Psychology and Nutrition BSc Joint Honours
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Course overview
This hands-on, Psychology and Nutrition joint honours degree will allow you to develop an in-depth understanding of psychology and nutrition, focusing on key topics such as how psychological factors can impact our perception of nutrition, and the link between diet and health.
Throughout your studies, you'll have access to our brand new building, with purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities, including a forensic interviewing suite, a nutrition and food preference unit, a media and behaviour lab, medical consultation rooms, and psychological testing cubicles.
You'll study a broad range of topics, such as social and developmental psychology, eating and weight disorders, nutrition and food science, and biochemistry for biologists.
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Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2022-23.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
Program Outline
Modules and learning
Modules
The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability. Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May. To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
In Stage 1, you'll explore the fundamentals of both psychology and nutrition.
You'll cover human nutrition, agri-food systems, and bioenergetics, alongside cognitive psychology, sensation and perception, and instinct, learning and perception.
Modules
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Food Studies | 20 |
| Introduction to Nutrition | 10 |
| Practical Skills for Nutrition | 10 |
| Cognitive Psychology | 10 |
| Sensation and Perception | 10 |
| Instinct, Learning and Motivation | 10 |
| Research Methods and Skills 2 | 20 |
| Introduction to Psychology for Joint Honours | 10 |
| Bioenergetics | 20 |
How you'll learn
How you'll be assessed
In your second year, you'll broaden your depth of understanding across both disciplines.
You'll take modules including Principles of Nutrition, Applied and Experimental Nutrition, and Food Science and Technology, as well as Methods in Psychology, Statistics for Experimental Psychology, and Individual Differences.
Modules
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Macro- and Micronutrients | 20 |
| Food Science and Technology | 20 |
| Nutrition Through the Lifecycle | 10 |
| Nutrition Assessment | 10 |
| Developmental Psychology | 10 |
| Social Psychology | 10 |
| Individual Differences | 10 |
| Biological Psychology: Sex, Drugs, Rhythms and Blues | 10 |
| Statistics for Empirical Psychology | 10 |
| Methods in Psychology 2A | 10 |
How you'll learn
How you'll be assessed
In Stage 3, you'll be able to focus in more on your chosen areas of specialism.
You'll design and carry out your own empirical study in an area of psychology that particularly interests you.
Alongside core modules including Nutrition in Health and Disease, Psychological Enquiry, and Eating and Weight Disorders, you'll also have the opportunity to explore specific areas of interest, including evolution and behaviour, neuropsychology, psychology for sport and performance, forensic psychology, and new food product development.
Modules
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Personalised Nutrition | 10 |
| Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health | 30 |
| Psychological Enquiry 3: Psychological Literacy and Professional Skills | 10 |
| Empirical Project | 30 |
| Optional Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Communication and Behaviour Change | 10 |
| Contemporary Issues in Food and Human Nutrition | 20 |
| Consumer Psychology | 20 |
| Art, Mind and Brain | 10 |
| To Cheat or not to Cheat: The Evolution of Cooperative Behaviour | 10 |
| The Damaged Brain: Case Studies in Neuropsychology | 10 |
| Eating and Weight Disorders | 20 |
| Clinical Sport & Exercise Psychology | 20 |
| Psychobiology of Drug Addiction | 10 |
| Understanding and Treating Sensory | 10 |
| Sex Differences and the Brain | 10 |
| Cultural and Technical Intelligence: Developmental and Comparative Perspectives | 10 |
| Psychology for Sport Performance | 20 |
| Advanced statistics for Empirical Psychology | 10 |
| Evolution of Brain and Behaviour | 20 |
| Making Sense of Forgotten Senses: Investigating Olfaction and Gustation | 20 |
How you'll learn
How you'll be assessed
Information about these graphs
We base these figures and graphs on the most up-to-date information available to us. They combine data on the planned delivery and assessments of our courses in 2021-22 with data on the modules chosen by our students in 2020-21.
Teaching time is made up of:
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods
You'll be taught through a combination of:
Assessment methods
You'll be assessed through a combination of:
Assessments
Assignments – written or fieldwork
Case studies
Coursework
Dissertation or research project
Essays
Examinations – practical or online
Group work
Practical sessions
Presentations
Projects
Reflective report/journal
Reports
Seminar tasks/exercises
Skills and experience
Practical skills
The majority of your Psychology and Nutrition modules will involve practical lab work working with state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities in our brand new building.
In Psychology, you'll learn how to formulate theories, conduct experiments, use statistical techniques, and write up research reports.
In your Nutrition modules, you'll carry out human nutrition investigations and lab analysis, as well as analysing data and preparing lab reports.
Business skills
Your psychology modules focus on psychological literacy, applying psychology in a real-world setting, while the nutrition side of your programme will involve developing practical skills in the real-world methods used for food processing and analysis.
Between stages 2 and 3, you'll also have the opportunity to complete a year-long professional psychology placement or a nutritional placement in the food industry. Recent placements have included Northumbria Police, Institute of Neuroscience, Marks and Spencer, Nutricia, Tesco, and the NHS.
Research skills
In stages 1 and 2, you'll complete Research Methods and Skills modules, in which you'll develop as an independent researcher.
In your third year, you'll put these skills into practice, completing a comprehensive research project in an area of your choice.
You'll also have the opportunity to gain additional research outside your course, including the School's certified research apprenticeship scheme.
Chat to a student
If you would like to study Psychology you should definitely consider Newcastle! The course ensures you have a good grounding in all areas of Psychology as well as allowing you to focus in more specialised areas in third year.
Hannah, Psychology student