Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences

The Family and Consumer Sciences program is tailored to educate individuals and citizens in our ever-changing society. Our courses and curricula are carefully designed to foster a scientific mindset and equip students with the research skills needed to address challenges impacting the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. Through a blend of general education requirements and specialized coursework in each major, our program empowers students to make meaningful contributions to society and improve the well-being of diverse populations.

Human Nutrition and Dietetic Science ( Nutrition Education) - Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences

Explore the dynamic field of Human Nutrition and Dietetic Science with a concentration in Nutrition Education. This program equips students to become nutrition educators in community and public health settings, focusing on health and wellness, the relationship between nutrition and well-being, and the art of promoting healthy living. Graduates of this concentration possess the skills to communicate evidence-based nutrition information, deliver nutrition education, and integrate nutrition with other health science disciplines.

Career opportunities for graduates include roles as nutrition educators or nutrition assistants in county agencies, Extension Services, community nutrition programs, schools, and various health organizations. It's important to note that, unlike the Dietetics concentration, this program does not prepare students for the credential of a Registered Dietitian.

Human Nutrition and Dietetic Science ( Pre-Dietetics/Dietetics ) - Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences

Embark on a journey to become a registered dietitian (RD) or dietetic technician, registered (DTR) with our Bachelor of Science program in Human Nutrition and Dietetic Science, specializing in the Dietetics option. This comprehensive program encompasses nutritional science, clinical dietetics, community nutrition, food science, and food service management.

Students begin as Pre-Dietetics students and, upon successful application and admission, progress into the Dietetics option. Our program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and aligns with the requirements to become an RD, a three-step process that includes completing an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), undertaking a Dietetic Internship (DI), and passing the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) registration exam.

To earn a Verification Statement from our DPD, students must complete all required courses, maintaining a grade of C or higher. Our program ensures a well-rounded education by covering General Education requirements, Viewing Wider World prerequisites, and elective credits, totalling at least 121 credits, with a minimum of 48 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. While some developmental coursework may be necessary for English and Mathematics prerequisites, it does not contribute to degree requirements or elective credits. This program paves the way for a rewarding career in dietetics and nutrition.

About NMSU

A comprehensive land-grant institution of higher learning, New Mexico State University is dedicated to teaching, research, and service at the undergraduate and graduate levels. NMSU is a NASA Space Grant College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is home to the very first Honors College in New Mexico. U.S. News and World Report rank NMSU in the top tier among Best National Universities.

A Brief History

New Mexico was still a territory when Las Cruces College opened the doors of its two-room building in the fall of 1888. The organizers of Las Cruces College—led by Hiram Hadley, a respected educator from Indiana—had even bigger plans in mind.

In 1889, the New Mexico territorial legislature authorized the creation of an agricultural college and experiment station in or near Las Cruces. The institution, which was designated as the land-grant college for New Mexico under the Morrill Act, was named the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

Las Cruces College merged with N.M.A. & M.A., and the new school opened on January 21, 1890. That first semester there were 35 students in the college level and preparatory classes and six faculty members. Classes met in the old two-room building of Las Cruces College until suitable buildings could be put on the 220-acre campus three miles south of Las Cruces.

By 1960, the school had grown greatly, and its name was changed by state constitutional amendment to New Mexico State University.

Today New Mexico State University sits on a 900-acre campus and enrolls 16,428 students from all 50 states and from 71 nations. Regular faculty members number 694 and staff, 3,113.

Be Bold. Shape the Future

New Mexico State University sits on a 900-acre campus and enrolls more than 14,000 students from 49 states and 89 foreign countries. NMSU is a NASA Space-Grant College and is home to the very first Honors College in New Mexico. A Hispanic-Serving Institution, NMSU serves a multi-cultural population of students and community members across the state at five campuses, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, cooperative extension offices located in each of New Mexico's 33 counties, and 12 agriculture research and science centers. Plus, distance education programs give students maximum flexibility.

Our Honors College, the very first one established in New Mexico, offers qualified undergraduates the opportunity to further enrich a challenging academic program via rigorous classes taught by master teachers.

NMSU Leads 2025

The strategic goals outlined in NMSU LEADS 2025 reflect the university’s mission and vision and are vital to NMSU’s success. These include advancing student success; elevating research and creativity; amplifying extension and outreach, and building a robust NMSU system. The strategic goals are designed to be broad enough for each unit within the university system to find a way to contribute. Additionally, the university will focus on a number of grand challenges facing the state and communities around the globe. These include creating healthy borders, modernizing critical infrastructure and transforming education in New Mexico.

Our Mission

The mission of the New Mexico State University system is to serve the diverse needs of the state through comprehensive programs of education, research, extension and outreach, and public service. As the state’s land-grant and space-grant university, and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, NMSU fosters learning, inquiry, diversity and inclusion, social mobility, and service to the broader community.

Our Vision

By 2025, the NMSU system will excel in student success and social mobility for our diverse student populations, achieve the highest Carnegie research status (R1) and maintain our Carnegie Community Engagement classification.

Our Values

• Leadership : Promoting and creating the ability for Aggies to shape the future
• Excellence : Providing the highest level of education, research, outreach, and service
• Access : Welcoming diverse populations to higher education and to the NMSU community
• Diversity & Inclusion : Embracing our differences as an asset and actively seeking to include wide-ranging perspectives
• Student-Centered : Supporting the education of our students through every aspect of our university, every day

These values are encapsulated as BE BOLD. Shape the Future.

New Mexico is Our Campus

NMSU provides learning opportunities to a diverse population of students and community members at five campuses, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, cooperative extension offices located in each of New Mexico's 33 counties, 12 research and science centers and through distance education.

Degrees and Certification

Bachelor's and graduate degree programs are available through the following colleges based in NMSU Las Cruces: Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Health and Social Services; Honors and the Graduate School. Certificates, licensure programs and associate degree programs are available from the community colleges in Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Doña Ana County and Grants, and the College of Arts and Sciences in Las Cruces.

• Undergraduate Majors
• Graduate Programs

Athletics

A member of the NCAA Division 1 Western Athletic Conference in 15 of its 16 varsity sports. NMSU football plays as an independent. Our Pan American Center can accommodate 12,590 and Aggie Memorial Stadium seats 30,000.

Arts and Recreation

The university offers a variety of arts and recreational activities. Museums and art galleries, professional theater, music ensembles and symphony, visiting artists, national performers, professional roadshows, on-campus public radio and TV stations, a student-run radio station, an 18-hole golf course, tennis, activity and aquatic centers are available at NMSU Las Cruces.

Accreditation

New Mexico State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604. Telephone: 800-621-7440.