Start fresh with new skills. Get 15% off course fees with the code TOASTNY2026 until January 13, 2026 and set yourself up for exponential growth this year.
Nutrition Science
Online short courseInform your ability to provide sound nutritional guidelines
GET MORE INFORMATION
8 weeks, online
(excl. orientation)
8-10 hours per week,
entirely online
Flexible learning through
weekly modules
On completion of this course, you'll walk away with:
An understanding of the relationship between food and nutrition, and the foundational science involved in developing nutrition plans for different individuals and contexts.
The ability to interpret nutritional research through informed knowledge of fats and carbohydrates, supplements, diet fads, the effects of sugar, and the importance of protein.
A certificate from the Stanford Center for Health Education, a part of Stanford Medicine, differentiating yourself in the medical and wellness industries.
Course curriculum
The following modules contribute to the holistic approach your learning path takes:Module 1 Nutrition guidelines: Science versus politics
Learn about nutrition science and the establishment of nutritional guidelines.
Module 2 The role of macronutrients: Carbohydrates
Learn the fundamentals of carbohydrates and apply these to a balanced diet.
Module 3 The role of macronutrients: Fats
Learn the fundamentals of fats and apply these to a balanced diet.
Module 4 The role of macronutrients: Proteins
Learn the fundamentals of proteins and apply these to a balanced diet.
Module 5 Calorie balance in context
Learn the fundamentals of calorie balance and the effect an individual's context plays in maintaining it.
Module 6 The role of micronutrients: Vitamins
Learn the fundamentals of vitamins and apply these to a balanced diet.
Module 7 The role of micronutrients: Minerals
Learn the fundamentals of minerals and apply these to a balanced diet.
Module 8 Health, disease and nutrition
Learn the fundamentals of a good diet and how health and disease relate to them.
Optional Module A Pediatric nutrition
Learn the fundamentals of pediatric nutrition and how to address malnutrition and obesity in early childhood.
Optional Module B Special topics in adult malnutrition
Learn about common adult malnutrition conditions, nutrition in the context of specialized care, and malnutrition in older adults.
Academic Director
Prof. Christopher Gardner
Director of Nutrition Studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center
Director of the NIH/NHLBI Postdoctoral Training Program at SPRC
Director of the Clinical Translational Core of the Stanford Diabetes Research Center
Christopher Gardner is the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. He is renowned for his work in the fields of nutrition and obesity, particularly through the use of human randomized trials. One particular piece of research, featured in Netflix's You Are What You Eat, involved a Stanford Medicine-led study comparing vegan and omnivore diets in identical twins.1
Gardner received his Ph.D. in nutrition science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993. He also holds positions as a member of the Cardiovascular Institute, Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, and Stanford Cancer Institute, and is a Faculty Fellow of Stanford ChEM-H and an Affiliate of Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.
1Stanford Report (2024).
A powerful collaboration
The Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) is collaborating with online education provider GetSmarter to deliver this professional development course. Stanford faculty developed the curriculum and worked with the GetSmarter production team to create the interactive learning experience. Course facilitation, enrollment, and student support are delivered by GetSmarter. GetSmarter and the SCHE team are proud to bring this course to a growing number of professionals worldwide.About Stanford Center for Health Education
The Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) supports an effective and efficient approach to the training of health professionals across the globe while empowering the public through access to credible, accessible, and engaging health education. Improving upon conventional approaches to healthcare education, SCHE aims to increase the global availability of well-trained healthcare professionals, create a more informed public, and improve health outcomes in some of the world's most vulnerable populations.
About GetSmarter
GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand, partners with the world's leading universities and institutions to select, design and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain.
Technology meets academic rigor in GetSmarter's people-mediated model, which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world's most reputable academic institutions.
An online education that sets you apart
The Stanford Center for Health Education is collaborating with online education provider, GetSmarter, to create a new class of learning experience — one that is high-touch, intimate, and personalized for the working professional. Join a growing community of global professionals and benefit from the opportunity to:
Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.
Enjoy a personalized, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.
Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.