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Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Nutritional Science
To begin, connect with an advisor who can guide you through program options and next steps, including the application process.
The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Nutritional Science provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in Nutrition. Students desiring a career in nutrition as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) should pursue the Dietetics transfer plan. Following the completion of an accredited Bachelor of Science program at a university and an accredited internship, students may pursue a career in nutrition related healthcare, wellness and prevention, sports nutrition, food and nutrition management, etc. Application for the accredited internship is a highly competitive process.
The Nutritional Sciences transfer plan provides foundational nutrition principles that can be applied to other careers in healthcare. Students may choose to major in Nutritional Sciences, earn a bachelor degree, and then seek graduate educational programs in Physician Assistant, Medical Doctor or Physical Therapist.
Details
Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Nutritional Science (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8115
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2026-2027
Effective Term
Fall 2026
Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected.
This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners: (list alphabetically)
ASU, College of Health Solutions, Dietetics, BS
ASU, College of Health Solutions, Nutritional Science, BS
Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU .
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
What You'll Learn
- Communicate effectively orally and in writing, utilizing the vocabulary of nutritional sciences.
- Connect knowledge from the physical, biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences to the science of food and nutrition in health and disease processes.
- Apply food safety and food science principles in general practice.
- Evaluate socially and culturally appropriate strategies in order to respect nutritional and agricultural diverse cultures and values.
- Describe and demonstrate the governance and ethics principles of food, nutrition, dietetics and health professionals.
- Locate and evaluate nutrition literature using various technologies.
- Evaluate food systems and nutrition information based on scientific evidence.
Career Statistics
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$62,720
Family Medicine Physicians
$224,220
Naturopathic Physicians
$88,180
Physician Assistants
$121,490
Preventive Medicine Physicians
$256,610
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources
Course Sequence by Term
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
| Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) |
|---|
|
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:
Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:
For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage. |
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO156++ or BIO181++ |
Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I | OR One year of high school biology | SQ or SQ | 0–4 | |
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| FON241 | Principles of Human Nutrition | NSI in combo w/ FON241LL; | 3 | ||
| MAT15+ | College Algebra/Functions | OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved general education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. | QNR | 3–6 | |
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSY101 is recommended. | SCB | 3 | |
| FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO201++ | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | NSI, SG | 4 | ||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| EXS290 or FON225 |
Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice or Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies | L or L | 3 | ||
| FON142AB | Science of Food | 3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO202++ | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | NSI, SG | 4 | ||
| MAT206 or PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL |
Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab | CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or QNR, CS | 3–4 | ||
| (CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA or (CHM150 and CHM151LL) or CHM150AA or (CHM151 and CHM151LL) or CHM151AA |
(Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Chemistry with Lab or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I with Lab | NSI in combo w/ CHM130LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM130; or NSI, SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and NSI in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151; or SQ or NSI in combo w/ CHM151LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151; or NSI, SQ | 4–5 | ||
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | FON143 is recommended. | AHM | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO205 or (CHM230 and CHM230LL) or CHM230AA |
Microbiology or (Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Organic Chemistry with Lab | NSI, SG or NSI in combo w/ CHM230LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM230; or None | 4 | ||
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 | ||
| OCM | Oral Communication | OCM | 3 | ||
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | SCB | 3 |
Part-time Sequence
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
| Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) |
|---|
|
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:
Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:
For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage. |
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| FON241 | Principles of Human Nutrition | NSI in combo w/ FON241LL; | 3 | ||
| FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO156++ or BIO181++ |
Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I | OR One year of high school biology | SQ or SQ | 0–4 | |
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| MAT15+ | College Algebra/Functions | OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved general education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. | QNR | 3–6 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FON142AB | Science of Food | 3 | |||
| (CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA or (CHM150 and CHM151LL) or CHM150AA or (CHM151 and CHM151LL) or CHM151AA |
(Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Chemistry with Lab or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) or General Chemistry I with Lab | NSI in combo w/ CHM130LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM130; or NSI, SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and NSI in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151; or SQ or NSI in combo w/ CHM151LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151; or NSI, SQ | 4–5 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO201++ | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | NSI, SG | 4 | ||
| EXS290 or FON225 |
Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice or Research in Complementary and Alternative Nutrition Therapies | L or L | 3 |
Term 5
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO202++ | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | NSI, SG | 4 | ||
| MAT206 or PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL |
Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab | CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or QNR, CS | 3–4 |
Term 6
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 | ||
| BIO205++ or (CHM230 and CHM230LL) or CHM230AA |
Microbiology or (Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Organic Chemistry with Lab | NSI, SG or NSI in combo w/ CHM230LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM230; or None | 4 |
Term 7
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | FON143 is recommended. | AHM | 3 | |
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSY101 is recommended. | SCB | 3 |
Term 8
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCM | Oral Communication | OCM | 3 | ||
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | SCB | 3 |
Footnote
General Electives
Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.
Course Area Key
- AHM = Arts and Humanities
- CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
- FYC = First-Year Composition
- L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
- NSI = Natural Sciences
- OCM = Oral Communication
- QNR = Quantitative Reasoning
- SCB = Social and Behavioral Sciences
- SG = Natural Sciences General
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
- WCM = Written Communication
Disclaimer
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/acres.woa/wa/customView?id=16461513.
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
Previous Catalog Years
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.
While you’re on the waitlist, take time to explore courses, short-term programs, and scholarships that can help you reach your goals and keep you moving forward.
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