore 303 or Biochem 501 & Genetics 466. So or Jr st or cons inst.
323 Organismal Biology. (Crosslisted with Biology) I; 3 cr (B-I). Physiology course that considers how plants and animals interact with their environments to survive, obtain nutrients, exchange gases, and reproduce, also how the complex systems of neural and endocrine regulation in animals and hormonal and environmental regulation in plants allow cells and organs to communicate. P: Biocore 301 & 303; or cons inst.
324 Organismal Biology Laboratory. (Crosslisted with Biology) I; 2 cr (B-I). Students learn plant and animal physiology by collaborating on experiments, in many cases using themselves as subjects (e.g., electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms, respiration rate). Emphasis is on critical thinking required in designing and conducting experiments and in analyzing and interpreting results. P: Biocore 323 or con reg.
333 Biological Interactions. (Crosslisted with Biology) II; 3 cr (B-I). Biological systems do not operate in isolation but are characterized by interactions at all levels of organization. This capstone course helps students build on and integrate the knowledge they have gained in the previous three semesters while addressing current research in topics such as signaling pathways and genetic disease. P: Biocore 301, 303, and 323; or cons inst.
Biomolecular Chemistry
503 Human Biochemistry. II; 3 cr (B-A). Lectures and conferences on basic principles of biological chemistry with emphasis on its application to the medical sciences. P: Chem 341 or 343 or cons inst.
Botany
130 General Botany. (Crosslisted with Biology) I, II; 5 cr (B-E). Introduction to the basic principles and concepts of the biology of plants. an integrative approach stressing evolutionary sequences and the relationship between structure and function at succeeding levels of organization: molecule, cell, organism, population, community. Correlated lectures, laboratories, and discussions. P: Open to Fr; not open to stdts who have taken Botany 100 or Botany/Zoology 151-152. HS or coll chem crse recommended.
Chemistry
103 General Chemistry, I, II, SS; 4 cr. Introduction. Stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding, descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds, chemical equilibrium. For students taking one year or more of college chemistry; serves as a prereq for Chem 104; lecture, lab and discussion. Prereq: Math 101 or placement at or above Math 112. Con reg in Math 112 or above and 1 year HS chem recommended. Open to Fr. Only 4-5 cr from Chem 103, 108 and 109 will be accepted for degree credit.
104 General Chemistry. I, II, SS; 5 cr. Principles and application of chemical equilibrium, coordination chemistry, oxidation-reduction and electrochemistry, kinetics, nuclear chemistry, introduction to organic chemistry. Lecture, lab, and discussion. Prereq: Chem 103 and Math 101 or placement at or above Math 112; Open to Fr. Not for credit for those who have taken Chem 110, or 116.
109 General and Analytical Chemistry I. I; 5 cr. Atomic and molecular structure, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, nuclear chemistry, kinetic molecular theory, quantum theory and chemical bonding. For most chemistry majors, chemistry course students, chemical engineers, and students majoring in areas closely related to chemistry. Lecture, lab, and discussion. Prereq: 1 yr HS Chem, 3 yr HS Math; suitable math placement score. Open to Fr. Only 4-5 credits from Chem 103, 108, and 109 will be accepted for degree credit.
311 Chemistry Across the Periodic Table. I, II; 4 cr (P-I). This course explores the descriptive chemistry of the elements in the context of state-of-the-art research and technology development. The weekly three hour laboratory introduces students to the synthesis and characterization of inorganic compounds. P: Chem 109 or 104. Open to Fr.
327 Fundamentals of Analytical Science. I, II, SS; 4 cr (P-I). Fundamentals of chemical measurement in chemistry, biology, engineering, geology, and the medical sciences. Topics include equilibria of complex systems, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, separations, and quantitative laboratory technique. Lecture, lab, and discussion. P: Chem 104, or 109 or cons inst.
