Program Overview

Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Hons)

Overview

Our Nutrition and Dietetics course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Dietetics Association (BDA). This will allow you to apply to become a registered dietitian as well as ensure that you are taught the professional qualities, skills, and knowledge to become a proficient and competent nutrition professional.

Course Structure

• Year 1
  • Cell Biology and Biochemistry
    • Module content: Review of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, animal and plant cell ultrastructure and function, SI units of measurement, moles and molarity, basic organic chemistry, pH and buffer systems, structure and function of major biomolecules, energy and biochemical processes, action and properties of enzymes and coenzymes, enzyme kinetics, metabolism and metabolic pathways, appropriate practical techniques, data analysis.
    • Module aims: Provide students with an understanding of those aspects of cell biology and biochemistry that underpin the subsequent study of behavioural, nutritional and life sciences.
  • Introduction to Microbiology
    • Module content: Microorganisms - classification, applications of microbes in medicine and industry, bacterial, fungal and viral structures and growth, introduction to microbial pathogenesis, parasitic organisms, antibiotics and bacterial resistance, development of public health service and WHO, public water supply: sources, treatment and uses, microbiological issues relating to water quality and health, microbiological hazards in food – analysis of selected issues, investigation of microbiological food poisoning/infection, immune responses to infection.
    • Module aims: Give students an understanding of the variety of microorganisms and their cell biology, appreciate relationships between health, microorganisms and the environment, understand selected environmental health issues relevant to water and food microbiology, develop analytical skills in data handling and in appropriate practical investigations relevant to human health.
  • Physiology and Genetics
    • Module content: The anatomy and physiology of major organ systems, principles of haematology and immunology, homeostasis and feedback systems, principles of electrical and chemical signalling, metabolism, metabolic rate and temperature regulation, body composition and energy balance, energy input: feeding strategies, food materials, intake, digestion and absorption, respiration: gas exchange, ventilation systems; transport of respiratory gases, transport systems: open and closed circulation; principles of flow and pressure; circulatory control, water balance and excretion, neurons and synapses; development and transmission of action potentials, nerve pathways; development of nervous systems; major vertebrate brain centres, sense organs: general and special senses, muscles: mechanism of contraction, endocrine system: neuro-endocrine integration; main endocrine glands, integration of control and response to the environment, principles of genetics and the effect of food, nutrients and the environment on gene expression such as epigenetics, impact of nutrients on cellular mechanisms, including gene expression, understanding the genetic basis of disease.
    • Module aims: Provide students with a grounding in the principles of anatomy, physiology and genetics, which will be of relevance to all students of biological subjects.
  • Human Nutrition
    • Module content: This module is divided into the following three ‘units’. Units are then divided into ‘topics’ as outlined below.
      • Science of Energy and Nutrients
        • Introduction and Key Concepts, Energy Balance, Hunger, and Appetite, Nutritional aspects of carbohydrates, Nutritional aspects of protein, Nutritional aspects of lipids, Non-nutrient components, Key Concepts in Micronutrients, Vitamins A, D, E, K, Divalents and Iodine, B Vitamins, Dietary Reference Values, The Gut Microbiome.
      • The Nutritional (A-F) Assessment
        • Anthropometry, Biochemistry, Clinical, Dietary, Environmental, Functional.
      • Applied Nutrition
        • Lifecycle Nutrition: Foetal origins of disease, Lifecycle Nutrition: Infants and early years, Lifecycle Nutrition: Menopause, Nutritional epidemiology, Nutrition through the lifecycle and other applications determined by BDA curriculum framework.
    • Module aims: Provide students with a thorough grounding in human nutrition, covering macro- and micronutrients, key themes in nutritional sciences, nutritional assessment, and applied nutrition at the individual and population levels.
  • Practice Placement 1
    • Module content: The module will prepare the student for professional life by focussing on: the role of the dietitian and other disciplines in clinical and non-clinical environments, forms of communication: oral, written, and electronic commonly used by health care professionals, food, eating habits and assessment of food intakes in the context of dietetic services in the NHS or other public and private sector institutions, developing awareness of environmental factors (for example cultural, educational, social and financial) which affect all service users, core skills training, personal and professional development, including developing as a reflective practitioner, developing awareness around integrity, legal and ethical responsibilities.
    • Module aims: Facilitate working knowledge and understanding of dietetics in traditional and non-traditional environments, with students developing competence in communication and professional skills required to meet the HCPC Standards of Proficiency.
  • Food, Nutrients and the Consumer
    • Module content: Food systems (including from farm to fork), the consumer, foods, nutrients and dietary patterns.
    • Module aims: Students will learn about theoretical and practical aspects (laboratory-based) of food systems, food composition, dietary patterns and the consumer with the aim of understanding both wider and more focused aspects of consumers’ access to food and their food choices.
• Year 2
  • Pathophysiology
