2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (HNFE) is a unique department that examines aspects of human health, including psychosocial aspects of health, behavioral intentions, human movement and performance, and weight management with a focus on chronic disease and prevention. The curriculum builds on the biological, physical, and social sciences. Many health issues including obesity, heart disease, and cancer have been associated with a person's food intake and level of exercise. This has led to increasing emphases on health promotion and disease prevention, and nutrition and exercise professionals are integral members of the health care team. Additionally, students prepared in these content areas are sought after by healthcare professional programs such as nutrition and dietetics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, medicine, athletic training, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing etc. Expanding research by private and government agencies focusing on the role of nutrition and physical activity in health, growth, and aging has created a demand for graduates at the Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M.S.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) levels who have a background and interest in laboratory and experimental methods in nutrition, foods and exercise science. Faculty and staff in HNFE include interdisciplinary teams that work towards molecular and clinical advances for the prevention and improved treatment of chronic diseases, behavioral discoveries that lead to effective intervention programs for youth and adults and speed the movement from research to practice.
Undergraduate students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise with a major in Exercise and Health Sciences and/or Nutrition and Dietetics.
The department participates in the university's Honors Program.
HNFE offers master's and doctoral degrees in specialized areas as they relate to nutrition, physical activity, and health. Graduate students may earn a M.S. or a Ph.D. in HNFE with an emphasis in Molecular and Cellular Science, Clinical Physiology and Metabolism, or Behavioral and Community Science. HNFE also offers a M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. Completion of the M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics leads to eligibility to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Consult: Renee Eaton, Undergraduate Program Director
Students in the Exercise and Health Sciences (EAHS) major are well-prepared for graduate work in many areas of nutrition, exercise physiology, or related sciences. This major also meets admission requirements for medical, dental, physical therapy, pharmacy, physician assistant, athletic training, nursing, and other health professions programs. Flexibility to tailor the degree toward individual long-term goals, including continued education in a health profession or employment, is a key feature of the major. Students who enter the workforce have position titles such as patient care coordinator, clinical technician, fitness and health program coordinator, clinical research coordinator, medical scribe, surgical technician, rehabilitation aide, hospital recruiting specialist, exercise physiologist, health coach, strength and conditioning coach, hospital credentialing specialist, medical device sales associate, and health educator. Students in this major gain knowledge, skills, and abilities specified by the American College of Sports Medicine for certification as an Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Exercise Physiologist as well as the National Strength and Conditioning Association for certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. With the growing attention to the role of nutrition and exercise in health promotion and disease prevention, the EAHS major is especially appropriate for the student preparing for a career in medicine, physical therapy, or a related health field. Most students in the EAHS plan to attend graduate or professional school. Students in the EAHS major must maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 to remain in the major. Please see the Satisfactory Progress section for additional requirements.
Students in the EAHS major do not meet the ACEND® requirements for a degree in dietetics, and therefore do not earn a DPD Verification Statement. Students, however, may choose to major in both EAHS and Nutrition and Dietetics.
Consult: Heather Cox, Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
The Nutrition and Dietetics (NAD) major is a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®). ACEND® is the education program accrediting agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Title IV gatekeeper. Following completion of the B.S. degree, a student will have earned an ACEND® DPD Verification Statement. A student must then complete a graduate degree and an ACEND®-accredited supervised practice program in nutrition and dietetics to be eligible for the Registration Examination for Dietitians. Examples of eligible pathways to the RDN credential include a graduate dietetics program or graduate program completed before, or along with, a dietetic internship. Graduates from the NAD major are competitive applicants for the varied ACEND®-accredited supervised practice programs.
Nutrition and Dietetics students are also eligible to apply to the accelerated track of the HNFE Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in the spring semester before they begin their final academic year. Accepted students are dual enrolled in the B.S. and M.S. programs and complete eligibility to take the board exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in an accelerated route.
The NAD major prepares graduates to assume a professional role in health care, research, the business/industry environment, public health, and to pursue graduate studies. Most alumni pursue adietetics supervised practice program and become an RDN. Clinical RDNs in hospitals and outpatient clinics provide care to individuals with disease-related nutritional problems. Sports RDNs work with professional sports teams or university sports teams. Community RDNs work in cooperative extension, worksite wellness programs, and community programs serving mothers and children, families of low-income, or older individuals. Business focused RDNs work for food and grocery companies, companies manufacturing nutritional supplements, and may represent medical or health products. Administrative RDNs with management interests find positions in management in a variety of settings such as school nutrition, health care facilities, college or university dining, or hotels and resorts. Registered Dietitians Nutritionists counsel clients of all ages, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and levels of education.
Students in the NAD major must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to remain in the major. Students who want to change their major into NAD must have an overall GPA of 3.0. Please see the Satisfactory Progress section for additional requirements.
A student in HNFE will be considered to have made satisfactory progress toward the degree when they have successfully completed:
Students not meeting Satisfactory Progress will have one probationary semester in which to resolve their standing.
Nutrition and Dietetics Restricted Major status: Current Virginia Tech students who wish to change majors to NAD (or add it as a second major) are required to have an overall GPA at or above 3.0 , a grade of C- or higher in CHEM 1035 General Chemistry, and a plan of study that shows appropriate course sequencing and Satisfactory Progress. The GPA threshold of 2.5 (EAHS) and 3.0 (NAD) is required for all students regardless of transfer status. Satisfactory progress towards the B.S. degree is enforced.
Head: Stella L. Volpe
Professors: G. Davis, B. Davy, K. Davy, R. Grange, E. Larson-Meyer, D. Liu, E. Serrano, E. Schmelz, S. Volpe, and J. Williams
Associate Professors: D. Good, S. Harden, Y. Ju, and V. Kraak
Assistant Professors: J. Basso, S. Craige, A. DiFeliceantonio, J. Drake, V. Hedrick, C. Rafie, S. Shin, and J. Stein
Collegiate Associate Professor: A. Anderson
Senior Instructors: H. Cox, N. Girmes-Grieco, and C. Papillon
Advanced Instructor: R. Eaton
Instructors: K. Chang and A. LaFalce
Adjunct Instructors: M. Rockwell, A. Steketee
Academic Advisors: E. Engel, S. Nelson, D. Pollio, and K. Wogenrich
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