<p>So I'm working on deciding what to major in, and as I've been researching I've stumbled upon the idea of double majoring in Psychology and Nutrition. I've already taken four psychology courses during my first year of university and am finding its something I'm really interested in. My dad's a really big health nut, especially with raw foods and holistic health type of things, so he's kind of gotten me interested in studying nutrition. I originally wanted to major in biology, but I'm thinking that nutrition would satisfy that need for science that I have but I could put it to use in a more practical way. My end goal would be to open a unique private practice where I combine therapy with overall physical wellness advice. The mind/body theories are really interesting to me. </p>
<p>So my question is, does this sound reasonable at all? I'd want to get my PhD in Psychology or Neuroscience after getting my degree, and get my Dietetics license as well. Are there grad school options for nutrition, or is a B.S. enough? Anyone know anything about these fields that might be helpful? I don't want to be poor, but I think I would LOVE to do this. :)</p>
<p>Psychology + Nutrition is a good combination. There are many interesting areas at the intersection of these two fields in addition to the interest you mentioned in wellness, e.g., in behavioral medicine/health psychology (patient compliance with dietary regimens, e.g., in diabetes); in developmental disabilities (e.g., pediatric feeding disorders); in clinical psychology (e.g., eating disorders), etc.</p>
<p>Qualifying as a registered dietition will require an internship, etc. so completing a double major may require some additional time to complete your undergrad studies. Of course, there are grad school options for nutrition, but beyond the qualification as an RD, those would probably be more focused on research.</p>
<p>^ On second thought, if you do a nutrition major, you probably might as well complete the pre-med requirements along the way. Why not consider becoming a nurse practicioner or physician. It’ll give you a greater scope of practice for some of your interests.</p>
<p>That’s what I want to major in! I actually might major in Psychology and Food Science, but I think it’s so interesting where those two fields intersect.</p>
<p>I know my school has a Department of Nutritional Sciences (I work there) and it caters more to grad students, although it has undergrad stuff too.</p>
<p>^ If you’re at UW-Madison, the Nutrition Sciences Dept. offers 2 undergrad majors—Dietetics and Nutrition Science. Food Science would have a different focus ----more on food processing, etc.</p>
<p>I’m studying to be a Psychologist too and I agree, the two fields could intersect in a really interesting way. You might consider specializing in something like Neuropsych to see the way nutrition and the way different things we stick in our bodies affect the brain. It’s not an easy field if you’ve taken Physiological Psych then you’ll know what I mean, but it’s infinitely fascinating.</p>