Are you interested in improving health outcomes and minimising the start or duration of disease by understanding the effects of diet on health? This dynamic subject area comes from years of research from the world renowned Rowett Institute at University of Aberdeen and a real need in society and organisational level to focus on improving health. This institute provides current and emeritus experts in all areas of human nutrition which include diet, gut health, bacteria and much more and it is one of the oldest institutes in this area with over 100 years of major discoveries.
There is now a growing recognition amongst the general population that diet and health are intertwined leading to growing consultancies, books, online support and clinics now specialising in specific areas of nutritional health to support changes in behaviour. Besides freelance and consultancy work you can become a Nutritionist and you can work in public health as a Policy Manager, Nutrition and Dietetics and as an academic.
The programme gives you a solid Master's level qualification in Nutrition at clinical level to allow you to work in both clinical level within health organisations and consultancy level within the community. Apart from an excellent understanding of Nutrition you also cover Public Health and Epidemiology which can open up wider opportunities at a more strategic level in organisations. You can also take this a step further by studying Health Economics if you wish to be involved in strategic operational areas of health organisations, policy and practice. This subject is very relevant internationally and carries transferrable knowledge to allow you to practice in different countries.
You develop understanding of:
University of Aberdeen offers a very successful free short course https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/online/free.php within Nutrition and Wellbeing which is entirely online. Find out more about when this course is running if you would like to find out more about this subject area.
Compulsory Courses
Optional Courses
Find out more about courses
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen
https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life
Nutrition is a fast-moving discipline that focuses on understanding the role of diet in maintaining a healthy human body and the prevention of disease. This course will give you an in-depth understanding of the scientific, social and ethical considerations that inform the nutrition profession, as set by the professional voluntary register of nutritionists.
Throughout the course you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the scientific principles that underpin the relationship between diet, human health and wellbeing. You’ll develop your ability to critically appraise the effects of food processing on the nutritional quality of foods and the role of processed foods in the diet.
The programme will encourage you to evaluate the current issues and developments related to the nutrition discipline, and propose new insights and solutions to diet-related problems.
The Programme is accredited by the Association for Nutrition which means it delivers all the core competencies required of registered nutritionists. On successful completion of this MSc, you are able to enter the UK voluntary register of nutritionists, and our excellent links with industry will help you to pursue a successful and rewarding career.
Our MSc Human Nutrition programme will develop your scientific research skills to an advanced level and fuel your interest in this fascinating and vital discipline.
You will develop a deep understanding of current issues in the field of human nutrition – all taught elements emphasise the evidence-based links between diet, health and disease, and are underpinned by a full appreciation for the nutritional mechanisms involved.
Our excellent links with industry will help you to pursue a successful and rewarding career. The programme also forms an excellent foundation for those who wish to pursue further education via a PhD or research post in industry following graduation.
MSc students may apply for Associate Nutritionist status on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and an original research project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. All modules described are compulsory.
Our MSc programme caters for the following applicants:
The University of Surrey has long been regarded as a UK centre of excellence for teaching in nutrition and dietetics through our long-running and successful undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Staff within the Department of Nutritional Sciences have an internationally recognised expertise in areas such as diabetes, lipid metabolism, cardiovascular risk, bone health, Vitamin D, selenium and iodine, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity and energy balance.
As a postgraduate student, you will be taught by a variety of lecturers who are actively researching the topic being covered, or have a wealth of experience in that particular area.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake independent research via a project, guided by a dedicated and experienced supervisor. Projects are available across a range of topics representing the strength and depth of the Department and wider Faculty.
You will be working alongside staff, PhD students and post-doctoral researchers to ensure that you receive the full research experience.
This will form an excellent foundation for those MSc students wishing to pursue further education via a PhD or research post in industry.
The strong scientific element of our teaching will attract students looking for a programme of high academic quality.
The Department has excellent links with industry, which will help you to pursue a successful career in nutrition.
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
The overall aim of this master's programme is to provide science graduates with core knowledge and skills to practice as a dietitian and develop advanced research skills. Registered dietitians are qualified health professionals who assess diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems both at individual and population level. Dietitians use the most up to date research on diet and health which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
This course is an intensive 20 Masters taught course designed to provide a scientific base in the study of food and nutrition and the effect of diet and health on wellbeing. On completion of this course graduates will be qualified to work as a dietitian and be eligible to register with HCPC/CORU. Graduates will also have advanced research skills having completed an independent reasearch project as part of this degree.
This course is designed for pre-registration training in Dietetics. It is not aimed at qualified dietitians wishing to take a masters research degree. Qualified dietitians are encouraged to apply for the MSc Human Nutrition.