    • Module content: The nature of disease and pathology, tissue damage and cell death processes, basics of cancer biology, cancer detection and treatment, haematology (functions & dys-functions of the blood), ageing and age related disease, cardiovascular disease and obesity, role of reactive oxygen species and cytokines in disease, pregnancy related complications.
    • Module aims: Provide students with an introduction to the biology of disease that is applicable to human science.
  • Diet and Clinical Nutrition
    • Module content: The evidence underpinning role of food and nutrients in the aetiology and management of various conditions, the epidemiological evidence underpinning public health policies and strategies relating to such conditions, the translation of scientific evidence into general advice for the population.
    • Module aims: Allow students to develop an understanding and appreciation of the role of nutrition in the aetiology and management of common diseases and disorders.
  • Dietetic Practice I
    • Module content: The process of clinical nutritional assessment, care pathways, implementation of interventions and evaluation of outcomes in the context of the practice placement experience, nutritional care and dietetic practice in acute and chronic conditions, including medical, surgical, paediatric and mental health, information governance and confidentiality, the organisation of the health and social care system in the UK and role of managers within the healthcare system, governance of the profession, audit and evaluation of practice and how this could be used to drive innovation in healthcare, principles of good record keeping.
    • Module aims: Support the development of clinical skills required for dietetic practice.
  • Practice Placement 2
    • Module content: The practice placement will enable the student to develop a working knowledge and the range of skills needed to work as a dietitian with specified clients/care groups and in a range of work settings, which may involve non-health settings.
    • Module aims: Enable experiential learning and development in health care settings under supervision and guidance.
  • Nutrition and Metabolism
    • Module content: Overview of the major catabolic and anabolic pathways, lipoprotein metabolism, control of metabolic pathways: allosteric effectors, product inhibition, neural and endocrine regulation of metabolic pathways, mechanism of hormone action - second messengers, steroid hormones, integration of metabolism: carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, metabolism in the fed and fasted state, metabolic adaptation: starvation, metabolic response to disease, metabolic disorders.
    • Module aims: Provide students with an introduction to human metabolism highlighting general concepts and key principles.
  • Behavioural Aspects of Food and Nutrition
    • Module content: Review of psychological and sociological contributions to health, lifestyle, and the impact of long-term health conditions, introduction to health psychology, specifically examining factors that affect health behaviours, historical principles of behaviour change and the modern development of health promotion and health education strategies, practical skills in behaviour change including counselling skills, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural techniques, health promotion, and health education to resolve barriers in communication, psychology of eating behaviour in both normal and disordered eating, review of socio-cultural factors related to food and eating.
    • Module aims: Provide an understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of normal and abnormal eating behaviours.
• Year 3
  • Dietetics and Nutrition Support
    • Module content: The module focuses on the more complex areas of dietetic practice, including reinforcement of topics introduced and discussed in level 5.
    • Module aims: Equip students with the necessary enhanced clinical knowledge for their final placement.
  • Dietetic Practice II
    • Module content: The process of clinical nutritional assessment, care pathways, implementation of interventions and evaluation of outcomes, utilising experiences gained from placement 2 and taught content from other level 6 modules.
    • Module aims: Enable students to master dietetic-specific skills in relation to complex conditions requiring dietary and nutrition support.
  • Practice Placement 3
    • Module content: The practice placement will enable the student to develop and apply advanced working knowledge, and display competence in the range of skills needed to work as a dietitian with specified clients/care groups and in a range of work settings.
    • Module aims: Give students the opportunity to consolidate their learning and development in the clinical environment in professional situations under supervision and guidance.
  • Clinical Medicine and Pharmacology
    • Module content: Review of the major disease processes and their descriptive terminology, risk factors for, classification and aetiology of the major diseases, clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment interventions in the management of major diseases and disorders, integration of physiological systems and their impact on disease progression and management, nutrition as an adjunctive treatment in disease management, principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
    • Module aims: Provide a good understanding of medical terminology and disease classification.
  • Public Health Nutrition
    • Module content: Public health nutrition strategy, policy, planning, health and nutrition programme and project management, health promotion, primary prevention and risk management, nutrition epidemiology and public health nutrition, communication strategies in a public health setting.
    • Module aims: Explore the role of public health nutrition at the societal, community and individual level.
  • Dissertation
    • Module content: The module offers students the opportunity to engage in extensive independent study with supervision from a tutor/s.
    • Module aims: Enable the student to engage in research (empirical or non-empirical) and the interpretation of a selected topic relevant to their programme of study through the scholarly use of primary and other sources.

