Nutrition Degree Programs
Find out how to become a nutritionist or registered dietitian (RD) through an education at Bastyr
Bastyr University's innovative nutrition degree programs encompass a "whole food" approach -- a study of food in its entirety, its individual components and how it affects the human body. The Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr prepares students to meet the nutritional needs and challenges of individuals and equips graduates with the tools to make an impact on societal and global scales.
Our nutrition degree program provides students with a comprehensive education that merges the science of nutrition with a broader view of wellness, community and the environment. Bastyr's experienced faculty guides students through the physiological, biochemical, socioeconomic, political and psychological aspects of human nutrition.
The University's progressive curriculum emphasizes that good nutrition also involves understanding and meeting the greater needs of the planet. This includes using food as affordable medicine and learning how growing and processing food impacts the environment.
Programs of Study
Undergraduate Degree Programs
Graduate Degree Programs
*The Bastyr Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is an approved curriculum satisfying the American Dietetic Association (ADA) required competencies in the appropriate coursework. It is the first step in pursuing a career as a registered dietitian (RD). Verified graduation from the DPD program provides students with the technical and academic knowledge to compete for a dietetic internship (DI), the second step to becoming a registered dietitian, with the third step being successfully passing the RD Exam.
Advantages of the Nutrition Degree Programs
- A rigorous science-based curriculum prepares graduates for a mainstream profession with a natural health perspective.
- Highly qualified faculty coupled with small class sizes and a strong advising program.
- A modern and fully equipped whole food nutrition kitchen where students develop their culinary skills and deepen their understanding of nutritional concepts.
- Exercise science students gain hands-on experience through an exercise science laboratory, outdoor instruction and external internships, where they enhance skills in coaching, counseling and effective motivational techniques.
- Availability of Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and Dietetic Internship (DI) program options.
- The University's numerous resources include: financial aid; a new LEED-registered, eco-friendly student residential village; whole food cafeteria; health sciences library; laboratories; and research institute.
- Bastyr nutrition students help maintain the University's Medicinal Herb Garden and its 350 species of herbs and seasonal crops. The garden serves as a laboratory for organic, sustainable and renewable agriculture.
- The University's 51-acre campus is immediately adjacent to the 316-acre Saint Edward State Park, which features a swimming area on Lake Washington and miles of wooded hiking, running and biking trails.
- Access to related elective classes within the broad Bastyr curriculum, including herbal sciences, naturopathic medicine and health psychology.
- A diverse student body drawn from across the United States and 28 other countries.
Career Opportunities
