The nutrition courses that you take will depend on the area of nutrition on which you prefer to focus. Courses can prepare you to work in education, consulting or health care. You could also choose to specialize in advanced nutrition science or nutritional immunology. If you are interested in studying nutrition to earn a degree, a strong foundation of chemistry, physiology and food preparation is required. Courses will teach you about the impact of diet on diseases, the process of nutrient absorption, and how vitamins and minerals aid the function of various systems of the body.
Some students prefer to learn online as opposed to a traditional classroom environment. University of Phoenix offers online courses such as Human Nutrition, which introduces students to basic nutrition concepts and how to incorporate proper nutrition into various lifestyles; and Health and Nutrition for the Classroom Teacher, which prepares students to teach health and nutrition. Penn Foster Career School offers online courses that lead students to earn certificates in fitness and nutrition. Students learn about the principles of diet and exercise. Other online courses in nutrition are offered through schools such as Delmar Learning and Bradman University.
There are many colleges and universities across the country that offers courses in nutrition. In its list of the top 10 most popular nutrition colleges, the Campus Explorer website lists Harold Washington College in Chicago, Illinois, as the most popular as of 2011. You could earn a certificate, associate, bachelor's or master's degree at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University offers courses in which you can earn an associate or bachelor's degree in nutrition. You could also work toward a bachelor's or master's degree at Texas A&M University. Other popular schools offering nutrition courses include Central Arizona College, Arizona State University, University of Nebraska and Oklahoma State University.
Students may wish to study nutrition for their own personal knowledge. In these cases, a home-study course in nutrition can allow you to focus on the area of nutrition that interests you most. Students can choose to learn about the food pyramid, diet planning and the digestive systems. Other courses cover areas such as how nutrients affect energy, wellness, fitness, health and diseases. Home-study courses let you learn about individual nutrition needs as well as the nutrition needs of athletes.