Nutrition Exercise and Health

Lack of physical activity and poor diet increasingly contribute to obesity and chronic diseases. This course will give you an insight into the key disciplines that relate exercise and nutrition to health. You’ll also develop the practical skills, critical awareness and proficiencies required for professional competence. You’ll graduate ready for employment in the food or fitness industries, health promotion, lifestyle education or public health.

• Study with the Faculty of Health and benefit from strong links with nursing, health professions and psychology.

• Benefit from accreditation by the Association for Nutrition which allows graduates to apply for direct entry onto the register of Associate Nutritionists.

• Boost your employability by taking the option to complete a professional work placement.

• Develop practical skills, critical awareness and proficiencies required for professional competence.

• Gain a strong foundation in the major disciplines underpinning exercise and nutritional sciences.

• Experience interdisciplinary teaching that addresses contemporary issues in lifestyle-related health.

• Gain a positive learning experience within a work setting that will support your studies and future employability – the school offers 12 work placements between Stage 2 and the final year of your programme.

• Further your learning to postgraduate level and set yourself up for careers in dietetics, physiotherapy, cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology and other health and sports related careers.

• Take the opportunity to earn a Level 3 Personal Training award.

• The school typically offers a limited number of research summer placements – these are available at the end of Stage 1 and at the end of Stage 2. These competitive placements are available for students who demonstrate excellent performance in their studies and allow students to gain valuable research experience within the Biomedical Research Group.

In your first year, you'll be introduced to the core sciences underpinning nutrition and exercise science: human physiology, biochemistry, infection and immunity, psychology and nutrition. You'll develop skills in communication, data manipulation and IT. You will experience a mixture of learning opportunities: lectures with other students in the School of Biomedical Sciences; small group tutorials; practical classes in the biomedical laboratories, nutrition unit and IT suite, self-directed study and group work.

In your second year, learning becomes more focused on the applied and practical aspects of nutrition and exercise. You will develop skills for professional practice and research. There will be a variety of different teaching approaches such as interactive lectures, small group tutorials, practical work in the exercise physiology laboratory, student led seminars and workshops.

Optional placement year
You have the option to take up a work placement as part of your degree course for a minimum six months full time (or part-time equivalent). If you successfully complete your placement, you'll be awarded a Certificate of Work Experience.

In your final year, you will study the interacting contributions of nutrition and exercise to public health and their roles in the prevention and treatment of lifestyle related disease. Other topics include sports nutrition and applied psychology. You'll also have a choice of research project to suit your career aspirations. The final year entails more self-directed study and you will spend time on your own research project and reading current research to discuss during interactive lectures.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website.