This course is a master's course. It is studied on a full-time basis over 20 months where attendance is required on campus most days each week during semester. During placement attendance is required each day. This course cannot be taken part time.
This course provides study of core modules in human nutrition and dietetics and includes two clinical placement blocks. Year 1 semester 1 (60 credits) and 2 (75 credits) are taught modules in core subjects. Year 1 semester 3 students undertake Human Nutrition Masters research project which is an integral part of the programme where students undertake an independent research project. Clinical placement modules are undertaken in year 2 and are generally within a hospital and/or community setting. Placements are predominantly in Northern Ireland with consolidation tutorials at University between placements. Successful students will be eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for Registration as a dietitian or apply to CORU for validation of qualification to practice as a dietitian in the Republic of Ireland.
Dietetic placements are an integral part of this course. Placements are generally undertaken within hospital and/or community Trusts in Northern Ireland and must be approved by the University in advance of allocation to students.
This course is a taught full-time course over 20 months including master's research project and clinical placements. Attendance is required during semester most days each week. Placements require daily full time attendance. This course cannot be taken part time.
Dietetic placements are an integral part of this course. Placements are generally undertaken within hospital and/or community Trusts in Northern Ireland and are approved by the University in advance of allocation to students.
Placements are unpaid and full time. Placements are approved by HCPC therefore graduates from this programme are eligible to apply for registration with the Statutory Regulator for Dietitians, the HCPC. The course is also accredited by the British Dietetic Association.
Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a dietitian.
The academic content of the programme together with the experience gained from clinical practice placements leads to excellent employment opportunities. There are excellent opportunities for graduate dietitians in hospitals, community or public health as well as the food industry, research, sports or to pursue a higher research degree (PhD) in the area of human nutrition.
Over the past decade, the impact of nutrition and exercise in optimising athletic performance and recovery from injury has become increasingly clear and there has been a growing demand for highly trained specialists in this field.
Experts in sport and exercise nutrition translate the latest scientific research into practical, evidence-based advice for competitive and recreational athletes, as well as groups and individuals wanting to improve their health, lose weight, recover from injury or become more active.
Incorporating up-to-date research and contemporary practice, this course aims to prepare you for broad range of careers – from clinical practice assessing professional sports teams to work as a dietitian for clients with specific nutritional issues.
Based in our multimillion pound, state-of-the-art Science and Health Building, you can take full advantage of our cutting-edge facilities, including indoor running track and extensive exercise science laboratories. You’ll gain hands-on experience of some of the equipment and techniques used in professional sports and health environments.
The course seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the nutritional and metabolic demands of exercise and practical experience of the effect of and interactions between diet, exercise and health. We provide opportunities to work with University and local sports teams, as well as recreational athletes seeking personalised nutrition advice.
Our teaching team has a broad range of academic and professional experience, many of whom have worked with a range of health initiatives, professional athletes and clubs. You will also learn about our own latest research findings from the Centre for Research in Applied Biological and Exercise Sciences.
Master’s study will also give you the opportunity to gain important experience and skills in research, which will help you to understand and evaluate future developments.
Your main study themes are:
This multidisciplinary course draws together a broad range of biosciences subject matter within the areas of sport, exercise physiology, health and nutrition.
Content has been designed to develop your appreciation of the human body and its functions, together with nutrition science and its role in promoting human health so that you can apply this knowledge to develop appropriate dietary advice and exercise programmes.
We will consider the components of fitness, including nutritional requirements, energy expenditure, body mass and body composition, examining some of the common problems associated with general health and wellbeing, diet and nutrition, exercise and sport performance. These include diets, hydration and supplements, for example.
Covering how to scientifically measure nutritional requirements and dietary allowances of macronutrients, micronutrients and other metabolically active components of food such as fibre. We also consider the negative effects of things like food additives, tannins or drugs and how ethnic and culture may affect practical advice on foods, meals and menus.
As well as subject-specific knowledge, we will encourage a critical, analytical and flexible approach to problem-solving in sport and exercise nutrition. You will systematically and creatively explore complex issues, such as physical activity, nutrition and obesity, and elite physiological support through a variety of case studies, laboratory sessions and group work.
Our aim is to effectively prepare you for professional employment, so we focus on providing enhanced practical and professional skills through a combination of lectures, laboratory and field sessions and case studies. The nature of the course also enables topical aspects to be discussed, for example, the latest popular supplement for sports people or fad diet.
You are also required to complete in-depth research study in the area of sport and exercise science, so will receive training in research methods, including data analysis in both research and applied practice.
