BSc (Hons) Nutrition (with Foundation Year)

In this module you’ll develop your ability to write at an appropriate academic standard, and in an appropriate style. You’ll build skills in searching, reading and begin to critique suitable literature, and develop collaborative skills through writing and research. You’ll also develop a basic learning and understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

This module will help you develop the skills used to manipulate numbers/equations and to analyse data that is appropriate for nutrition purposes. You’ll have the opportunity to work in a subject specific laboratory practical class. Where you’ll complete structured tasks to develop your understanding of statistics and practice using SPSS software, helping you to bridge the gap between data science and data understanding in Nutrition.

Module lead Dr Rianne Costello says 'Pulling on some of my expertise from both laboratory and applied based work, we will cover skills such as pipetting to the application of statistics in nutrition and food science. Scientific Skills is exactly what it says on the tin - the module aims to provide you with those fundamental skills that will help you excel as a nutrition scientist.'

Through this module you’ll build detailed insight into physiology - the way that the human body performs vital functions. Body function is dependent on the form or structure of the body and we’ll also study relevant areas of anatomy to gain a greater understanding.

Body functions are complex and individual organs don’t function in isolation, they work within organ systems. You’ll explore systemic physiology, which is the study of these organ systems. We’ll use examples such as the cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems to illustrate this way of looking at and understanding the human body.

Organ systems also work in an integrated way, each affecting the others to try to maintain a physiological equilibrium. We will explore how the body maintains its balance, and also think about when things go wrong.

There are few things more fundamental to life than food and water.

In this module you’ll develop a basic understanding of the Science of Nutrition. You will study the concepts of human energy supply and energy expenditure, learning about the different nutrients. You’ll build your skills through training in how to assess dietary intake and nutritional adequacy, as well as body size and body composition. Helping to further your expertise in the field of nutrition.

Module leader Dr Vasiliki Iatridi says: 'Studying Nutrition was one of the best decisions I've ever made: in the Introduction to Nutrition module it's my turn to convey that enthusiasm to our future Nutritionists and Health Care Professionals and provide them with the fundamentals to value the principles of Nutrition Science during their studies and later careers.'

You’ll look at the concept of food choice and identify the range of factors that affect food choice. You'll explore:

• theories and models of food choice
• psychology of drinking behaviour
• biological and learning influences on food choice
• societal influences on food choice
• changing behavioural patterns.

Helping you to build your knowledge and understanding of influences and factors that affect food choice. You also have the opportunity to formulate an individual recovery plan using a behavioural change approach.

Module lead Dr Shelly Coe says:

'This is one of my favourite modules to teach and the students really like it too, especially the case study assignment which allows them to design a recovery plan using behaviour change techniques for an individual. I have always enjoyed the psychological aspect of why we eat what we do, and Psychology of Food develops students' understanding of just that, from a biological or physiological point of view or at a societal level.'

You’ll look at the role of a food science/nutrition professional and you’ll find out about the range of career opportunities that exist for nutritionists. You’ll have time to reflect on your own skills and knowledge while also looking to develop skills and knowledge that is needed for you to become a successful associate nutritionist.

You will undertake training in some of the key practical and communication skills in nutrition. Also you’ll visit professional food science/nutrition settings to help you better understand your future career development and options.

Module lead Dr Alaeddine El-Chab says 'The main reason I chose to work in academia was to share the knowledge I have acquired over the years studying and exploring nutrition. Sharing knowledge requires communication skills which will be covered in this module by exploring poster and oral presentations, nutrition in the media, and many other topics.'

You’ll look at foods based on their biological origins, biochemical composition, culinary use, nutritional importance and how they contribute to the varied human diet.

You will study the changes that occur to the biochemical components in staple foods as they are transformed to different food products, which is an important aspect of your lectures. The key groups are based around the basic food commodities, which are cereals and pulses, fruit and vegetables; meat and fish; dairy products; and tropical products such as cocoa, coffee, tea and spices. Building your knowledge of food groups so you gain a deep understanding of food production and the human diet.

Module Lead Dr Rianne Costello says

'This module will provide you with the all-important foundation knowledge of the core food groups, from farm to fork and the importance of food security around the globe. This knowledge will help you become a more well-rounded Nutritionist or Nutrition Scientist.'

In this module you’ll be introduced to the theoretical background behind metabolic energy and human metabolism. You’ll learn about nutritional biochemistry in foods and how excessive consumption or suboptimal intake can impact internal biological mechanisms at a molecular, cellular and whole-body level.