329 Fundamentals of Analytical Science. I, II; 4 cr (P-I). Fundamentals of chemical measurement in chemistry, biology, engineering, geology, and the medical sciences. Topics include equilibria of complex systems, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, separations, and quantitative laboratory technique. For chemistry majors, chemical engineering majors, and related majors. Lecture, lab, and discussion. P: Chem 104, 109 or cons inst.
343 Introductory Organic Chemistry. I, II; 3 cr. For students expecting to take 2 sems. organic chem. Prereq: Chem 104 or 109. Not for credit for those who have taken Chem 341.
344 Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory. I, II, SS; 2 cr. Basic analytical techniques for organic chemistry. Commonly used synthetic methods. Purification and characterization of reaction products. Prereq: Chem 341 or 343.
345 Intermediate Organic Chemistry. I, II, SS; 3 cr. Prereq: Chem 343 with grade of C or better.
Food Science
310 Analysis of Food Products. I; 4 cr. Lecture and lab. Application of quantitative techniques to the determination of composition and quality of food products. P: Chem 341 or Biochem 201 or 501.
325 Food Bacteriology. (Crosslisted with Bact 325 ) I; 3 cr. Principles of food preservation, fermentation, spoilage, sanitation, quality control, and food poisoning. Prereq: Bact 101 or 301 or 303 or Med Micro 301 or cons inst.
410 Food Chemistry I. II; 3 cr (B-I). Lecture. Nature and chemical behavior of food constituents including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, water, enzymes, pigments and flavors. P: Biochem 501 or equiv & Chem 221 or Food Sci 310.
514 Food Chemistry II. II; 2 cr (B-I). Chemistry of vitamins, minerals, pigments, food additives, and potential toxicants, with emphasis on changes during processing and storage. Physiological characteristics of animal tissues postmortem and plant tissues postharvest. P: Biochem 501 & Food Sci 410, or cons inst.
Mathematics
112 Algebra., I, II, SS; 3 cr. Polynomial equations, remainder and factor theorems, functions, graphs of functions, simultaneous linear equations, logarithm and exponential functions, sequences and series, mathematical induction, binomial theorem. Prereq: Intermed math comp (usually 3 units of HS math) & suitable placement scores, or Math 100 or 101. Open to Fr. Stdts may not receive cr for both Math 112 114.
113 Trigonometry, I, II, SS; 2 cr. Graphs, properties and geometric significance of trigonometric functions of a real variable, trigonometric equations and identities, applications, trigonometric form of complex numbers, DeMiovre's theorem. Prereq: Adv Math comp-algebra & suitable placement scores or completion of Math 112. Stdts may not receive cr for both Math 113 & 114. Open to Fr.
114 Algebra and Trigonometry. I; 5 cr. Covers Math 112 and Math 113. Not recommended for students with less than an AB in Math 100 or 101. Prereq: Intermed math comp (usually 3 units HS math) & suitable plct scores, or Math 100 or 101. Open to Fr. Stdts may not receive cr for both Math 112 & 114 nor for both 113 & 114.
210 Topics in Finite Mathematics. I, II, SS; 3 cr (r-N-I). Topics in finite mathematics including elementary matrix algebra, linear programming, introduction to probability, and mathematics of finance. Students planning to take both Math 210 and Math 211 are advised to take Math 210 first. Primarily for students in social and biological science and prebusiness. Students preparing for advanced study in mathematics should take Math 221-222-223 rather than Math 210-211-213. P: Adv math competency—algebra and suitable placement scores or Math 112 or 114. Open to Fr.
211 Calculus. I, II, SS; 5 cr (r-N-I). Essential concepts of differential and integral calculus; exponential and logarithmic functions; functions of several variables. Primarily for students in prebusiness and some social sciences. Students preparing for advanced study in mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences should take Math 221-222-234 rather than Math 210-211-213. Most students in the biological sciences should take Math 221. The course Math 210 is not a prerequisite for Math 211. P: Open to Fr. Adv math competency-algebra & suitable placement scores or Math 112 or 114. May not receive full cr for both Math 211 & 221.
