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UCAS code:
B401
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Institution code:
S82
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Location:
Ipswich
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Duration:
Four years full-time. Seven years part-time. |
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Typical Offer:
2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 80 UCAS tariff points (or above), CDD (A-Level), MMP (BTEC), Pass A*-C (T Level) |
- This course has received a formal accreditation by the Association for Nutrition.
- Opportunity to be taught by and work with an international team of experts in the field with global experience.
- Fully equipped laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment that you will get to use first hand.
- Enhance your employability and experience through a work-based module to develop practical skills and knowledge in the industry.
- This course is ideal for those with little previous experience or knowledge of the field, or those looking to retrain in a science discipline.
- The foundation year provides good grounding and scientific knowledge to progress straight on to the BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Human Health course.
- Nutrition and Human Health graduates are very employable and can progress in to a range of careers and further study.
Introduction
This degree programme aims to meet the need for graduates who are knowledgeable of, and have skills within the academic disciplines of nutrition and human health. The first year comprises of building sound scientific knowledge in the disciplines appropriate for a life science course. This course has received a formal accreditation by the Association for Nutrition.
This course is aimed at those who have little experience of knowledge of the field, or who have been out of education for a while and are looking to rebuild their knowledge and confidence in the science disciplines. The additional foundation year has many success stories demonstrating why we are one of the highest ranked institutions for social mobility in the UK.
This teaching is conducted by the same lecturers that run the higher levels of the degree, allowing them to educate you to the level required to progress straight on to the BSc (Hons) course.
The rest of the programme follows the three year BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Human Health course and has a strongly scientific component, emphasising the importance of the scientific method and a rigorous empirical approach.
The course is an applied science and set firmly within the context and activities of Department of Science and Technology. Furthermore, the programme recognises the importance of equipping you with appropriate knowledge and expertise that can readily be employed within the workplace or in post-graduate study.
Further information about the University's relationship with the Association for Nutrition is available in the PSRB register.
Course modules
Foundation year consists of six modules delivered over two semesters and is assessed at the end of each semester. The course is delivered over three days each week.
Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.
Modules studied include:
This module will enable the students to develop the knowledge and practical skills that will prepare them for undergraduate studies in biological sciences and related subjects. This module considers the structure and function of major biological molecules and biochemical systems.
The purpose of this module is to develop students’ skills in written and oral communication and develop the study skills needed for undergraduate work. The module will explore essay writing, academic referencing, avoiding plagiarism, organising, planning and editing written work, and improving technical writing style. Students will also consider time management, meeting deadlines, developing personal awareness and confidence by class presentations. The module will also utilise on-line delivery of material via the Online Learning Environment thus providing an impetus to cultivate IT skills.
This second semester foundation level module is designed to facilitate independent student engagement through a scientific investigation from a defined list of subjects. Students will carry out their own simple experiments to generate some data for analysis. The students will be expected to take an individual project title, design (with help from the tutor) the experiment, conduct the experiment applying the principles of a scientific investigation, capture the data, analyse it and draw rational conclusions. This module will help to develop inquiry, autonomy and application of scientific principles.
This module will enable students to develop the knowledge and practical skills that will prepare them for undergraduate studies in the biological sciences. This module considers the structure and function of major physiological systems within the human body. Topics covered include the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, endocrine, nervous, musculo-skeletal and reproductive systems, and basic genetics. Theory will be supported by practical laboratory work.
Mathematics is the language of science. The study of any science requires some degree of mathematical understanding. Mathematics is not necessarily difficult, but requires a supportive learning environment where key concepts are demystified and applied in a logical and orderly fashion. Aimed at those without an ‘A-Level’ Mathematics and/or 'return to learning' students, this module aims to develop the students’ skills and increase their confidence in using mathematics in general; and in particular in the application of mathematics to health and life sciences.
Study of the life sciences are often supported by a range of techniques developed through the use of physics and chemistry. Furthermore, there is much evidence of interaction between the physical and chemical sciences with that of biology, much of which would benefit from a greater fundamental understanding. Therefore, this module is intended to give students a broad understanding of some of the chemical and physical principles that underpin much of biology.
