MSc Human Nutrition

Successful completion allows graduates to work in a variety of nutrition-related areas such as public health, food and/or health industries, the media, nutrition policy development, teaching and research for health and education services, or other organisations.

• Designed for graduates with a non-nutrition background, this full time programme will provide you with a new and alternative career pathway.
  
• Train to become an evidence based nutrition professional equipped to manage and lead in dynamic settings.
  
• The only programme of this type in the south-west region.
  
• Delivered by a team with extensive experience in the delivery of masters level modules and a diverse range of expertise in nutrition, public health, research, sports nutrition and physiology. The team have external recognition for the quality of feedback to support student learning.
  
• The programme will be accredited with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) allowing students who have completed the masters to apply for direct entry at associate level to the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN).
  
• Focuses on public health nutrition and disease prevention at the local, national and international level.
  
• Develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of current and topical issues in sports nutrition and apply them to current practice utilising links with local sporting partnerships. 
  
• Engage with local AfN registrants who will provide curriculum enrichment, local expertise and knowledge of future career pathways.
  
• Research informed teaching will be embedded throughout the curriculum.
  
• Issues around sustainability of nutrition will be threaded throughout the programme. 
  
• Gain a core understanding of professional practice and ethics, elements of which are embedded within the programme.
  

Please note that when you enrol on this programme, you always enrol to study the master degree but we offer three exit awards: PgCert, PgDip and MSc.

• Programme overview

• Core modules in the science of food, nutrition and human health will underpin an advanced understanding of links between diet and health at the individual, population and strategic level. Nutritional epidemiology will be studied to inform the practice of public health nutrition and how key issues in population health may be addressed. Key and topical issues in sports nutrition will be studied and applied to real-world situations. Research modules will provide you with key research skills to design and carry out high-quality nutrition research under supervision. You'll become a nutrition professional equipped to work in a range of nutrition settings and you will be eligible to apply to register as an associate nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.

  You can choose from three awards options:

  Award postgraduate certificate – to achieve a postgraduate certificate, you will need to earn 60 credits. Please refer to the below programme specification for further information on modules to be studied.

  Award postgraduate diploma – to achieve a postgraduate diploma, you will have first completed the PgCert and need to earn an additional 60 credits (to give 120 credits in total). Please refer to the below programme specification for further information on modules to be studied.

  Award master of science – for a full master degree, you will have first completed the PgDip and need to earn an additional 60 credits (to give 180 credits in total). Please refer to the below programme specification for further information on modules to be studied.

  Induction takes place 16 – 17 September 2019.
  

  Core modules

  • ADV715 Project Design for Research

    You’ll explore methodology and methods relevant to the development of a research project and by the end of the module you’ll formulate a research proposal. You’ll learn how to define and refine a research question, select and appraise methodology, address ethical considerations, and select and appraise data collection and analysis techniques.

  • ADV716 Research Dissertation

    You’ll complete your dissertation as part of your Advanced Professional Practice Masters programme under supervision from the module team and a named dissertation supervisor.

  • HNUT702 Applied Nutrition

    This module examines the physiological and metabolic background to nutrition exploring the evidence base linking diet and health. Basic nutritional metabolism will be covered and then used as the basis to discuss the role of metabolism in various conditions as well as exploring practical difficulties of implementing changes to diet.

  • HNUT703 Applied Sports Nutrition

    This module will critically evaluate the role of nutrition in sports and exercise. It will look at the key physiological factors underpinning applied nutritional practices, as well as potential psychological/cultural/ psychosocial factors impacting on food intake in athletes. Professional aspects of working as a registered nutritionist will also be covered.

  • HNUT705 Public Health Nutrition

    This module judges the role of nutrition in public health and critically evaluates the evidence base for applying good nutritional principles to health and wellbeing, considering wider ecological aspects of the food supply system.

  • HNUT706 Nutrition Science

    This module enables students to develop a sound scientific understanding of the role and function of nutrients and non-nutrients in the human body and impact on health. It includes the science, application and consequences of food choice/ lifestyle and impact on human nutritional health. In addition it explores the evidence behind health claims and impact of compounds such as drugs on nutritional status and function.

  • HNUT707 Nutritional Epidemiology

    This module critically evaluates the relationship between diet and disease and explores the epidemiological data underpinning nutritional recommendations. It combines nutritional knowledge with skills in evaluation of dietary assessment methods and nutritional surveillance to investigate the determinants of health and disease in populations.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

MSc Human Nutrition programme specification 5742

UK/EU

You need to have a BSc (Hons) degree at 2:2 or above or European first cycle equivalent in a science or social science subject.

INTERNATIONAL

International students must provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with Plymouth Universities Admissions Code of Practice and requirements set out by the AfN, This will be a minimum overall International English Language Testing System (IELTS) of at least 6.0 in each element and a mean score of 6.5.  If you need to improve your English language to get onto a degree programme at Plymouth University, you can book a pre-sessional academic English course.

Scholarships are available for postgraduate taught programmes. Tell me more about scholarships and bursaries.

When to apply

Applications for this programme should be made by the end of July in the academic year that you wish to commence studying. Please check the closing date and apply as early as possible as our programmes are popular.

Applying for this programme

Please visit our PDU admissions homepage for full details on the application process and to download the relevant forms.

Please return your completed forms to:

Email: pduadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Professional Development Unit
4th floor, Rolle Building
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth, PL4 8AA

Tel: +44 (0)1752 586951

What happens after I apply?

After your application is received by the PDU Admissions team, it will be processed and sent to the Programme Lead for a decision to be made on your suitability to study. You may be asked to provide additional information or to take part in an interview (for overseas students this may be by telephone or video conference). Once this decision has been made, you will be sent an email either confirming your place on the programme, or rejecting your application and giving the reasons for this decision (you may request further feedback in order to improve your chances of selection at a later date).

Please note that you will be enrolled on the full MSc programme. You may choose to exit with the qualification of PgCert upon completion of an appropriate 60 credits, or a PgDip upon completion of an appropriate 120 credits. More information is contained within the programme specification.

For applicants with disabilities

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by the University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services webpage.