Objectives

The Department of Nutrition was founded in 1989 with the mission of promoting education and research in the field of nutrition. Further, the Graduate Institute of Nutrition was established in 2000 to offer advanced studies in biomedical sciences and specialized skills in health professions. To extend the training in nutrition profession, the graduate program offering the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nutrition major started in 2010. The Department of Nutrition and China Medical University Hospital regularly offer extension programs to promote nutrition education for hospital outpatients and the general public at local communities. Our goals are to provide comprehensive training for students or health professionals who wish to concentrate on clinical nutrition, public health, nutrition education, or basic research, and ultimatley to improve the welfare of society as a whole.

Directors

Curriculum

During the first two years, the undergraduate program focuses on core curriculum, introductory medical science, and basic nutrition. In the junior and senior years, the emphases switch to various subjects in advanced nutrition, food science, and biological application, including molecular nutrition, functional foods, food hygiene and safety, food processing, and biotechnology. Students may choose a whole spectrum of electives based on their interests. Additionally, the School offers courses to incorporate traditional Chinese medicine into Western nutrition practice. Students also have internship opportunities to gather practical training experiences in research institutions, hospitals, or food companies. Furthermore, students are eligible for the Registered Dietitian exam in Taiwan.

Faculty

Nutrition faculty members are recruited from different specialties and encouraged to collaborate with other scientists. Their research fundings are mostly from National Science Council or private foundations. Faculty are expected to publish articles in the S.C.I. journals and present findings in international conferences.

Areas of Excellence

The research area focuses on nutrition-related health issues, such as metabolic syndrome, aging, cancers, immune, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The study subjects include functional evaluation and development of health foods, public health, Chinese medicine and nutrition, lipid metabolism, food microbiology nutritional toxicology, and biomedical and molecular nutrition.

Advancing Achievement

In order to achieve globe learning, we have started to provide students opportunities to do a short-term internship by visiting overseas Nutrition departments and Nutrition divisions at hospitals every year since 2008. During the stay, students either have face-to-face communication chances with Dietitians to understand their training processes and daily-based duties or participate in hands-on experimental workshop. The selective course “Internation practicum in nutrition and nutrition research” is open to both undergraduate and graduate students with seat limitation.

Career Outlook

Ample employment opportunities are available for nutrition graduates in both public and private sectors, for example, dietitions in hospitals or nutritionists at schools, health professionals at local or federal governments, scientists in research instituions or food industry. Alternatively, nutrition graduates may seek entrepreneurship to initiate businesses or pursue further studies in advanced degrees.