Nutrition and Food Science with Professional Training
Entry requirements
A level
One core science subject (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths) and one second science subject. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Food Technology, Home Economics, Computer Science, IT.
Access to HE Diploma
including relevant science units.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
One core science subject (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths) and one second science subject. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Food Technology, Home Economics, Computer Science, IT.
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
At Higher Level, one core science subject (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths) and one second science subject. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Food Technology, Home Economics, Computer Science, IT.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
including relevant science modules.
Scottish Higher
One core science subject (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths) and one second science subject. Acceptable second science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Food Technology, Home Economics, Computer Science, IT.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
With BSc Nutrition and Food Science with Professional Training you will learn about the creation of healthier food products and gain valuable industry experience with a year-long training placement.
The role of nutritionists within the food industry is increasingly important, as consumers grow more aware of the importance of healthy eating. Our BSc Nutrition and Food Science will help you to understand the processes of food production and how these can be amended to create healthier products. The Department has strong links with industry, which means that you can choose from a wide range of training placements at renowned companies and organisations. Additionally, the course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition. After graduating you will be eligible to apply to become a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) via the direct entry pathway, providing a clear and respected marker of your status as a nutrition professional.
The University of Reading is a world authority on human nutrition, food chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology and food law. Our staff are actively engaged in world-class research and will tailor their teaching to reflect changing trends and emerging technologies within the sector.
During the first year you will study the fundamentals of human nutrition, food chemistry, food microbiology, cell biology, genetics, human physiology and psychology. You will then be able to build upon this knowledge by exploring areas such as public health nutrition, food choice and regulation, and the development of new products.
You will also gain experience of using key technical skills through sensory evaluation, laboratory-based practicals and working in our pilot-scale food processing plant. During your final year you will carry out an original project as part of one of our existing research groups, enabling you to work alongside world authorities in areas such as food and human health.
Placement
Between your second and final year you will spend a year on a paid industrial training placement. Placements can be located anywhere in the UK and occasionally take place abroad. You can expect to earn between £15,000 and £20,000.
In recent years, students have taken on a variety of roles, including quality assurance, consumer work, food technologists and product development scientists. Some placements take place at large multinational organisations, such as Kraft or Unilever, but you could also choose to work in a small independent manufacturing or research company.
You will be given advice and support on finding the ideal placement, writing your CV, and interview skills by our dedicated placement coordinator.
For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.
Modules
The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change.
Core modules for this course: General Chemistry A; Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology; Food and Nutritional Chemistry: A Practical Approach; Food Microbiology; Food System Challenges; Introduction to Sustainable Food Manufacturing; Composition and Properties of Foods; Food Processing and Quality Assurance; Nutrition Research and Practice; Sensory and Consumer Science; Nutrition Policy and Professional Conduct; Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health; Securing a Job: Recruitability and Employability; Placement Year; Nutrition in Management and Prevention of Disease; Lifestyle, Nutrigenetics and Personalised Nutrition; New Product Development; Research Project
The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Reading
School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Food sciences
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£23k
£28k
£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
£29k
£33k
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...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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