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Degree Planning Resources

Here are a few resources for reviewing degree requirements and preparing for registration, including sample degree plans below.


Degree requirements can vary greatly by catalog year. For students on older degree plans, consult your advisor and your Interactive Degree Audit to confirm remaining requirements since course offerings may have changed.

2024-2026 Catalog: Incoming Freshmen and some transfer students starting in Fall 2024 will follow the 24-26 catalog. 

 

Sample Degree Plans:

The sample degree plans are provided by the SoHE Advising Center as an example of a semester layout and are not official degree checklists. Your schedule may also vary depending on class availability. Refer to your Interactive Degree Audit (IDA) regularly to track degree progress and meet with an academic advisor to review your graduation plan.

Public Health

Option I - Public Health

Option II - Public Health Honors - only available through Dean's Scholars program

Option III - Advanced Program in Public Health: BS/MPH 4+1 Program


For more information, please see your academic advisor.  

Nutrition

The Department of Nutritional Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Science & Arts (BSA). See the BSA tab below for more information about this option.

  • BS Nutrition: Option 1 (Dietetics), Option 2 (Nutritional Sciences), Option 3 (Public Health Nutrition) 
  • BSA Nutrition


BS Option 1: Dietetics (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist pathway)

Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) & Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD)

Students interested in becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) should pursue the Option I Dietetics: Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). This option qualifies graduates to apply to a dietetic internship which provides the supervised practice hours required to become an RDN. Note: effective January 1, 2024, the RDN profession will require a Master’s degree for entry into the profession. Many dietetic internship programs are paired with a Master’s degree for a program length of about 2 years.

Students also have the option of applying to the BS/MS Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD) as early as Junior year. This is an accelerated five-year total program leading to completion of a BS Nutrition, Master of Science (MS) in Nutritional Sciences, and supervised practice hours necessary to become an RDN. Students may also apply Fall Senior year if needed for 6 years program total. Follow @texasicpd for the latest updates and current student accomplishments!

If you are close to graduating/have recently graduated with a different major or Nutrition degree option and have become interested in becoming an RDN, there are still graduate program options designed for this situation! Please reach out to the Human Ecology Advising Center for more information.
 

Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD):


BS/MS Integrated Coordinated Program in Dietetics (ICPD): 

Application required. Five-year total program including supervised practice & MS Nutritional Sciences.


Dietetics Degree Planning Notes:

Nutrition Research Requirement (required DPD only): This is important to consider before Senior year to plan accordingly. The 22-24 and 24-26 catalog requires 6 hours (two courses) chosen from two specific options: NTR 327L Adv Food Science plus one course from a list (ex. NTR 365 topic), or NTR 365/365L Community Engagement “gardening class” sequence. Note this is not required for ICPD.

Course Planning Tips: The DPD and ICPD sample plans are similar through the Sophomore year to help students stay on track if you decide to apply to ICPD. However, if you know that you are not applying to ICPD, classes can be spread out more into Junior and Senior years. Keep the following in mind for course planning:

  • NTR 317L Intro Nutr Assessment and Education: Prioritize immediately after NTR 312, or as soon as possible.
  • NTR 162: Highly recommended by Fall or Spring Sophomore year to learn about RDN program options.
  • Sequence Tip: Take NTR 326 --> BCH 369 --> NTR 342 --> NTR 343 (exception: ICPD does not require 343 because it is taken as a graduate course instead)
  • NTR 334 & 234L Foodservice Systems Mgmt: Best to complete Junior year to avoid time conflicts with other NTR courses. It can be taken Senior year if needed.
  • Fall & Spring Only: NTR 370 Medical Nutrition Therapy I is spring-only, and NTR 371 Medical Nutrition Therapy II is fall-only. They can be taken in either order as needed. 
  • If staying on DPD or not applying to ICPD, there are a few courses required for DPD that aren't required for ICPD. 
  • For ICPD, a few undergraduate courses are covered by Master's courses. See sample plan below for notes.
    • If applying to ICPD in Fall Senior year (instead of Junior year), plan accordingly to be able to graduate on time for DPD. See DPD sample plan above and meet with your advisor.


BS Option II: Nutritional Sciences

Nutrition Research Requirement: See your Degree Audit and Human Ecology Advising Center website for more info about course options. It's helpful to consider these options before Senior year: 

  • NTR 355 Undergraduate Research requires pre-approval with a faculty member's lab in order to register. See NTR Faculty Research labs here and registration instructions here.
    • "Wet lab" labs (ex. cancer cell research) might require you to be involved with the lab for multiple semesters due to training that may be needed. Plan to reach out sooner rather than later if interested in this type of lab and expect to maybe volunteer before doing it for 355 credit.
  • BIO 325L Genetics Lab is another potential option, however this is typically reserved for BIO majors during registration. Graduating Seniors can talk to their advisor about requesting a seat during registration for their final semester. Check Course Schedule to confirm available flags.
     

