Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science
The mission of Bastyr University’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science is to promote well-being through food and activity that nourish and sustain the individual, the community and the earth. The department’s vision is to be the leader in advancing a holistic view of nutrition and exercise through excellence in education, research and clinical practice.
The Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science prepares graduates to critically evaluate scientific literature and to incorporate current research and advances in nutrition and exercise science. The Nutrition program within the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science is unique in its emphasis on whole foods and multicultural, political and ecological dimensions of food. These aspects of nutrition, blended with biochemistry and physiology, reflect the University’s natural health sciences philosophy.
The concept of food as medicine and the concept of diet as a critical component in healing are fundamental to natural therapeutics, optimal health and whole-person healing. The Exercise Science and Wellness program approaches health and wellness from a holistic perspective unique to Bastyr University. This focus on overall wellness, combined with the science behind it, provides students with a broad education in health and wellness from a preventative viewpoint.
The Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science offers Bachelor of Science degrees with Majors in Nutrition, Exercise Science and Wellness, Nutrition and Culinary Arts, and Nutrition and Exercise Science.
There are three Master of Science offerings in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at the Kenmore campus: the Master of Science in Nutrition, the Master of Science in Nutrition with Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and the Master of Science in Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychology (CHP). There is one Master of Science offering at the San Diego campus: the Master of Science in Nutrition for Wellness.
In addition, the Dietetic Internship based on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ standards of education is offered to provide performance requirements for entry-level dietitians through supervised practice.
For information about each of these programs, refer to the following pages:
Bachelor of Science with a Major in Exercise Science and Wellness
Bachelor of Science with a Major in Nutrition
Bachelor of Science with a Major in Nutrition and Culinary Arts
Bachelor of Science with a Major in Nutrition and Exercise Science
Master of Science in Nutrition
Master of Science in Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychology
Master of Science in Nutrition for Wellness (MSNW) in California only
Master of Science in Nutrition with Didactic Program in Dietetics (MSN/DPD)
Dietetic Internship
Required Abilities/Skills for Nutrition/Exercise Science Program Students
A nutrition and/or exercise science student must be able to demonstrate appropriate communication skills; intellectual-conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities, and behavioral and social maturity. A student should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.
Communication: A student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with others, including with patients if the student is in a clinical program and with preceptors in a practicum or internship. Ability to communicate respectfully and thoughtfully, even in situations of disagreement or stress, is important. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing. The student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in both oral and written form, and through non-verbal means.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem solving, which is a critical skill for nutritionists or exercise scientists in both clinical and research settings, requires all of these intellectual abilities.
Behavioral and Social Attributes: A student must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the academic and clinical program, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with others. A student must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical, practicum and research problems the student may face. Compassion, a caring attitude, interpersonal skills, professional boundaries, emotional maturity and initiative are all qualities that are assessed during the admissions and education processes.