Healthy populations require food that is of an appropriate nutritional quality and safe for consumption. This module therefore introduces students to some of the ways in which food production and processing influences nutritional quality and food safety, and subsequently human health. Students are also introduced to food spoilage and food contaminants (microbiological, chemicals, natural toxins), and some of the measures used to prevent harm from these sources.
This module is designed to give a solid foundation on which to build further study in biological science. It will investigate the fundamentals of biochemistry starting from basic atomic structure and bonding to then focus on the structure, function and metabolism of macromolecules. Students with differing levels of previous knowledge of chemistry and biology will be introduced to the range of processes taking place within the body at a molecular level.
A thorough understanding of human physiology and the maintenance of homeostasis are key facets in a range of scientific disciplines. In this module, students will study the way in which different cells, tissues, organs and systems contribute to homeostasis from a theoretical perspective.
This module will provide you with the core skills required to carry out basic scientific procedures and communicate their research in an appropriate scientific format. The module is based on a series of practical sessions and is designed to develop the skills required for subsequent advanced modules on the course.
Nutrition is a multidisciplinary subject that amongst other areas draws upon biochemistry, physiology, psychology, food science, cell biology and global human health. This module is intended to draw together these areas together to allow students to see the bigger picture and appreciate that nutrition requires a knowledge of all of these areas and how they interplay. The module will cover a breadth of topics and attempt to find the links and demonstrate the necessity for a multidisciplinary approach.
Valid and reliable measurements are of vital importance in understanding human physiological function, which in itself is the foundation of many natural and life sciences. Scientists are often required to investigate cell, tissue, organ and system physiology, drawing rational and objective conclusions from the measurement(s) used. These measurements are the basis of physiological investigation, and this module introduces students to their use and requirements.
This module builds on modules at level four in order to develop the application of knowledge. The general philosophy is to link nutrition and its underlying biochemistry to human health and develop a clear understanding of the links between physiology and cell biology. The module will combine a range of concepts to help students contextualize nutrition and metabolism in human health. Students will also learn to use and interpret dietary analysis software.
The module will explore the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression and consequences of health and illness and methods of epidemiology. It also aims to understand the role of behaviour and beliefs in the aetiology of health and illness and apply that knowledge to predict unhealthy behaviour and promote healthy behaviour.
Effective scientists need to understand how experimentation and research drives science forward and how this is communicated. This module prepares students for further study and employment by providing an understanding of what science is and how it works; it also prepares students for the Dissertation module at Level 6. It introduces students to the principles of scientific research and the planning and design of experiments. Students will learn how to effectively analyse literature and communicate science in a variety of methods. Students will also study the detailed aspects of research design and planning.
Effective scientists need to understand how experimentation and numerical analysis of data drives science forward via the process of attempted falsification and how this is quantified and presented. This module prepares students for further study and employment by providing an understanding of inferential statistical analysis of scientific data.
This module will give students an understanding of how biochemical analysis is conducted in order to demonstrate the fundamental origins of the data used to assess the nutritional value of food. It will provide an adequate grounding for students wishing to pursue a career in laboratory based nutrition research, and demystify the process by which nutrition analysis occurs.
This module is designed to review the nature of and causation of diseases, by considering environmental, genetic, and biologic factors and link the characteristics of disease to the signs and symptoms utilised in diagnosis. Particular emphasis is given to elucidating the pathophysiological and molecular/biomolecular aspects behind each disease presented. The module will also give the students the opportunity to investigate the positive and negative effects of diet on health and disease.
This module provides students with the opportunity to enhance their employability skills and experience through undertaking a 100 hour period of work-based experience in a field related to their degree. Students can continue to develop their graduate key skills. This module can also be undertaken by students who are already in relevant employment, thereby enhancing their career development. The work experience would involve activities where students can be given (supervised) responsibility for a task and to be able to exercise a degree of decision-making and personal responsibility.
An understanding of the immunological process has been fundamental to many of the advances made in science and medicine. In this module students will explore the cellular basis of infection via pathogens and the immunological defence system the body deploys in order to prevent the development of infectious disease. The module will deal with the structure and function of the human immune system in terms of the innate and adaptive immune responses focusing on the cells and molecules involved.
The dissertation will be a research-based study, central to which will be some form of hypothesis testing or problem solving. It will enable students to utilise practical, intellectual and decision making skills in novel situations. The dissertation will provide a mechanism for the development of autonomy and self-direction whilst undertaking a problem solving approach to a research topic.
