Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Launches Applied Nutrition and Behavior Change Program

Build evidence-based nutrition expertise and practical behavior-change skills with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s nine-week online program.

As nutrition science advances across areas such as metabolic health, precision nutrition, the gut microbiome, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) therapies, health and wellness professionals face a growing challenge: distinguishing credible scientific evidence from oversimplified or misleading nutrition claims. The importance of getting nutrition guidance right extends beyond individual wellness: according to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases account for nearly 75 percent of deaths globally, with unhealthy diets among the leading risk factors. This makes evidence-based nutrition knowledge increasingly important for professionals who help people make health and lifestyle decisions.

To address this need, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health launched the Applied Nutrition and Behavior Change: Foundations for Health and Wellness, a nine-week online program designed for health care professionals, nutritionists, fitness and wellness practitioners, public health professionals, and other professionals working in health-related roles. The program combines metabolic science, precision nutrition, clinical applications, behavioral science, and public health strategy.

About the Applied Nutrition and Behavior Change Program

Harvard Chan Advanced Learning Academy delivers the Applied Nutrition and Behavior Change: Foundations for Health and Wellness program with support from Great Learning. Great Learning manages the end-to-end learning experience, including learner enrollment, digital learning infrastructure, learner support, and program delivery. The program also facilitates mentorship, peer discussions, and project-based learning to promote practical application and deeper engagement.

The curriculum is designed to help practitioners move beyond surface-level nutrition advice and build the confidence to make decisions that are informed, defensible, and aligned with real-world health outcomes.

What Makes This Program Unique?

1. Build Scientific Authority

Learners develop the ability to interpret randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and meta-analyses and critically evaluate nutrition evidence.

2. Explore Modern Nutrition Science

The program goes beyond nutrition fundamentals to explore metabolism, dietary patterns, precision nutrition, the microbiome, digital health tools, and the evolving role of GLP-1 therapies in weight management.

3. Connect Science With Behavior Change

Learners apply frameworks such as the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM-B) model, motivational interviewing, nudge theory, and implementation science to develop strategies that can support sustained dietary change and healthier environments.

4. Learn From Harvard Faculty and Industry Mentors

The program combines conceptual learning from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty with live sessions designed to help translate evidence into practice.

Who Should Enroll?

The program is particularly suited to integrated health practitioners, including clinicians, nutritionists, fitness professionals, and wellness practitioners who want to strengthen their evidence-based foundation in nutrition and behavior change.

It is also designed for:

• Health care professionals seeking actionable nutrition frameworks
• Health and wellness professionals supporting sustainable dietary and lifestyle changes
• Public and community health leaders designing population-level nutrition interventions
• Institutional nutrition professionals working across schools, workplaces, health care, and food services
• Professionals in adjacent roles, including digital health, product, and benefits professionals working on health-focused solutions

What Will You Learn?

The curriculum progresses through three modules:

Module 1: Fundamentals of Nutrition Science

Explore nutrition research methods, metabolism, nutrient quality, dietary patterns, precision nutrition, and the gut microbiome. Learners also develop skills to critically appraise emerging nutrition evidence and digital health tools.

Module 2: Applied Nutrition Across the Lifespan and Weight Management

Apply nutrition science to chronic disease prevention, metabolic health, life-stage nutrition, healthy aging, and weight management, including the role of GLP-1 therapies and nutrition considerations for individuals using them.

Module 3: Behavior Change, Nutrition at Scale, and Global Health

Explore behavior-change strategies, institutional nutrition, workplace and community interventions, global nutrition, sustainability, and planetary health.

Sample Projects

Learners apply their knowledge through projects such as developing a personalized nutrition plan, designing a behavioral coaching strategy using the COM-B model, and creating a public health nutrition policy and environment proposal.

Key Learning Outcomes

By completing the program, learners will be able to:

• Apply nutrition science principles to design evidence-based recommendations for diverse populations. 
• Evaluate the scientific validity of precision nutrition approaches, digital health tools, and emerging dietary strategies for clinical and consumer use.
• Develop integrated dietary strategies for chronic disease prevention, metabolic health, and weight management.
• Design behavior-change programs and institutional nutrition interventions using evidence-based frameworks for scalable, real-world impact.
• Align nutrition strategies with global public health priorities, environmental sustainability, and broader health goals.

Next Step

Professionals looking to strengthen their nutrition expertise with a rigorous, evidence-based foundation can explore the Applied Nutrition and Behavior Change: Foundations for Health and Wellness from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Participants who successfully complete the program receive a Certificate of Completion from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the curriculum cover GLP-1 weight loss medications and precision nutrition?

Yes, the curriculum directly targets modern clinical frontiers.

• GLP-1: Module 2 explores weight management in the GLP-1 era, equipping practitioners with the skills to evaluate dietary approaches and nutrition/lifestyle considerations for individuals using GLP-1s.
• Precision Nutrition and the Microbiome: Module 1 evaluates the gut microbiome, omics, genomics, and digital tools, personalized dietary strategies, and the clinical validity of digital health tracking tools.

Do I need a medical degree or prior clinical background to enroll?

No prior experience in health care or nutrition is required. The curriculum is structured to accommodate a range of health and wellness professionals, from physicians and nurses to fitness coaches, public health analysts, institutional menu planners, and health tech managers. The course establishes fundamental research methodology and metabolic science in Module 1 before building into clinical applications and systems-level behavior change.

Can I manage this program alongside a full-time clinical load or executive schedule?

Yes. The program is designed for working professionals with an estimated commitment of 5–7 hours per week over nine weeks. The learning model combines flexible, on-demand recorded lectures by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty with structured live touchpoints, including live faculty masterclasses and weekly live mentorship sessions.

What kind of peer network and learning support will I have access to?

Learners join an international cohort of health care leaders, clinicians, public health officers, and wellness experts. Delivery includes weekly live mentorship sessions led by industry operators, dedicated discussion forums, peer groups, and ongoing guidance from a dedicated Program Support Team.