Nutrition & Human Performance

Fuel Performance. Promote Healthier Lives.

The Nutrition & Human Performance major at Elizabethtown College is a science-based program preparing students to improve health, enhance athletic performance, and promote lifelong wellness across a variety of populations.

In this interdisciplinary program, you’ll explore how nutrition, exercise science, and human physiology work together to optimize performance, from everyday health to elite athletics. The curriculum also emphasizes lifecycle nutrition, cultural influences on food, and nutritional counseling and education. Together, these topics equip students for an entry-level career or pursuit of a graduate program, including a pathway to RDN licensure.

Through this program, you’ll build expertise in:

• Nutrition Science – principles of metabolism, nutrition across the lifespan, and dietary assessments
• Exercise Science – physiology, performance, and sport psychology
• Biochemistry & Human Biology – how the body stores, absorbs, and utilizes nutrients to support the body's processes
• Health & Wellness Promotion – behavior change, coaching, and education
• Sport Nutrition – fueling performance, recovery, and supplementation

You’ll graduate ready to pursue advanced study or step into careers that promote healthier individuals and communities.

Meet Our Faculty

Prepare for Graduate School

As industry standards evolve, a master’s degree is now required to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). This program is intentionally designed to meet prerequisites for top graduate programs in nutrition, giving you a competitive edge for advanced study.

Learn in State-of-the-Art Facilities

The Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being provides purposeful programming that inspires, educates, and empowers students and the campus community to cultivate healthy and active lifestyles, as well as supporting the College’s expanding athletics program. The Bowers Center includes fitness rooms, a demonstration kitchen, and state-of-the-art Human Performance Lab where Nutrition and Human Performance students can take advantage of unique classroom settings and equipment.

Gain Practical Experience

The program emphasizes experiential learning, giving you opportunities to apply your knowledge in meaningful, real-world settings. You’ll gain experience through:

• A nutrition science internship in a professional setting
• Research opportunities in human performance and nutrition
• Applied projects that connect classroom learning to real-world challenges

These experiences help you develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills while building a strong resume and professional network before graduation.