Understanding the Relationship Between Nutrition and Disease

The Biomedical Nutrition Science Concentration within the Nutrition Major is designed to prepare students for advanced graduate studies in biological and health sciences or entry into health professional programs such as pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physician assistant, and medicine. This specialized track also serves as a foundation for diverse career paths, including roles as laboratory technicians, research assistants, technical consultants, and sales representatives within the biomedical and nutrition industries.

While the core curriculum within the BNS concentration provides a basic foundation in biomedical sciences, additional coursework may be required to fulfill necessary prerequisites for specific health-related professional programs. As a student within the BNS concentration, you will work closely with an academic or pre-health advisor to make sure you meet these program prerequisites. Students completing this track are not eligible to apply for any ACEND-accredited supervised practice programs. For those aspiring to pursue careers as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and other health professions simultaneously, the Dietetics Concentration is recommended.

Beyond obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Nutrition Science, qualified students have the option to enroll in a 5-year BS/MS accelerated degree program in Nutrition with a Biomedical Nutrition Science concentration. A distinctive feature of this program is the opportunity for qualified students to incorporate up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses into their senior undergraduate electives, satisfying requirements for both the BS and MS degrees. Detailed program descriptions can be found here.

Furthermore, individuals not currently enrolled in a Nutrition undergraduate program can pursue a Minor in Biomedical Research in Nutrition. This minor encompasses 15 hours of coursework plus prerequisites for selected courses. Successful completion requires earning a grade of C or better in the required courses. For more information, please refer to the current program description at https://catalog.utk.edu/.