For more than 40 years, Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. Dr. Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers. In addition, he is co-author with Thomas Campbell, M.D., of the bestselling book, “The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health” and wrote the New York Times bestseller “Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition” with Howard Jacobson, Ph.D.
Plant-Based
Nutrition
Overview and Courses
This revolutionary online certificate program will help you understand the importance of diet and nutrition for your life. Created by eCornell and the Center for Nutrition Studies with over 20 experts (MDs, PhDs, RDs, RNs), the courses provide research and perspectives to emphasize why following a plant-based diet is optimal for health—including the prevention and reversal of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Through three two-week online courses, you’ll have the opportunity to examine historic and contemporary research, learn the steps for practical application in your life, and be better prepared to engage in productive conversations with friends, colleagues, clients, or patients about the science behind plant-based nutrition. The foundation of the program is based on Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s lectures, experience and decades of research.
Over the course of his career, Campbell has participated in the development of national and international nutrition policy, authored 300+ research papers, and been awarded 70+ grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding. He co-authored the worldwide bestselling book The China Study and authored the New York Times bestsellers Whole and The Low-Carb Fraud. Several documentaries feature his research, including Forks Over Knives, Eating You Alive, Food Matters, and PlantPure Nation. He continues to share evidence-based information on health and nutrition whenever given the opportunity and has delivered hundreds of lectures around the world.
In this course we examine the troubled state of health in America, identify how scientific theories take shape, and differentiate between reductionist and “wholistic” perspectives in nutrition. You will be introduced to basic nutrition concepts and discover how food policy and politics affect diet and health choices. You will also learn how industrial food production impacts the environment. Lastly, you’ll examine evidence-based principles on the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet and consider nutrition from an expanded perspective: That is, nutrition as a symphony of complex interactions, rather than the result of individual nutrients and mechanisms. This course includes:
- Nine activities
- Three quizzes
- One required discussion
- Two optional discussions
- Downloadable transcript
- Readings
In this course we are introduced to the China Project, the most comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle, and disease ever conducted. We take a closer look at diet’s crucial link to chronic diseases worldwide, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Lastly, we investigate the scientific evidence supporting a whole food, plant-based diet’s ability to prevent and even reverse these chronic diseases. This course includes:
- One activity
- Four quizzes
- Two required discussions
- One optional discussion
- Downloadable transcript
- Readings
In this course, we focus on personal behavior and the tools that support positive lifestyle change. We analyze several popular diets and compare them to a whole food, plant-based diet. We then discuss the practical application of this lifestyle, including its role in raising a healthy family, improving athletic performance, and ensuring a lasting change. Much of this application includes dispelling popular myths—that children require dairy, that athletes require supplementation, etc. By the end of this course, you will have the knowledge and confidence to take control of your health and help others do the same. This course includes:
- Five activities
- Two quizzes
- Three required discussions
- Downloadable transcript
- Readings
How It Works
Faculty Authors
Dr. Campbell is a board-certified family physician. Thomas is executive director of a nonprofit organization in Ithaca, NY partnering with eCornell (Cornell University’s online education organization) to promote optimal nutrition through science-based education, advocacy, and research. A graduate of Cornell University, Thomas, with his father T. Colin Campbell, PhD, co-authored “The China Study, The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and The Startling Implications for Diet, Weight-Loss, and Long-Term Health.” The book has been a worldwide bestseller. Dr. Campbell continues to have a particularly strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle counseling. With strong evidence that many of the most common chronic diseases can be prevented and treated with lifestyle changes, Dr. Campbell strives to partner with patients to support them in helping them improve their health.
- Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s eight principles of nutritional health
- Role nutrition plays in chronic disease
- Impact of a whole food plant-based diet on weight loss and weight management
- Common topics of concern to athletes including supplements and protein consumption
- Psychological reasons we are drawn to unhealthy foods
- How government and industry can affect dietary choices and the environment
- Importance of healthy eating practices for child development and maternal health
- Trending diet topics including gluten-free, keto, low-carb, paleo, vegan, etc.

Download a Brochure
Not ready to enroll but want to learn more? Download the certificate brochure to review program details.
- Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from eCornell and T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies
- All students will earn 1.8 CEUs
- Only physicians and physician assistant's are eligible to earn 30 AMA PRA Category 1 credits (CMEs) (additional fee applies)
- Only nurses and nurse practitioners are eligible to earn 30 Nursing Contact Hours (CNEs) (additional fee applies)
- Only pharmacists are eligible to earn 30 Hours Pharmacy CE (CPEs) (additional fee applies)
- Only dietitians are eligible for CPEs (no additional fee)
- Only National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) members are eligible for 2.0 CEUs (no additional fee)
Who Should Enroll
- Anyone seeking to improve their personal health
- Medical and health professionals
- Chefs or food managers
- Athletes and personal trainers
- Parents
- Teachers
- Entrepreneurs
“Excellent overall curriculum for those new to plant-based and those seeking to solidify or expand their knowledge base. The instructors were available and responsive, classmates were engaging, and content was superb. The bonus is that I could fit the courses into my schedule from a few hundred miles away. Love it! ”
“I have a M.Sc., Molecular Genetics, as well as Dip.Ed., but this course is single handedly the best and most important course I have ever taken in my life. The application to daily life is direct, and as far as being a teacher, I feel it is of utmost importance that my students are equipped with this knowledge. It has become an extremely important part of my daily life and I can’t thank Dr. T. Colin Campbell enough for building up this program. ”
“The course info gave me a better understanding of Diabetes, and helped me design an eating regime—the resources, database, and access to info was extremely helpful in this process. Useful info, for everyone, not just professionals. ”

$1,260
Plant-Based Nutrition
Select Payment Method | Cost |
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$1,260 |