Food Science Transfer Plan
This document was accurate on the date it was prepared but may not reflect subsequent changes by Iowa State University or your transfer institution. For this reason, this transfer plan should be used as a guide only, and should not replace consultation with an adviser at your current institution and at Iowa State.
No more than 65 semester credit hours earned at a two-year college can be applied to a baccalaureate degree from Iowa State. Iowa State will accept up to 16 semester hours of credit earned in career-technical courses if the sending community college accepts such courses toward its Associate in Art or Associate in Science Degrees.
Note: All courses on this plan do not need to be completed prior to transfer. An emphasis on completing science sequence courses will best help students move through the program at the quickest pace after transfer.
These plans are suggestions only and may need to be adapted to meet individual needs and commitments.
If you are a part-time student or cannot complete all of the suggested coursework on this plan, consider choosing the science coursework first since this begins the longest sequence of courses. (Begin the science sequence with General/College Chemistry equivalent(s) and Principles of Biology equivalents.)
Transfer plans are available for Iowa community colleges on the Iowa State Transfer Plan Portal.
View links to the course requirements, sample four-year plan, and course sequence flow chart on the food science major page. There are three food science options.
Use the Financial Aid Timeline to plan ahead for financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
Timing/Sequence
First Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 177/177L, General Chemistry OR CHEM 163/163L, College Chemistry | 4 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Food Science students (Industry options)at Iowa State must take an equivalent to either CHEM 163/163L or equivalents to both CHEM 177/177L and CHEM 178 at Iowa State to fulfill the College/General Chemistry requirement. Food Science (Technology option) students must take equivalents to CHEM 177/177L and CHEM 178 at Iowa State to fulfill the College/General Chemistry requirement. |
| BIOL 211, Principles of Biology | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | It is recommended that Technology option students start their math sequence this semester with an equivalent to MATH 165 or MATH 181 |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Library 160, Library Instruction | 1 | Some schools have an equivalent to this course, and some do not. If an equivalent doesn’t exist, this course can easily be fit into a schedule at Iowa State after transfer |
Total credits: about 15 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Second Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 178, General Chemistry II | 3 | Select this course only if you selected an equivalent to CHEM 177/177L during Semester 1. Industry and Consumer students who selected an equivalent to CHEM 163/L during semester one do not need to select this course. |
| BIOL 212, Principles of Biology II | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| interchangeable course from the list below OR MATH 166 or MATH 182, Calculus II | 3-4 | Technology option only should select MATH 166 or 182. Industry and Consumer options can select an interchangeable course. |
Total credits: about 12-16 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Summer Session
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | It is recommended that students choose one interchangeable course during the summer to lighten their load after transferring to Iowa State in one of the Food Science options. |
Total credits: 3
Third Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 231/231L, Elementary Organic Chemistry OR CHEM 331/331L, Organic Chemistry II | 3 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Technology option must select an equivalent to CHEM 331/331L. Industry and Consumer options can choose equivalents to either CHEM 231/L or 331/L. |
| MICRO 201/201L OR Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 2 (lecture), 1 (lab); 3 credits for interchangeable course | Microbiology courses that transfer as MICRO 2T** on the Course Equivalency Guides, are at least 3 credits, and include a laboratory, will fulfill the MICRO 201/201L requirement for the Industry and Consumer options only. Technology options should choose an interchangeable course. |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list below | 3 | Select this additional course based on your needs/ability to balance your course load this semester. |
Total credits: about 16 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Fourth Semester
Typically, at this point in the sequence of courses, it is important that students have transferred to Iowa State. You should visit with the FSHN transfer adviser to determine the best time for you to transfer based on your specific situation. If possible, early planning is recommended to determine the transfer semester that will result in the timeliest completion of your degree requirements.
Interchangeable Courses
Where the transfer plans says, “select an interchangeable course”, select one of the courses below. All courses must be taken to fulfill requirements for your degree program, but the order of these courses prior to transfer is typically less significant.
Humanities Courses
3-9 credits of humanities are needed for food science majors. Consult with the Iowa State FSHN adviser regarding how many credits of humanities classes you should take prior to transfer. Courses at Iowa State that can fulfill Humanities requirements can be found at this link. Additionally, classes listed on the Course Equivalency Guides as HUM 1T**, 2T**, 3T**, 4T** can also serve as humanities.
