Are you serious about starting a healthcare career in nutrition?

Or do you want to incorporate nutrition into your current healthcare practice?

The Functional Nutrition program at PCC Institute for Health Professionals will provide you a solid foundation to start your professional nutrition career or integrate nutrition into your holistic practice.

Why the Functional Nutrition program at PCC Institute for Health Professionals?

• High quality. PCC Institute for Health Professionals has been a long-time sponsor school of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP), and our Functional Nutrition program is approved by NANP.
• College-level rigor. After successfully completing the program, you will receive 2 non-credit certificates from Portland Community College.
• Prepare for HNCB exam. As part of the program, you will be able to take the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board (HNCB) certification exam after you complete your studies.
• Future-focused. The program is based on the evolving landscape of healthcare, and how nutrition is playing an important role in functional medicine and integrative healthcare.
• Taught by practitioners. Our instructors are practitioners and experts in their specific field.
• Science-based. Our curriculum is science-based. You’ll learn nutrition principles backed by verified scientific research.
• Traditional wisdom. The program also pulls on traditional wisdom such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition.
• Firm foundation. This program will provide you the foundational platform for continued, life-long learning in the field of nutrition.
• School partnerships. We are continually growing our relationships with partner universities and colleges to give our students advantages in continuing their education.

What to Expect

The Functional Nutrition program is 1 year (4 terms) long and cohort-based. Each term consists of 10-11 weeks of live online class learning with two sessions per week. For the latest scheduling for functional nutrition, click here. Each session will be recorded for viewing later. Expect to prep 1-3 hours for each hour of class time.

• Functional Nutrition: Foundations | 
  • Bioscience of Nutrition 
  • Fundamentals of Nutrition 
  • Intro to Research and Evidence-Based Practice for Nutritional Therapy
• Functional Nutrition: Essentials | 
  • Functional Nutritional Assessment 
  • Nutritional Counseling Skills 
  • Culinary Nutrition 
• Functional Nutrition: Your Practice | 
  • Holistic Nutritional Therapy 
  • Business and Practice Considerations
• Functional Nutrition: Perspectives | 
  • Nutrition in the Life Cycles
  • Intro to Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Capstone

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this program help me get a job or prepare me for a career?

Finding a job or starting a career in nutrition depends on two things. (1) What are your personal goals? Do you want to start your own practice? Do you want to supplement your current healthcare practice? Do you want to work as a nutritionist at a retail location? Knowing your goals is critical. (2) What does your state allow? Each state has different laws concerning what you can do as a nutritionist. In some states, for example, only Registered Dietitians (learn more about the difference between nutritionists and dietitians) can provide nutrition counseling. Please review your states stance on practicing nutrition at NANP’s Legislative Affairs and the Center for Nutrition Advocacy.

With these two things in mind, the Functional Nutrition program at PCC Institute for Health Professionals is a rigorous, entry-level, professional preparatory program to get you started on your career in nutrition. Upon completion of the program, you are eligible to take the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board (HNCB) certification exam. If you pass, this certificate will give you credibility.  As you advance in the field, you can pursue additional certificates and degrees to increase your knowledge. If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do as a nutritionist, please see our blog post “Explore the Many Job Opportunities for Nutritionists”.

Who should enroll?

Functional Nutrition is a college-level, professional preparatory program. Only individuals serious about starting a career in nutrition or expanding their current healthcare practice should apply.

Does this program focus on specific diseases?

This program does not focus on any particular sickness or disease. Instead, this program will give you a solid foundational understanding in nutrition. From this foundation, you can pursue continuing education to dive deep into a specific niche.

Is this program completely online?

Yes, this program is completely online with no in-person classroom time.

Is this program eligible for FAFSA funds/financial aid/scholarships?