Penn Arts and Sciences Offers New Major in Nutrition Science, Minor in Survey Research and Analytics

Beginning this semester, Penn Arts and Sciences is offering a new cross-school major in nutrition science and a new minor in survey research and data analytics.
 
Cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic diseases and conditions such as diabetes and obesity account for roughly 70 percent of global mortality across combined age groups. Nutrition is widely recognized as a key direct modifier of the onset and/or progression of these diseases. Nutrition science is the study of nutrients, the foods that contain them, and their effects on health and disease, and it provides the portal for their investigation and new discovery for prevention and management.

The scope of scientific inquiry in nutrition is broad, including such topics as human eating behavior, the metabolic effects of nutrients and malnutrition, and the study of nutritional components of the diseases themselves. This new major responds to the crucial need to prepare the next generation of researchers and public health professionals who, with cross-disciplinary training in nutrition science, can reverse the growing global prevalence of chronic diseases.

The nutrition sciences major is a cross-school major offered in conjunction with the School of Nursing, and is offered only as a second major. It includes research opportunities in basic, pre-clinical, and clinical nutrition settings that foster learning in the biochemistry, pharmacology, and neuroscience of nutrition. These are complemented by instruction on the implementation of individual and population-focused nutrition programs, the design of food safety interventions, and the development of supportive public health policy. It demonstrates a commitment to learning that leaves behind traditional disciplinary “silos” and engages cross-school mentored learning.

The nutrition science major requires 14 credit units: six in basic science courses such as biology and chemistry in Penn Arts and Sciences, four core nutrition science courses in the Penn School of Nursing, and four electives with nutrition content from Arts and Sciences and/or Nursing.

The new survey research and data analytics minor is offered by the political science department in conjunction with the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies (PORES). It is intended for students who wish to complement their primary area of study with an interdisciplinary focus on using data and survey research to better analyze politics and public policy.

The minor will allow students to master the science of applying statistical procedures appropriately and accurately, and to identify and analyze the usefulness of survey methods for conducting research and evaluating programs, policies, and outcomes in the social sciences.

Survey research is an integral aspect of a number of fields in the social sciences. This minor canvasses the science and practice of survey methods, sampling theory, statistics, and the analysis and reporting of survey data. Six courses are required—three core classes and three electives—including political science and statistics. Students may also have the option of participating in an independent study with affiliated PORES faculty. Click here to learn more about course offerings.

PORES is an undergraduate research program committed to conducting high-quality social research in the public interest on issues of national and international importance. The program is directed by John Lapinski, an associate professor of political science who is also elections unit director at NBC. “This program is different than any other in the country because of the connection to NBC, which gives it relevancy beyond esoteric academic studies,” says Lapinski.