Studying our Food and Nutrition Science BSc (Hons) course will equip you with the skills and expertise around food production and consumption, nutrition, health and disease, and the food industry. In areas of theory, you will be introduced to the study of microorganisms in our Microbiology and Biochemistry unit that will give you an understanding of biochemical principles using practical techniques such as light microscopes while establishing good laboratory practice. This closely links to our Cell Biology unit where you will discover various cell structures and types and relate this to how it is fundamental to human life. Moreover, you will be given a broad understanding of Human Anatomy and Physiology to analyse the relationship between body parts and their functions. You will explore the basics of Molecular Genetics unit with topics including chromosome function, genetic inheritance and cell division as well as develop your knowledge on basic concepts in Chemistry. To equip you with the research and practical skills for this course, our Skills in Food and Nutrition Science unit will teach you to record, analyse and report data from experiments. 

In your second year, you will build on this in our Skills in Science unit will equip you with a range of skills you need for your research and for a career in science. You will explore Human Metabolism on a cellular level and do the same in our Immunology unit where you will closely study the human immune system and how it protects us against a range of pathogens and diseases. Biotechnology will allow you to discover genetic processes in the field of biotechnology that involves the genetic manipulation of cells and tissues for research purposes. In our Food Microbiology unit, you will be introduced to the importance of microbiology and its role in the food and nutrition industry, such as within food production or regarding spoilage or expiry. By exploring this further, you will learn to characterise and measure chemical and nutritional properties of food in our Food Analytical Techniques unit while also exposing you to the chemical, biochemical and biophysical measurement techniques for food and nutritional research.  

Similarly, you will examine the role of nutrition for maintaining health and function in our Human Nutrition unit where you will look closely at the biochemistry of nutrients, evaluate the role of metabolic rates and energy balance for weight control, and consider the role of diet and nutrition in human development. In the field of medicine, you will develop your understanding of how the human body functions in our Medical Physiology unit that will provide you with in-depth knowledge in human physiology, how it is affected by disease and its impact on drug development strategies. In your final year, our Public Health Nutrition unit will allow you to explore the importance of nutrition for the health and wellbeing of people through analysing public health initiatives and strategies to alleviate the risk of disease. This will be particularly useful in our Clinical Nutrition unit where you will explore the role of nutrition in health and disease prevention. With a societal approach, you will also develop an understanding of how humans produce and consume food while evaluating how we can feed the world in our Food Security and Management unit. 

In practical areas of study, you will be introduced to methods for Food Processing and how this preserves and enhances the nutritional values of food using distribution and packaging to ensure the delivery of nutritious products that meet dietary requirements and consumer trends. You will also consider different types of food and food products in our Nutraceuticals and Health unit to develop your skills in discovering, designing and developing functional food. With plants in particular, you will gain an understanding of the importance of Applied Plant Science and the interaction between plants and people in the forms of medicine, food and even structural materials. Finally, you will undertake a Food and Nutrition Science Research Project in your final year that will give you the opportunity to plan, design and execute a piece of research into a topic of your interest that is relevant to your field of study. You will work to answer a research question based on research and laboratory work using the skills you gained throughout the course. To prepare you for your career, you will also have the opportunity to undertake a Professional Practice Year (Life Sciences) where you can gain career-related experience while building on your professional skills.