This module serves as a precursor to NUTR5008 Applied Human Nutrition, where you’ll also gain an informative insight into the role of energy and nutrients in the various stages of the life cycle and their associations with chronic disease risk.

Once you graduate you can expect to be equipped for careers in public health, clinical nutrition/dietetics, or the food industry to name a few.

How does food play an important role in our lives? Explore this question and more on this module. Throughout your studies, you’ll discover the societal and biological nutritional links from disease prevention, maintenance and therapeutic perspectives. You’ll enjoy weekly lectures that build upon and apply the knowledge gained during Nutrition Biochemistry and Metabolism (NUTR5004) in the previous semester.

Your learning journey will take you beyond the lecture room, introducing you to cutting-edge laboratory-based class techniques using specialist dietary analysis software, and preparing you for the career world. You’ll explore three broad sections: Nutrigenomics; which focuses on the role of gene expression and the genetic susceptibility to disease stages, chronic diseases, and specialist topics such as vegetarianism and alcohol.

From field to plate, in this module you’ll examine the chemical, biochemical, microbiological elements of the whole food science process from the time foods are harvested to the time they are consumed.

The central theme of this study is food quality. You’ll explore various methods used to analyse the nutritional content of foods, both for macronutrients and micronutrients and the effect of cooking and preservation on the nutritional content of raw foods.

Harnessing the knowledge and expertise from accredited academics you’ll focus on techniques in food safety, systems and processing, sustainability, and food evaluation, equipping you with vital employability skills and the know-how to solve real-world problems within the food industry.

What are the main factors that motivate you to eat healthily and adopt healthy lifestyles? In this module, you’ll be discovering how the reasons behind consuming certain foods are important in relation to the improvement of lives globally, and in post-industrialised nations.

To be healthy and active, our diet must comprise of certain foods to meet our energy and nutritional requirements and our lifestyle habits must include activities that promote health. In some circumstances, unhealthy food and lifestyle choices become of concern in relation to adverse health consequences.

This module will allow you to examine the approaches to motivate behavioural health change in relation to improved human health, by addressing nutrition, exercise and other relevant factors.

You’ll get to grips with research concepts used within Equine Science, enabling you to develop a critical approach to research, and the ability to explore associated philosophical, methodological, analytical, statistical and ethical issues. You’ll equip yourself with the fundamental concepts and practices that underpin the research process including research design, literature critique and critical analysis of research. You’ll be given the opportunity to develop your own research proposal, developing your abilities to engage with literature in a critical and analytical manner.

Learn the prevention and treatment concepts behind promoting and enhancing the nation’s health, from how physical inactivity impacts human health to formulating behavioural changes strategies. You’ll have the opportunity to investigate evidence from scientific literature pertaining to the role that physical inactivity plays in the resulting conditions and illnesses of obesity, insulin resistance syndrome, cancer and development of cardiovascular disease.

This module develops the knowledge and experience gained by your study via the level 4 module ‘Professional practise for Nutritionists 1’. In this module, you’ll learn about professional and research guidelines, and ethical considerations required to act in the best interest of clients.

You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a volunteering experience of a minimum of six hours in the food industry, nutrition, or public health setting. You’ll be trained to reflect on your existing skills, knowledge and learning and encouraged to identify areas of improvement within your specialist field.

Drawing on the knowledge from expert academics in professionally-geared lectures and seminars, you’ll be equipped with some of the most fundamental evidence-based concepts, preparing you to take the lead in a practice setting and on field visits.

How do nutritional requirements impact us throughout the course of our lifespan? This module will introduce you to a detailed study of the changes in nutritional requirements throughout the lifecycle.

From pre-conceptual, foetal life, pregnancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, ageing, and through to the end of life. A particular emphasis will be placed on the biochemical and physiological changes that occur throughout the human lifespan, together with an understanding of nutrition-related conditions associated with each life stage.

You’ll also focus on the potential influence of early diet and food choice on health throughout the lifespan.

The compulsory work placement, taken in Year 3, provides a valuable learning experience and is an important part of the course, consolidating your knowledge and preparing you for your final-year studies. During this year you will work in the construction industry for a minimum of 36 weeks. Oxford Brookes has strong links with a variety of construction-based employers ranging from local house-builders to international construction companies. Work experience opportunities are broad; from managing the restoration of a country manor house to the commercial and project management of a multi-million-pound city office development. If you are a part-time student working in the industry in a suitable capacity, you will be exempt from industrial placement.

