George Mason University

Menu

College of Health and Human Services

Certificate in Nutrition

Point of Contact
Dr. Lisa R. Pawloski
Coordinator
Phone: 703-993-4628
Email: lpawlosk@gmu.edu

About the Certificate

The Certificate in Nutrition offers a variety of courses in nutrition for future and present healthcare professionals, researchers, and others who are commonly faced with community-related nutrition issues. The program is intended to help healthcare professionals and others who would like to increase their current knowledge in nutrition. This certificate is in no way an equivalent to the Registered Dietician license and does not provide a license to practice therapeutic nutrition. Required courses include: Nutrition for Health Professionals, Strategies for Nutrition Education, Community Nutrition, Nutrition throughout the Lifecycle, and Nutrition and Chronic Illnesses.


Application is made through the College of Health and Human Services. A requirement for the certificate is 24 credits of undergraduate/graduate course work.

Program of Study

Please refer to the GMU Catalog for Course Descriptions.

  • Required Courses (21)
    • GCH 295 (3:3:0)
      Nutrition for Health Professionals
      Prerequisite: one semester of science or permission of instructor. Introduction to nutrition science, emphasizing macro- and micro-nutrients in the body, digestion, energy metabolism, weight loss, fitness and nutrition, prevention of chronic diseases, nutrition therapy, and nutritional assessment. Problem solving and critical thinking methodologies are utilized in group presentations that address nutrition-related case studies. In-class activities, outside readings, and class discussion reinforce concepts. Students use computer-based diet analysis to evaluate personal dietary intakes.
    • GCH 420 (3:3:0)
      Strategies for Nutrition Education
      Prerequisite: GCH 295 or permission of instructor. Examines methods and techniques for educating individuals about nutrition. Addresses nutrition education issues from a variety of populations with respect to culture, age, religion, and specific disease states.
    • GCH 421 (3:2:1)
      Community Nutrition
      Prerequisite: GCH 295 or permission of instructor. Focuses on nutrition and health problems of specific community settings, and examines the practices of nutrition services in various communities.
    • GCH 422 (3:3:0)
      Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle
      Prerequisite: GCH 295 or permission of instructor. Focuses on the nutrient needs and food habits throughout the life cycle. Emphasizes nutrient needs prior, during and after pregnancy, and nutritional requirements of infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
    • GCH 423 (3:3:0)
      Nutrition and Chronic Illness
      Prerequisite: GCH 295 or permission of instructor. Examines nutrient needs related to specific chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Focuses on principles of nutritional therapy and prevention.
    • One Sociology or Anthropology course (3) - May include GCH 583
    • One Developmental course (3) - such as Psychology or Education
  • General Nutrition Elective (3) - Select one that has not been taken as a required course
    • CHEM 102 (3:3:0)
      Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry
      Prerequisite: CHEM 101 or 103 or 211. Structure and properties of major classes of organic compounds with particular reference to organic molecules and their relationship to polymers, both manmade and biopolymers such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Primarily intended for those interested in application of principles of organic chemistry and biochemistry to related areas of science such as genetics, microbiology, physiology, and nutrition. Not open to students majoring in chemistry. Course cannot be used in place of CHEM 313 or 314. Credit will not be given for this course and CHEM 104.
    • CHEM 463 (4:4:0)
      General Biochemistry
      Prerequisites: CHEM 313, BIOL 213. Brief introduction to biochemistry followed by in-depth look at amino acids and proteins, and 3-D structure, folding and dynamics, and specialized function. Special emphasis to enzymes and their chemical mechanisms, and metabolism.
    • GCH 205 (3:3:0)
      Global Issues in Health, Nutrition, and Culture
      Examines cross-cultural values in health and nutrition, exploring health- and nutrition-related problems that afflict populations throughout the world and efforts to achieve optimum health for all.  Introduces nutrition and health concerns from a variety of cultures; also considers population dynamics, vital statistics, global disease patterns, and cultural variations.  Includes lectures, discussions, video presentations, oral presentations, web research
    • GCH 466 (3:3:0)
      Nutrition and Weight Management
      This course may replace GCH 420 or GCH 421 as a required course in the nutrition certificate or nutrition minor. This course focuses on the physiological, emotional, genetic and societal/cultural factors that influence the relationship between eating and weight regulation
    • GCH 502 (3:3:0)
      The US Role in global health, nutrition, and population
      The course will cover US history in responding to health, nutrition and population challenges worldwide, examine current programs in each area including those of the US Government and Non-governmental organizations, foundations and the private sector, and examine future directions for responding to health, nutrition and population trends.
    • GCH 530 (3:3:0)
      Nutrition: A Global Perspective
      Directed at students from a variety of disciplines. Examines malnutrition and how it occurs by looking at several situations from around the world. Covers impact of how nutrition can affect a society and community, and examines benefits of a well-nourished population.
    • GCH 583 (3:3:0)
      Food and Culture: Biocultural Perspectives on Food and Nutrition
      Prerequisite: GCH 295 or permission of instructor. Examines food and eating behaviors, diet, and nutrition from crosscultural perspective. Focuses on how and why people choose what to eat, range and significance of crosscultural variability in diet, how diets have changed, and health and social implications of those changes. Lecture, discussion, video presentations, audiovisual aids, student presentations, case study analyses.
  • Total = 24 Credits

Explanation of Credit Hours
Course titles are followed by numbers in parentheses (0:0:0), separated by colons. The numbers have the following significance:

  • First Number: credits for the course
  • Second Number: hours of lecture or seminar per week for the course
  • Third Number: hours of laboratory for the course

For independent study, readings, topics, or similar courses, individual instructors set hours.

To find more information about nutrition, take a look at the following site: The American Dietetic Association