BS Option III: Nutrition and Public Health


Approved Substitutions for 2020-2022 and prior catalogs:

  • 6 hrs social science requirement: "two courses chosen from ANT 322M Topic 12: Mexican Immigration Cultural History, SOC 307M, 319, 354K, and 368D"
    • SOC 308S/HS 301 Intro to Health & Society is approved. No petition required.
    • ANT 322M is now ANT 322P. Typically spring-only.
    • SOC 369K Population & Society: this basically replaced SOC 319 and is approved.
    • Other potential options. Submit petition with advisor to confirm (based on newer 22-24 catalog options):
      • PSY 301, SOC 302, ANT 302, ECO 304K, 304L, and HDF 313 or 313H and 113L 
         
  • 9 hrs public health option coursework: "9 hrs chosen from" approved list.
    • PBH 317 Intro to Public Health is approved. No petition required.
    • Other potential options. Submit petition with advisor (based on newer 22-24 catalog options):
      • GRG 339K, 344K, SOC 324K or 354K, ANT 301, N 309, HDF 304, PSY 304, 308, or GOV 370I

If you have any concerns about fulfilling these requirements, discuss options with your academic advisor. You may submit a petition for a different course to substitute if you feel it aligns with other similar approved options.
 

BSA Nutrition

For the 12 hrs“General Education” requirement: See the Language, Arts, and Culture approved list on the official CNS Degree Checklists.

Human Development & Family Sciences

The Department of Human Development & Family Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Bachelor of Science & Arts (BSA).

Support Course List (2020-2022 and Earlier Catalogs): See the attached Support Course list  for approved courses that can be taken to fulfill the 9 hours of support coursework for Bachelor of Science degree options for 2020-2022 catalogs and earlier catalogs. The Honors in Advanced HDFS (HAHDFS) does not follow this support course list.

BS Option - Human Development and Family Sciences Bachelor of Science

BS Option I - Early Childhood

BS Option II - Human Development

BS Option III - Families and Personal Relationships

BS Option IV - Families and Society


BSA

Textiles & Apparel

Visit the Textiles & Apparel website to learn more about coursework and program opportunities.

Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Apparel


BS Option I - Apparel, Functional, and Technical Design


BS Option II - Merchandising and Consumer Sciences

Bachelor of Science & Arts (BSA)

The BSA degree type is available for a Nutrition, Human Development & Family Sciences, and general Human Ecology major. 

Learn more about the different CNS degree types including BS and BSA.

General Education/Language, Arts, and Culture: The Language, Arts, and Culture requirement is listed under the "General Education" section of your Interactive Degree Audit. 

Required Minor or Certificate: It is required to complete a minor or certificate for the BSA degree. Learn about available minors and certificates on the CNS website. Some minors and certificates are open and approved and some require a competitive application and approval process. Visit the minor or certificate program website for details and talk with your advisor if you have any questions!


Human Development and Family Sciences

Nutrition


Human Ecology

Honors

CNS offers a few different types of honors programs for the majors within SoHE.  For those pursuing Dean's Scholars, Polymathic Scholars, or Health Science Scholars, please see your academic advisor at the CNS Honors Center. 

The Honors in Advanced HDFS (HAHDFS) and Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences (HANS) are advised through the SoHE Advising Center. Sample degree plans are available below.

Special Departmental Honors is available by application for any student who would like to complete an honors thesis under the supervision of a faculty member in their major and earn a “special honors” designation on their transcript (if requirements are met upon graduation). This process involves identifying a supervising faculty member and submitting a Special Departmental Honors thesis application and proposal form. 

Learn more on the SoHE Honors website here. 

Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences (HAHDFS)

Sample Degree Plans:


Additional Resources:

 

Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences (HANS)

Sample Degree Plans:

  • 2022-2024 & 2024-2026 (incoming freshmen starting fall 2022 or later):
    • After freshman year, choose any BS Nutrition option. 
      • It is okay to switch between options if plans change. HANS can't be done with the BSA option, however always discuss any questions or concerns with your advisor to see what the best path is for you.  
      • There are still opportunities to do research and honors thesis with the BSA and earn “special departmental honors” designation on your transcript.
    • Add two semesters of NTR 355H Honors Research (Junior year at the latest) followed by two semesters of NTR 379H Thesis (typically Senior year).  
      • Some of these will fit into NTR elective spaces within the BS degree plan requirements, and some will count as general electives. 
    • The 355H course credit can be started any time once you identify & get approval with a lab to begin NTR 355H credit. See website links below about faculty research areas and honors course registration processes.  More information will be covered during FIG this semester.
  • 2020-2022
     

Additional Resources: