Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit UNMC597 - Advanced Culinary Nutrition Science in Practice - Practical - Virtual is a microcredential that aims to help students acquire complex, high-level practical and research skills to solve nutrition-related problems. This is achieved through the innovative preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, including industry-appropriate creative design of eating environments and eating occasions with high sensory appeal.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Building on learnings from UNMC593 Advanced Culinary Nutrition in Practice THEORY, this microcredential supports students in obtaining highly advanced food planning, preparation, cooking, and presentation skills. It enables students to become influencers of dietary intake in various settings, from food service in hospitals and nursing homes to meal delivery and cooking kits in the home or workplace.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to:

1. Formulate, execute, and present a culinary nutrition science research project to effectively answer a nutrition-related research question.
2. Use safe, highly developed, creative, and innovative food planning, preparation, cooking, and styling techniques for targeted eating environments.
3. Demonstrate how teamwork and advanced leadership skills contribute to a successful culinary operation in a commercial kitchen environment.

Content

Topics include:

• Application of advanced sensory analysis, food styling principles, scientific principles of preparation and cooking methods, and culinary science research.
• Advanced food preparation and cooking techniques.
• Working as a team in a commercial cooking environment.

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

A 2-part assessment task extends students' theoretical understanding by requiring them to undertake a small, specific culinary nutrition science research project. This project provides students with the opportunity to explore a topic of interest and demonstrate their ability to manage a research project from conception to communication of results.

Assessment Details

• Research Project: Enables students to demonstrate their ability to innovatively develop, execute, and present the results of a relevant experiment to answer a research question.
  • Weighting:
    • Presentation of project: 30%
    • Written report: 70%
  • Learning Outcomes: LO1, LO2, LO3
  • Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC12

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The microcredential content is completed over the teaching period at students' own pace in their own kitchens. Students are assisted through online forums and sharing platforms with high visual impact. The microcredential begins by building on the theoretical knowledge gained in UNMC593 and assists students in applying their learning through research and practical skills development in the kitchen.

Representative Texts and References

• Blumenthal, H. (2008). The Big Fat Duck Cookbook. London: Bloomsbury.
• Segnit, N. (2010). The Flavour Thesaurus. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Spence, C. (2017). United Kingdom. Penguin Random House.
• The Science of Taste Symposium. (2014). Originally published in the journal which is no longer published. Collection of articles published by BMC.
• This, H. (2008). Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor. New York: Colombia University Press.
• This, H. (2010). Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking. New York: Colombia University Press.
• Vega, C., Ubbink, J. & van der Linden E. Ed. (2013). The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking. New York: Colombia University Press.

Unit Details

• Credit Points: 5
• Year: 2026
• Locations: Online

Prerequisites

• UNMC593 Advanced Culinary Nutrition Science in Practice - Theory or submission of a statement to demonstrate evidence of prior learning equivalent to UNMC593.

Incompatible Units

• NUTR500 Advanced Culinary Nutrition Science in Practice.
• UNMC594 Advanced Culinary Nutrition Science in Practice - Practical.