<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm currently attending the University of Cincinnati and this is my first year. My major is Exploratory. Originally I thought I was set on majoring in an engineering field but after classes started that changed. I'm still considering majoring in computer engineering/computer science but I'm leaning towards a degree in nutrition with a focus on exercise science. Cincinnati doesn't have a bachelors nutrition degree but they have a major called Health Sciences (which has an exercise science concentration option). What worries me is that the health science major can also be considered pre-med and I have no motivation to go to med school. Another nutrition related major they have is Dietetics. </p>
<p>I plan on attending graduate school right after I receive my bachelor degree. Cincinnati has a Nutrition program for graduate studies so I already know what I'm shooting for (if I decide to go this route).</p>
<p>So time for the questions:</p>
<p>[ul]
[<em>]Would the Health Science degree be the better of the two options in this case?
[</em>]I know Cincinnati is known for their college of engineering and research programs but how is their health science/nutrition programs?
[li]OSU is twice the size and more competitive but they do have a nutrition major for undergrad students. Does their program have more credibility then Cincinnati's?[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>Feel free to offer any advice.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance,
-Peter</p>
<p>I took a quick look at their website, and it is confusing. I recommend that you talk to someone in the department to get clarification of the different options.</p>
<p>Most schools with a nutrition program offer 2 basic options. The first is nutrition science, which focuses more on basic sciences such as biochemistry, etc. The second is dietetics, which is more applied and prepares students to become dietitions. At Cincy, they combine nurtrition with an exercise science component. In itself, this isn’t a bad thing, but it’s a little difficult to determine how much emphasis is on basic vs. applied aspects. I suspect it’s considered more applied or preparatory for fields like physical therapy, sports medicine, occupational therapy, etc. I’m not sure how the pre-med track differs. There is no such thing as a major in pre-med. Pre-med only consists of completing the prerequisite courses for med school admission which generally include general chem, organic chem, general physics, general biology, and calculus. Particular medical schools may require or recommend some additional bio courses, too. As long as someone completes these prerequisites, they can major just about any field and still apply to med school. A nutrition major just offers an alternative pathway to med school besides the traditional bio major. If the focus is on nutrition science, it will meet most if not all of the pre-med requirements. At Cincy, I’m not sure if perhaps the pre-med track is different because it requires additional courses (possibly organic chem, gen physics, or calculus) that might not be required in the other tracks or whether it requires the same gen chem, etc. as is required of bio majors, whereas the track for non-premed might only require a chem course geared to allied health students. You’d have to check the specific requirements in the catalog to know.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether Cincy is known for their health/nutrition programs. The State of Ohio designates both OSU and Cincy as the major state-supported research universities in Ohio. Obviously, OSU offers a broader range of programs, and offers them up to the doctoral level, where appropriate for a particular field. I wouldn’t say OSU has more “credibility”; it’s just ranked higher in most fields and is more well-known.</p>