221 Calculus and Analytic Geometry. I, II, SS; 5 cr (r-N-I). Introduction to differential and integral calculus and plane analytic geometry; applications; transcendental functions. P: (I) Adv math comp-alg&suitable plct scores, or Math 112 & (II) Adv math comp-trig&suitable plct scores, or Math 113; or Math 114. Open to Fr. May not rec cr for both Math 211 & 221.
222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry. I, II, SS; 5 cr (r-N-I). Techniques of integration, first order ordinary differential equations, conic sections, polar coordinates, vectors, two and three dimensional analytic geometry, infinite series. P: Math 221. Stdts may not receive full degree cr for both Math 222 & 213. Open to Fr.
Microbiology
101 General Microbiology. I, II, SS; 3 cr. Survey of microorganisms and their activities; emphasis on structure, function, ecology, nutrition, physiology, and genetics. Survey of applied microbiology-medical, agricultural, food and industrial microbiology. Intended to satisfy any curriculum which requires introductory level microbiology. See 102 if laboratory is desired. Prereq: Chem 103 or 108 or 109 or 115. Stdts may not receive cr for both Bact 101 & 303. Stdts with one sem organic chem who will continue in biol or phys sci take 303. Open to Fr.
102 General Microbiology Laboratory. I, II, SS; 2 cr. Covers techniques and procedures used in general microbiology, including cultivation, enumeration, aseptic techniques, physiology and selected applications. Prereq: Bact 101 or con reg (preferred). Stdts may not receive credit for both Bact 102 and 304. Open to Fr.
303 Procaryotic Microbiology. I, II, SS; 3 cr. Basic biology of procaryotic microorganisms, including structure, function, physiology, genetics and ecology of bacteria. If a laboratory is desired, concurrent registration in Bact 304 is recommended. Prereq: Prev. crse. in botany, zoology, Biocore or gen biol; 1 sem org chem or con reg. No degree credit for both Bact 101 and 303. Required of Bact majors, recommended for Biol Sci majors.
304 Procaryotic Microbiology Laboratory. I, II, SS; 2 cr. Introduction to modern laboratory techniques used to study the distribution and properties of microorganisms. This is the companion lab to Bacteriology 303. Degree credits cannot be earned in both Bacteriology 102 and 304. Prereq: Bact 303 or con reg. Required of Bact majors and recommended for bio-sci majors.
Physics
103 General Physics. I, II, SS; 4 cr (r-P-E). Introduction at the non-calculus level. Not recommended for students in the physical sciences and engineering. Principles of mechanics, heat, and sound, with applications to a number of different fields. Three lectures, one discussion section and one two-hour lab per week. P: High school math including some trig; recommended for stdts who do not need a calculus level course. Not open to those who have had Physics 201 or 207. Open to Fr.
104 General Physics. I, II, SS; 4 cr (P-E). Continuation of Physics 103. Principles of electricity and magnetism, light, optics, and modern physics, with applications to a number of different fields. Three lectures, one discussion and one two-hour lab per week. P: Physics 103. Not open to those who have had Physics 202 or 208. Open to Fr.
201 General Physics. I, II, SS; 5 cr (r-P-I). Primarily for engineering students. Mechanics and heat. Two lectures, two discussions and one three-hour lab per week. P: Math 211 or 221 or 1 yr HS calc or cons inst. Not open to stdts who have had Physics 207. Degree cr will not be given for both Physics 103 & 201. Open to Fr.
202 General Physics. I, II, SS; 5 cr (P-I). Primarily for engineering students. Electricity, magnetism, light, and sound. Two lectures, two discussions and one three-hour lab per week. P: Physics 201 or equiv. Not open to stdts who have had Physics 208. Degree cr will
207 General Physics. I, II; 5 cr (r-P-I). Recommended for those majoring in science or mathematics. Also suitable for others who have the math prerequisite. Mechanics, heat and sound. Two lectures, two discussions and one three-hour lab per week. P: Math 221 or 211 or 1 yr HS calc or cons inst. Not open to stdts who have had Physics 201. Degree cr will not be given for both Physics 103 & 207. Open to Fr.
