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Food Science and Nutrition

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

To include at least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics. Citizenship Studies, Critical Thinking, General Studies, Science and Society and Leisure Studies are not accepted.

Access to HE Diploma

D:24,M:21

This qualification will be considered where appropriate science content is being studied. The requirement is 60 credits overall with 45 graded credits at Level 3. 24 credits must be achieved at Distinction plus 21 graded Level 3 credits at Merit. 30 graded Level 3 credits must be achieved at minimum Merit from acceptable science units.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,M2,M3

To include at least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English grade C/4 and GCSE Mathematics grade B/5.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

To include at least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

This qualification will be considered alongside A Level grade B. Applications are considered on an individual basis to ensure sufficient science has been studied. The required A Levels for mixed BTEC and A Level grade profiles depends on the science content studied in the BTEC.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

This qualification will be considered alongside A Level grades B,B. Applications are considered on an individual basis to ensure sufficient science has been studied. The required A Levels for mixed BTEC and A Level grade profiles depends on the science content studied in the BTEC.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

Applications are considered on an individual basis to ensure sufficient science has been studied.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,B

To include at least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics. This qualification is only accepted in combination with five Scottish Highers at grades ABBBB.

Scottish Higher

A,B,B,B,B

This qualification is only accepted in combination with 2 Scottish Advanced Highers at grades AB. The Advanced Highers must includeat least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

A-B

This qualification is accepted alongside two science subjects at A-level. The science A-levels must include at least one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths) plus a second science or science-related subject such as Applied Science, Computing and IT, Design Technology, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Geography, Geology, Home Economics, Human Biology, PE/Sports Science, Psychology or Statistics.

UCAS Tariff

104-141

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Nutrition

Food science

As the population grows, we need to find ways to make better use of our resources to produce nutritious, healthy foods. On this accredited course, you'll combine nutritional science with food science. Our course builds your knowledge in food, nutrition and physiology to explain the connection between diet and health. You will:

- Understand the impact of food processing on nutritional value and food quality

- Develop the latest nutritional knowledge from academics working on international research

- Build skills in sensory evaluation and product development

- Use our specialist labs and work on real-life research projects

You'll learn how to apply science to create sustainable, nutritious, safe food. Using our specialist food facilities you'll investigate the properties of foods:

- Food processing facility - learn about different technologies and engineering

- Quality control lab - use equipment to assess product and process quality

- Teaching lab - learn about the role of microbiology in food safety and production

- Flavour lab - use our world class lab to understand flavour chemistry

- Sensory science centre - test consumer preferences and use techniques to understand how we perceive flavour

We have strong links with industry, which means that you'll get plenty of exposure to food companies. In the third year, you'll develop a new food product and present this to industry guests and even have the opportunity to enter Ecotrophelia, a European food innovation student competition.

Throughout your degree you have the opportunity to choose from a range of additional options. You can apply to do these when you get here:

- Industry placement - you can add a year in industry between years two and three

- Computer Science year - use algorithms to analyse complex data and apply this to your course

Modules

In the first year we’ll introduce you to nutrition and the biochemistry that explains the connection between nutrition and health. You’ll explore the chemical and physical properties of food materials and appreciate how to consider sustainable options. At the end of the year, we visit different food companies, so you can see how this is applied in real-life.

In the second year, you'll examine how the body regulates responses to food, appetite and energy expenditure. You'll get a detailed understanding of process engineering. You will follow the whole process from the ingredients used to the final packaged food. You'll develop skills in sensory evaluation. Using techniques, you'll understand how to test consumer acceptance of new products. You'll study technical, scientific and engineering concepts in food spoilage, food preservation and food quality.

In the final year you will carry out a unique research project supervised one-on-one by our academic team. You'll deepen your knowledge of public health nutrition. You'll study food flavour, looking at aroma, taste and texture perception. Using this knowledge, you'll work as a team to develop a new product to present to your peers and industry.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£28,600
per year
International
£28,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Sutton Bonington Campus

Department:

School of Biosciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

82%
Nutrition
92%
Food science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Nutrition and dietetics

Teaching and learning

83%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
61%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

71%
UK students
29%
International students
14%
Male students
86%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
3%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
A

Food sciences

Teaching and learning

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
96%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

88%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
96%
Course specific equipment and facilities
96%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

72%
UK students
28%
International students
22%
Male students
78%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Nutrition and dietetics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education
82%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

56%
Health professionals
5%
Sports and fitness occupations
5%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

This is the subject you need to study if you want to become a dietician — an important job in the country’s healthcare sector, and the single most common job for nutrition graduates. We don’t have many graduates in nutrition every year and with the population becoming more aware of health and well-being and with many medical needs being addressed by the application of specific diets, this is likely to be an area of increasing demand in the future.

Food sciences

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Managers and proprietors in agriculture related services
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
10%
Natural and social science professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Nutrition and dietetics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£24k

£24k

£28k

£28k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Food sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£24k

£24k

£26k

£26k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Reading | Reading
Nutrition and Food Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-147
Nearby University
Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield
Food and Nutrition
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112
Same University
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Food Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-141

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here