Entry requirementsEntry requirements Typically, you should have one of the following • an honours degree or equivalent in food, wellbeing, health or biological science • an HND in a related subject with significant relevant experience • substantial relevant experience at a senior level – with evidence from referees, performance on training courses or further education qualifications, showing you are capable of gaining a postgraduate qualification We also expect at least one A level in science or equivalent. If you do not have this but are capable of masters level study, you will be considered individually. If your first language is not English, you also need an IELTS score of 6.0, or a TOEFL score of paper based 550, computer based 213 or internet based 79.
Academic titleMSc Nutrition with Public Health Management
Course descriptionThis course is designed to help recent graduates and health professionals specialise in public health nutrition. The specialist knowledge and skills you learn allow you to enter the profession or advance into leadership roles.
We developed it following the Nutrition Society guidelines, and in consultation with the British Nutrition Foundation and other public health partners.
You study human nutrition from a subcellular level to a population level and cover • food composition • nutrient metabolism • epidemiology • policy implementation.
To support the subject knowledge, you gain the managerial and leadership skills employers need by working on real case studies. You develop your ability to
• work with and manage groups of people with different needs
• secure and implement finances in the public health arena
• better understand cross-agency working in public health and its importance
• communicate at all levels
You learn to deliver health and nutrition information to the public and other health professionals effectively through marketing and promotion techniques.
The knowledge and skills you develop throughout the course are brought together with project-based modules. During these you complete real research, relevant to your own interests or area of employment.
Some of your projects involve working with industry and the public health sector or our research team. Projects may focus on topics such as
• human appetite and feeding behaviour
• fibre in the diet
• effective public health nutrition interventions in weight management
• consumer perceptions of food labelling advice
• barriers and solutions to achieving a healthy diet
• practice based commissioning and the nutritionist
Associated careers
With the knowledge and expertise you gain from this course, you are in an ideal position to exploit career opportunities in nutrition and health management.
Typically graduates develop careers with a strong public health focus, specialising in nutrition and food-related practice in primary care trusts and local government.
Roles include
• public health manager – obesity lead
• public health manager – healthy schools
• food development co-ordinator
• health promotion specialist
Postgraduate diploma
• population nutrition • financial management and public health • organismal nutrition • research and consultancy project
MSc
• dissertation
Module descriptions
Population nutrition
This module introduces you to the relationship between food and nutritional intake. It examines how nutrition surveillance can influence public health policy and how collaborative working is central to effective policy implementation. You also explore Individual populations’ diets in UK society and effective interventions to improve diet on a population scale.
Cellular nutrition
This module provides a clear understanding of the metabolic processes relevant to human nutrition. It enables you to interpret and communicate the complexities and nature of human metabolism, nutrient-gene-interaction, nutrient bioavailability and utilisation.
Financial management and public health
This module gives you a broad insight into funding strategies and financial models relevant to the public health sector. It enables you to develop a range of skills including • critical thinking • problem solving • interpretation and communication of financial budgets and audit evaluation. You can write a mock grant application to understand your potential future role in the procurement of funding in the public health arena.
Molecular nutrition
This module introduces you to the human diet as a collection of nutrients and non-nutrients. You explore these dietary components individually and collectively in detail, and in an appropriate context with reference to food • supply • production • preparation • consumption. Practical application of your learning is central to molecular nutrition and helps you to learn by doing.
Organismal nutrition
This module introduces you to the physiological and metabolic processes involved in human digestion, absorption and excretion. It examines the evidence linking diet to chronic diseases that significantly affect public health. Obesity, coronary heart disease, cancer and other diseases are explored in order to establish how nutrition can play a role in life long wellness.