Nutrition and Food

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English, Grade 12 U Chemistry (SCH4U), and Grade 12 U Biology (SBI4U).

Notes: 

1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
2. The grade(s) required in the subject prerequisites (normally in the 70-75 percent range) will be determined subject to competition.
3. It is recommended that students include a Grade 12 U Mathematics course (or equivalent), a Grade 12 U/M Social Sciences and Humanities course, and a senior level Family Studies course in their secondary school studies.
4. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

The School of Nutrition offers a four-year Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BASc) program that focuses on nutrition, food and health from an integrative and multidisciplinary perspective. The program is designed to ensure that graduates are flexible and responsive to changing trends in health and community settings, foodservice and food industries, education, private practice and entrepreneurial endeavours. Graduates of the program are able to apply a social determinants of health perspective to assess, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate nutrition and food issues, interventions, and innovations for individuals and communities.

The Nutrition and Food program is an accredited program recognized by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP). There are three educational steps to becoming a registered dietitian (external link, opens in new window)  - you must meet both academic and practical experience requirements before qualifying to write the Canadian Dietetics Registry Exam (CDRE). Academic requirements can be obtained by completing specific courses within an accredited program such as the one at Ryerson University. The second step is to complete a supervised practical training (external link, opens in new window)  (accredited dietetic internship or an accredited master’s program). The final step is to pass the CDRE. As access to internships is competitive, students with cumulative GPA less than 3.00 should also consider other career options.

Our program is also recognized by the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Canadian Association of Food Service Professionals, Ontario Home Economists in Business and the Ontario Family Studies/Home Economics Educators Association. The program offers academic and career planning to support students in their next steps post-graduation.

Students will engage in two years of foundation courses in the physical and biological sciences, nutrition, food science and food applications, marketing, research methods, family in society, and professional practice. A wide range of interdisciplinary, international, and liberal studies electives are offered, enhancing students’ understanding of issues such as homelessness and disabilities, and professional skills such as health promotion and community development.

Students may pursue any Minor or Certificate offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Many of our students choose to pursue a Certificate in Food Security or in Gerontology. Popular Minors include those in Psychology, Marketing, and Family Supports. Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar (opens in new window)  and Registration in a Certificate Program (opens in new window)  for further information on individual Minors and Certificates. Additional information can also be found on the School of Nutrition website (opens in new window)  .

In addition to dietetics, our graduates pursue diverse professional pathways in food service, the food industry, community agencies, government and companies active in the marketing and promotion of food products. Examples of career paths our alumni have pursued after graduation include: food stylist, nutrition consultant, nursing home administrator, hospitality manager, health promoter/educator, food inspector, and food scientist. Please refer to the program website (opens in new window)  for a complete listing.

Students who have an interest in furthering their education may consider post-graduate studies. Alumni of the program have pursued post-graduate training in nutritional sciences, nutrition, family studies, health promotion, business administration, education and law.

The program has and continues to attract a mix of students - those coming directly from Grade 12 U, M or equivalent studies, and those who have worked or who transfer from other universities or colleges. To assist students in meeting the program’s entrance requirements, Ryerson offers Grade 12 U or equivalents in Chemistry, Biology and English through The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.

The program counts on students entering with a solid foundation in the physical sciences (such as biology and chemistry) as well as strong social science and communication skills. Computers are used widely in many courses, and some facility with information technology is expected. Special workshops are often available to assist students in developing these capacities.

Senior students have an opportunity to engage in cultural and educational opportunities abroad, subject to availability of spaces and academic performance. Currently, students may apply to study for a semester in their third year at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Adelaide, Australia, the University of South Australia in Melbourne, Australia, and Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

An optional Concentration may be selected from Professional Table I starting in 5th Semester.

Starting in 5th Semester, students will choose 11 elective courses from Table I, Table II and the Open Elective Table. Of these, a minimum of four courses must be taken from Professional Table I.

Revised curriculum begins 2017-2018.

An optional Concentration may be selected from Professional Table I starting in 5th Semester.

To register in the optional Concentration in Nutrition and Health Research, students must first complete FNR 100, FNR 201, and FNR 310, and then obtain written approval from a faculty member who agrees to supervise the research in FNR 400 and FNR 401.

In addition, to continue in the Concentration and to have it noted on the transcript, students must attain a grade of at least A- in FNR 400.

REQUIRED:

In addition to fulfilling Ryerson University's Graduation Requirements, students graduating from the Nutrition and Food program are required to have one interdisciplinary, international or exchange course as part of their degree requirements.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see  (PDF file) Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Donna Barnes
Lecturer
School of Nutrition

Honey Bloomberg
Team Lead, Public Engagement & Communications
EatRight Ontario

Christy Brissette
President
80 Twenty Nutrition

Cristina Cicco
Project Coordinator
College of Dietitians of Ontario

Ann Mackay
Alumna
School of Nutrition