Study at one of the most renowned international Institutes for health nutrition research which has continued to play an important part in research for over 100 years at Aberdeen and internationally. The Rowett Institute informs policy and continues to join the dots between diet and health. If you are interested in health and dietary factors this programme will provide much theory and research towards answers and questions you want to ask. You look at dietary assessments, macronutrients, energy balance, metabolism, micronutrients, nutrition and body influence, body composition and nutrition throughout life. You also apply statistics to uncover answers to questions.
Understanding the link between diet and health can be the differentiator between good health and issues affecting public health. This major area of interest has grown considerably over the past few years with increasing awareness of disease and its prevention and the growth in population using health services and the service ability to cope in the future. There has also been a steady increase in the amount of professionals providing consultancy and support to people who have realised the link and want to take action to become healthier with books, films and many other supporting communications in what has almost become an industry in itself.
The Rowett Institute in Aberdeen is known UK wide and internationally as a major research contributor to many discoveries within food and nutrition, informing policy, debating health and food security and many other issues relating to the food we eat and its effects on our bodies.
The aim of this innovative programme is to provide training in human nutrition for graduates in biological or other sciences. The main focus of the programme is on the relationship between diet, health and disease, and the nutritional mechanisms involved in disease development and disease with three specialist areas harnessing Aberdeen’s unique range of expertise in Metabolic Nutrition, Molecular Nutrition and Public Health Nutrition. This programme can take in in several directions after graduation. You may want to work as a Nutritionist, within Public Health as a Policy Manger, as a Dietitian, or within private practice as a Fitness and Nutrition Counsellor or teaching and studying for a PhD.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Good nutrition is fundamental to living a long, full and rewarding life. Nutrition related ill-health is a major factor that contributes towards preventable disease including obesity and many of the non-communicable diseases on both a national and global scale: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This is the first course of its kind in the UK to explore the role of behaviour in guiding diet and nutrition and the effects of diet and nutrition on shaping behaviour. It will provide a solid foundation in the physiology and biochemistry of nutrition, which is complemented by units focused on the role of nutrition in behaviour and cognition and the management of associated clinical conditions.
Diet and nutrition significantly affect sport and exercise performance. The food and fluid which an athlete consumes before, during and after training and competition affects health and body composition, as well as performance in, and recovery from the effects of exercise. Sound knowledge of sport and exercise nutrition can therefore ensure a healthy balance between exercise and diet for a range of athletes, from amateur to elite levels within different sports. This programme provides a postgraduate pathway for graduates who are interested in pursuing a career in the area of sport and exercise nutrition. As an accredited course, the programme achieves the competencies required for graduate registration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) meaning those students graduating with the PgDip/MSc are automatically eligible to register with the SENr as a graduate registrant.
The programme is delivered by blended learning (combined distance learning and on campus modules). Students enrolled for the PgDip Sport and Exercise Nutrition course need to undertake modules to a total of 120 credit points and for the MSc undertake an additional research project of 60 credit points. Modules studied will include: nutrition and exercise metabolism, nutritional assessment, recommendations and requirements, sport-specific nutrition issues, research design and biostatistics, nutrition for health and disease prevention, evidence-based practice in healthcare sciences, practical sports nutrition and the sport and exercise nutrition research project.
Full-time
The full-time programme (over 1 calendar year; i.e. three academic semesters) is comprised of taught modules in semester one and two and the research project which is completed in semester three. All semester one modules are delivered by distance-learning. In semester two, one 30 credit point module is delivered by distance-learning with the remaining two 15 credit point modules being delivered as face-to-face modules at the Jordanstown campus.
Part-time
In part-time mode, all modules in year one, and semester one of year two are delivered by distance-learning. In semester two of year two students will attend the Jordanstown campus for the remaining two 15 credit point modules which are delivered as face-to-face modules. As for full-time students, students taking the programme in part-time mode who progress to the MSc (and depending upon the nature of their project work chosen) will opt to undertake their MSc research project work either on-campus (at either the Jordanstown or Coleraine campus) or may complete their project work in the work-place (subject to approval by the project module co-ordinator).
This programme achieves the competencies required for graduate registration of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr).
Career options within sport and exercise nutrition are expanding and include becoming a freelance sports nutritionist/performance nutritionist or working with sporting/government organisations. Professional Recognition As an accredited course, the programme achieves the competencies required for graduate registration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) meaning those students graduating with the PgDip/MSc are automatically eligible to register with the SENr as a graduate registrant, and following appropriate professional experience graduates are encouraged to pursue full registration. For more information please visit the website
Join the School of Food Science and Nutrition at University of Leeds, where 100% of research has ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact (REF 2014).