208 General Physics. I, II; 5 cr (P-I). Continuation of Physics 207. Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics. Two lectures, two discussions and one three-hour lab per week. P: Physics 207. Not open to stdts who have had Physics 202. Degree cr will not be given for both Physics 104 & Physics 208. Open to Fr.
Physiology
335 Physiology. I, II, SS; 5 cr. Lectures, recitations, demonstrations and labs. Prereq: Biol or Zool & Gen Chem before enroll. Not open to Fr.
Statistics
224 Introductory Statistics for Engineers. I, II; 3 cr (r-N-I). P: Math 221. 2nd Sem Fr St. Stdts may receive degree cr for no more than one of the following: Stat 201, 224, and 301.
301 Introduction to Statistical Methods. I, II, SS; 3 cr (r-N-I).
Distributions, measures of central tendency, dispersion and shape, the normal distribution; experiments to compare means, standard errors, confidence intervals; effects of departure from assumption; method of least squares, regression, correlation, assumptions and limitations; basic ideas of experimental design. P: Open to Fr. Stdts may receive degree cr for no more than one of the following: Stat 201, 224, 301, 324, and 371.
371 Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences. I, II; 3 cr (r-N-I). The course will provide students in the life sciences with an introduction to modern statistical practice. Topics include: exploratory data analysis, probability and random variables; one-sample testing and confidence intervals, role of assumptions, sample size determination, two-sample inference; basic ideas in experimental design, analysis of variance, linear regression, goodness-of fit; biological applications. P: Math 112 & 113 or Math 114. Open to Fr. Stdts may receive cr for no more than one of the following crses: Stat 201, 224, 301, 324, & 371.
541 Introduction to Biostatistics. (Crosslisted with B M I) I; 3 cr (r-N-I). Course designed for the biomedical researcher. Topics include: descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, estimation, confidence intervals, t-tests, chi-squared tests, analysis of variance, linear regression, correlation, nonparametric tests, survival analysis and odds ratio. Biomedical applications used for each topic. P: Math 221 or equiv or cons inst.
571 Statistical Methods for Bioscience I. (Crosslisted with Forest, Hort) I; 4 cr (r-I). Descriptive statistics, distributions, one- and two-sample normal inference, power, one-way Anova, simple linear regression, categorical data, non-parametric methods; underlying assumptions and diagnostic work. P: College algebra: Grad st or cons inst.
Zoology
101 Animal Biology. (Crosslisted with Biology) I, II, SS; 3 cr (B-E). General biological principles. Topics include: evolution, ecology, animal behavior, cell structure and function, genetics and molecular genetics and the physiology of a variety of organ systems emphasizing function in humans. P: Open to Fr. Not for credit for those who have taken Zool 151 or 152 or equiv.
102 Animal Biology Laboratory. (Crosslisted with Biology) I, II, SS; 2 cr (B-E). P: Zool 101 or con reg. Open to Fr.
151 Introductory Biology. (Crosslisted with Botany, Biology) I, II; 5 cr (B-E). First semester of a two semester course designed for majors in biological sciences. Topics include: cell structure and function, cellular metabolism (enzymes, respiration, photosynthesis), information flow (DNA, RNA, protein), principles of genetics and a survey of the five major kingdoms of organisms. P: Open to Fr. HS chem or con reg in coll chem strongly advised. Not for full credit for those who have taken Bot 100, 130; Zool 101, 102, 120; or equiv.
152 Introductory Biology. (Crosslisted with Botany, Biology) I, II; 5 cr (b-B-E). Second semester of a two semester course designed for majors in biological sciences. Continuation of 151. Topics include: a survey of the five major kingdoms of organisms, selected topics in plant and animal physiology, the structure and dynamics of selected ecosystems, speciation and evolutionary theory. P: Botany/Zoology 151. Not for full credit for those who have taken Bot 100, 130; Zool 101, 102, 120; or equiv.
