BSc/BSc (Hons) Nutrition
This four-year course will give you the theoretical understanding and practical skills that you will need to build a rewarding career as a nutritionist. On this course you will learn the scientific and social importance of nutrition in a modern university with advanced equipment. Integrated real-world voluntary experience will foster your practical skills. The nutrition course at QMU is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN)* which will allow you to register with the AfN upon graduation.
Why QMU?
- You will learn from registered nutritionists and experts in the field who are actively researching some of the most interesting and influential topics in the field.
- You will build professional proficiency in our labs, using advanced equipment and proven research techniques.
- The course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN).
On this course you will:
- Learn the academic principles behind food and gain practical skills in our advanced laboratories.
- Learn how to think critically on a larger scale. What are the social, political, cultural and environmental factors affecting what we eat? How do nutritionists use evidence-based approaches to support behaviour change at an individual, community and population level?
- Learn about the most current issues in the field of nutrition. How does our gut microbiome composition impact our health? How do nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics influence current practice? What are the current/contemporary practices and policies in the field of nutrition?
The field of nutrition affects everyone in the world every day and has grown in importance in recent years. The science of nutrition employs evidence-based approaches to highlight the relationship between our diet and health, and it enables us to optimise health and prevent disease.
What and how we eat is vital to individual and community health and it is an engaging and rewarding subject to study. If we are what we eat, then nutrition can tell us a lot about who we are, how we live and how we can improve the health of society. As a science, nutrition looks at how food affects the functioning of the living organism. It includes the study of food composition, how it is digested and absorbed, the production of energy, elimination of wastes and all the syntheses that are essential for growth, maintenance, and reproduction across the life cycle.
You can opt to study for an honours degree over four years or an ordinary degree over three years. You will complete a range of modules each year as outlined.
*NB the ordinary degree does not lead to registration with the AfN upon graduation.
Year One
You will:
Forge a solid understanding of the biological sciences.
Learn the fundamental principles of nutrition and integrate this with knowledge of other related disciplines.
Develop core study and professional skills as well as laboratory and investigative (information technology and research) expertise.
Modules
- Physiology
- Contextualising You and Your Profession
- Food, Lifestyle and Society
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology and Genetics
- Introduction to Food Science
Year Two
You will:
- Continue in understanding of the biological sciences.
- Continue to integrate your knowledge of the fundamental principles of nutrition with other related disciplines.
- Continue to develop core study and professional skills as well as laboratory and investigative (information technology and research) expertise.
- Have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas. For more information, see
- Exchanges and Study Abroad*.
Modules
- Health Coaching Conversations
- Nutrient Metabolism
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Nutrition
- Pharmacology
- Evidence-Based Practice
*This opportunity is available in both Years Two and Three however you will only be able to undertake it in one of those years.
Year Three
You will:
- Look at how nutrition influences health at the individual, community and population level across all stages of the lifespan.
- Learn to identify reliable sources of information and critically evaluate them, building on skills from Year Two, and develop other key professional skills such as communication.
- Organise your own volunteering experience in an appropriate setting. How long does this have to last?
- Have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas. For more information, see Exchanges and Study Abroad*.
Modules
- Disease Aetiology and Management
- Dissertation
- Nutrition Through the Life-course
- Volunteering Experience
- Clinical Nutrition (includes tutorials in Research Techniques for Nutrition)
- Epidemiology in Public Health
*This opportunity is available in both Years Two and Three however you will only be able to undertake it in one of those years.
Year Four
You will:
- Learn about current issues in nutrition.
- Learn about contemporary / current practices and policies.
- Focus most of your time on developing your individual research project.
- Choose an elective module that interests you; either Health Entrepreneurship or Nutrition in Practice, which allows you the opportunity to develop a nutritional intervention in a population group of your choice.
Modules
- Honours Project
- Current Issues in Nutrition Science
- Food and Nutrition Policy
- Plus one of the following two options: Health Entrepreneurship OR Nutrition in Practice
Teaching, learning and assessment
You will learn in lectures, seminars, practical workshops and laboratories. Outside these timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a variety of methods.
Placements
Practical learning in real-world environments is the perfect way to consolidate your skills.
In Year Three, students will organise their own compulsory volunteering experience. This can be in a variety of settings such as schools, community groups, laboratories, care homes or food and drink companies. Students may even wish to volunteer overseas.
Exchange opportunities
Yes. See 'Year Three' and 'Year Four' tab for more information.
Careers
Our graduates work across a number of sectors including government, third-sector and private companies.
Entry requirements
Scottish Higher: Standard - BBBC, Minimum - BCCC
A Level: BB
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H3 H3
International Baccalaureate: 26 points
International: IELTS score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5
Required subjects: Chemistry or Biology and preferably one other science (may include Maths or Home Economics) at Higher/A Level or equivalent AND Chemistry, Biology, Maths and English at Nat 5 GCSE.
Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with relevant qualifications in Biology and Chemistry or experience. See related Access courses: www.qmu.ac.uk/college-qualifications
Direct Entry:
Year Two
- HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit
Year Three
- HND in a related subject with CB in the graded units
For details of related HNC and HND courses, see: www.qmu.ac.uk/college-qualifications
Other requirements:
- You may be requested to be immunised against Hepatitis B.
- Students may require a PVG check for the Volunteering module.
Professional registration/accreditation
- The course is accredited by the AfN.
- As an honours graduate you will be eligible to register on the Voluntary Register of Nutritionists with the AfN.
Teaching staff, class sizes and timetables
For more information, please see ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’.
Awarding body
QMU. For more information, please see ‘External Review’ section on the ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’ page.
View Open Day presentation
Please note:
- The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2022) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2023. Please check back here for any updates.
- The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2023/24 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).
- Teaching staff may be subject to change.