This module will develop the necessary skills required to maximise students’ success following graduation in the Life Sciences. In this module students will explore the numerous career paths available for life science graduates, will gain experience of graduate recruitment processes, and will critically analyse their own skills and capabilities to develop, reflect and improve their professional career prospects. In addition, the students will be introduced to elements of business and entrepreneurship. In particular, areas such as outlining a business plan, patent application, intellectual property, clinical trials and policymaking will be explored.
This module will consider factors such as food choice, food marketing, nutrition communication, public health nutrition as a means to understand wider issues in nutrition and what drives our behaviour in order to improve health and wellbeing. The module will draw together biological, psychological, social and political factors that influence energy homeostasis in order to suggest strategies for prevention and management of obesity.
The module will examine nutrition as it relates to the prevention and treatment of disease and deals with the nutritional aspects of diseases and clinical disorders by integrating students' existing knowledge of physiology, biochemistry and food science. Students will also consider the nutritional requirements of humans throughout the lifespan; the changing physiological status and subsequent changes in nutritional requirements will be studied along with a critical appraisal of how this is met with respect to diet, sociological status, geography and education.
In the fast growing body of nutrition research, there are newly emerging fields such as functional foods, chrononutrition and Nutritional role in chronic inflammation, among others. This module aims to cover the present and future trends in the field. Examples of the topics that will be covered are gut microbial dysbiosis implications in various diseases and strategies of restorations (dietary approaches, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics), phytosterols, phenolic compounds, and bioactive peptides. This module aims to give a holistic understanding of the physiological functions of food beyond the basic nutritional requirements
Career opportunities
After successful completion of the foundation year you will automatically progress to the three year Honours degree. Opportunities exist in a wide range of careers in nutrition and health in both the private and public sectors.
Examples include advisers in the nutrition and health industry as nutritionists, health improvement scientists, nutrition research in many fields, laboratory research both food based and clinical, dietary and nutritional evaluation in the food industry, clinical or service sectors, charities concerned with public health and local education authorities.
Additionally, the course prepares students for higher level study such as a PGCE (e.g. science teacher training), Master’s degree or PhD.
Recent examples include graduates who now work for the NHS, Nestlé, Yakult, local breweries and for health promotion charities locally and nationally.
Science graduates gain a number of transferrable skills such as data handling and analysis. This means that other industries such as insurance, banking and even retail management look to recruit science graduates.
Fees and finance
2023-24
- UK full-time tuition fee: £9,250 p.a
- UK part-time tuition fee: £1,454 per 20 credits (please contact the Student Centre for further information)
- International full-time tuition fee: £14,598 p.a (inclusive of lab-based fee)
Further Information
At University of Suffolk, your tuition fees provide access to all the usual teaching and learning facilities that you would expect. However, there may be additional costs associated with you course that you will need to budget for.
Entry requirements
2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 80 UCAS tariff points (or above), CDD (A-Level), MMP (BTEC), Pass A*-C (T Level).
Applicants are also required to have GCSEs in English, Maths and Science at grade 4/C or above. Applicants who do not hold these qualifications may be considered on an individual basis based upon their overall application and the course applied for.
If you do not hold these qualifications please contact Admissions directly on 01473 338348 to discuss.
IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) where English is not the students' first language.
If you have previously studied at higher education level before you may be able to transfer credits to a related course at the University of Suffolk and reduce the period of study time necessary to achieve your degree.
Staff
Facilities and Resources
Teaching takes place across our Waterfront campus. Teaching rooms offer high quality, modern teaching space supported by excellent AV equipment.
The course makes use of the research level science facilities housed within, benefiting from the use of food analysis and microbiology equipment that includes HPLC, plc and Mass Spectrometry. We have a human tissue culture facility and a suit of “wet” laboratories suitable for electrophoresis, ELISA and colorimetry.
In addition to this, we have the human physiology laboratory and you have a complete package of facilities to support a high quality scientific Nutrition and Human Health degree programme.
Our undergraduates have the opportunity to use state of the art equipment and learn about its uses and application within the industry. We believe that our facilities offer some of the best equipment for undergraduate use in the country and regularly impress visiting academics from other Universities with the access that we provide to such equipment.