You’ll have the opportunity to pursue a sustained research effort in the area of nutrition, and gain an in-depth understanding of a specific area of nutrition knowledge through data collection. You will be allowed to do this either individually or in a group, with a supervisor, to develop and enhance your research. You’ll gain confidence in reflecting effectively on your academic studies and research methodology, as well as improving your analytical skills and critical self-awareness. You’ll get to choose your dissertation subject in agreement with your supervisor and module lead, and you’ll be encouraged to explore a range of issues related to nutrition. You’ll find that you will acquire skills and attributes that are valuable to your personal development and future career options.

You’ll gain a detailed insight of nutrition-based theory and practice within a clinical setting. You’ll investigate the processes behind approaches to clinical nutrition and explore the general principles that underlie most clinical cases. Your study will touch on human energy requirements during health, disease states, the management of nutrition-related diseases, and the uses of clinical dietary therapy and therapeutic diets. You’ll gain the confidence in identifying supporting evidence for clinical practice and will focus on nutritional management of common diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and renal/liver disease. In addition to lectures, you’ll have the opportunity to put your problem-solving skills to the test with hands-on interactive practical laboratory experience. Put your knowledge into action within the real world by exploring the potential application of various methodologies as part of your coursework.

In this module you will study the factors influencing human energy regulation and the development and treatment of obesity. This includes the concept of energy balance and discusses the measures and implications of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the factors controlling energy intake and energy expenditure as part of the body’s internal balancing act. Development of overweight and obesity is controlled by environmental, socioeconomic, genetic and diet-related factors. Understanding these factors and the methods for measuring energy requirement are important for energy regulation and prevention of obesity.

Dr Catherine Graham, Module Lead: 'This module links many aspects together, from biochemistry to treatment and prevention. This is a fantastic module, full of debates, and combining the creative with the scientific.'

In this module, you’ll be introduced to the relationship between food and human health, with a special focus on functional foods, techniques and replacers used to modify and optimise the nutritional composition of food products. You’ll also explore the separation and incorporation of functional ingredients into other foods and investigate the procedures for approval of health claims in the UK/European Union. By the end of this module, you will have gained the theoretical knowledge and practical experience you’ll need to embark on your food product development career.

In this module, you’ll be exploring the on-going nutrition-related problems in global and public health. You’ll consolidate your knowledge on topics such as wasting, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies chronic diseases, and complications with infectious diseases. In addition, you’ll turn your focus to nutritional epidemiology and policies to address maternal nutrition, infant feeding, emergency nutrition, food security and non-communicable diseases.

You’ll be given the opportunity to work on interactive practical case studies and videos during in-class workshops, as part of small teams, and in group discussions. After this module, you’ll be well equipped with the skills and attributes to contribute towards a career in global health, nutrition policy and nutritional epidemiology in organisations such as NGO’s and government agencies.

In this module, you’ll build on the knowledge and experience gained in your previous study as you prepare for your future practice as nutritionists in the food industry, community, research or public health setting. You’ll hone your skills in your practice and will stay up to date with developments in the field of nutrition. You’ll develop an understanding of the legal context of nutritional practice, and how this applies to the professional practice as a whole.

As part of your study, you’ll be encouraged to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding in nutrition, and there will be training sessions where you will get the opportunity to carry out your own research in either product development or nutrition services. You’ll gain confidence in presentation skills, pitching new products or services provided by a nutritionist, in a research, consultancy, industry or public health context.

This module will give you a supervised work-based learning experience in a suitable organisation and arranged alongside your placement lead. You’ll acquire and develop new professional and/or technical skills, which shall be highly valuable in the professional workplace setting. You’ll work closely with staff and patrons, growing your knowledge of the wider context within your placement organisation, and applying the theory, concepts and content learned in previous modules. You’ll not only enhance your employability on completion of this module, but you’ll also gain a better understanding of your future career path and professional development opportunities.

You’ll be given the opportunity to choose a topic for independent study, relevant to your programme. You’ll build on the knowledge you achieved in Stage 2 and if you are a full-time student, this module will typically be undertaken during your final year of study. You’ll agree your chosen topic of study with your tutor lead in the semester prior to the one in which study is to be undertaken. After the learning contract has been approved by the Subject Examination Committee, the study module you have chosen will then be registered on your programme of study.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore complex relationships between food and drink, individuals and societies.You will build your critical thinking skills and be able to argue and present about the extensive implications of food and drink-related practices for society.

You’ll analyse a variety of factors that shape these relationships and examine the:

• consequences for health
• environment
• distinctiveness of cultures
• cohesiveness of communities.