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Math 160, 165 or 181 – Calculus course | 4 | Technology option select equivalent to Math 165 or 181; Industry and Consumer option select equivalent to Math 160, 165, or 181. |
| STAT 101, Principles of Statistics STAT 104, Introduction to Statistics, or STAT 105, Introduction to Statistics for Engineers | 4,3 | Take an equivalent to one of these two courses |
| ENGL 150, Critical Thinking & Communication | 3 | |
| ENGL 250, Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Communication | 3 | Usually an equivalent to ENGL 150 is the pre-requisite to an ENGL 250 equivalent |
| SP CM 212, Speech Communication | 3 | |
| FS HN 167, Intro. to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| ECON 101, Principles Of Micro. Econ. | 3 | Required for Industry and Consumer options; Technology option can use this course to fulfill a social science requirement |
| PHYS 111, General Physics OR PHYS 115x, Physics for the Life Sciences | 4 | Technology option should select PHYS 111. Industry and Consumer options can choose any of these courses. |
Total credits: about 26-27 (varies based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
FAQs
What are the differences between the three Food Science options?
A description of the two Food Science options can be found at this link.
What if I am not sure which option that I want to pursue. Can I change my option?
You will notice from this plan that many of the courses during the first year and half are very similar for all three options. In general, the “Technology” option requires the highest level math and science. Since, in most cases, you will be able to substitute higher level math and science courses for lower-level math and science courses in the Food Science program, it would be the smoothest transition to switch from the Technology option to the Industry option. There are no differences on this transfer plan between the Industry and Consumer options
How do I know which Chemistry sequence to take: CHEM 163/L or CHEM 177/L &CHEM 178?
Consultation with an adviser at your current institution and at Iowa State is important to determine which chemistry sequence is appropriate for your skills, abilities, and goals. However, some general advice follows. First consider which food science curriculum option you are going to follow. Food Science (Industry option) and Food Science (Consumer option) at Iowa State must take an equivalent to either CHEM 163/163L or an equivalent to both CHEM 177/177L and CHEM 178 at Iowa State to fulfill the College/General Chemistry requirement. Food Science (Technology option) students must take equivalents to CHEM 177/177L and CHEM 178 at Iowa State to fulfill the College/General Chemistry requirement. Then, if your option affords you a choice between chemistry sequences, consider the following advice:
At Iowa State, CHEM 163/L is a one-semester look at college chemistry principles that prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry (CHEM 231/L at Iowa State). CHEM 177/L & 178 is a more in-depth look at general chemistry concepts for students with stronger math and chemistry backgrounds. The in-depth two-part sequence typically better prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry.
Some schools only offer the equivalent to the CHEM 177/L & 178 sequence (see the course equivalency guides to check a community college). If you have the choice at your institution between CHEM 163/L and CHEM 177/L & 178, then you should visit with an adviser at your current institution to find out which you are most prepared for.
Also, many schools do not offer an Elementary Organic Chemistry course such as Iowa State’s CHEM 231/L, only a higher-level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to Iowa State’s CHEM 331/L). If this is the case and you plan to stay at your community college through organic chemistry, then you typically need to take the CHEM 177/L to 178 sequences to be most prepared for the higher level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to CHEM 331/L).
What if I have finished the Chemistry sequence on this plan (gotten to or finished CHEM 231/231L or 331/331L)?
It’s time to visit with the FSHN transfer academic adviser. It is likely time for you to transfer to Iowa State so that you can stay on track with your coursework. In a few circumstances it might be appropriate to take an equivalent to BBMB 301 (Survey of Biochemistry) or CHEM 332 (Organic Chemistry II) if required for your option and if offered at your current institution, but it is very important to discuss if this is the best option with the FSHN adviser at this point or if you should transfer.
Do I need any electives for this major? What counts as an elective?
Students in this program must have completed 120.5 credits to graduate. Students usually need to take between 6 and 20 credits, minimum, of electives to get to 120.5 credit hours. You may need a few more or less as a transfer student depending on the number of credits that the courses are at your transfer institution. Any course that is accepted by Iowa State as a transfer course that isn’t already fulfilling a degree requirement can be considered an elective.
What if I have finished all (or most of the interchangeable courses on this list) and am now just working on the science coursework so I don’t have a full time course load? Is there anything else that might transfer?
Maybe. If you haven’t already, it’s appropriate to be visiting with the FSHN adviser at this point. Food Science and Technology option students might be able to take the second semester of General Physics. All options might be able to choose additional humanities or social science courses. It might also be appropriate to discuss with the FSHN adviser if there is a minor that you could start working toward that would complement your degree selection.