Entry Requirements

• Home Students
  • UCAS points: 120 points
  • GCE A Level: Typical offer – BCC-BBC; The department requires Biology as essential to entry, plus one other science which should include Chemistry, Biochemistry or Physics, but may include Geography, Environmental Science, Sociology, Psychology, Sport Science, or Physical Education.
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma, DDM but must contain sufficient science, specifically Biology.
  • International Baccalaureate: 28 points including 5 in HL Biology and HL Chemistry
  • Irish / Scottish Highers: Irish Highers: H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 including H3 in Biology Scottish Highers: BBBB including Biology
  • Access requirements: Access to HE Diploma (Science) must include 15 Level 3 credits in Biology at Distinction, and 12 Level 3 credits in Chemistry at Merit.
  • T Level: T Level Science - Merit
  • OCR Cambridge Technicals: OCR Extended Diploma: DDM but must contain sufficient science, specifically Biology.
  • Extra Information: Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. A GCSE grade C/4 (or above) or Key Skills and Functional Skills in English Language and Maths is required. Candidates must also: Ideally visit a dietetic department, obtain similar relevant work shadowing experience, or attend dietetic awareness events prior to submitting an application, Attend a Dietetic Awareness Event, put on by either the University or by a local partnership NHS Trust, to help increase your knowledge and awareness of dietetics and help you gain an insight into what it is like to work as a dietitian and to be a Nutrition and Dietetics student, Satisfy NHS occupational health and ‘fitness for practice’ requirements, Agree to an enhanced DBS criminal record check, Satisfy requirements for UK residency.
• International Students
  • UCAS points: 120 points
  • Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study.

Fees and Funding

• Home Students
  • £9,535 per year for a full-time course (2025/26)
• International Students
  • £14,450 per year for a full-time course (2025/26)
• Additional Costs
  • Prior to admission to this course, you will be required to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University, for which there will be charge and you need to undertake a Fitness to Practice assessment with Occupational Health to ensure suitability for the course.
• Bursaries
  • The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.

Who You'll Learn From

• Luke Davies
  • Senior Lecturer
• Abigail Price
  • Senior Lecturer
• Richard Silvioli
  • Lecturer
• Jess Cristofoli-king
  • Senior Lecturer

Where You'll Study

• Exton Park and Wheeler, Chester
  • The location: Exton Park is close to the city centre of Chester and Wheeler is Located within the lively city centre of Chester, a city like no other and an amazing place to live as a student.
  • Health and Social Care simulation suite: Our simulation suite emulates diverse healthcare spaces, ranging from a patient’s home and community clinic settings to acute care settings, including a Triage Assessment Area, Maternity Delivery Suite, Children’s Ward, and a General Ward.
  • Modern learning resources and library: We have dedicated resources and IT services across both campuses and is home to an extensive selection of books, e-books and e-journals, as well as computer suites and multimedia rooms.
  • Student Services: Exton Park is home to a number of our central support services, including Disability and Inclusion, Careers and Employability, and Student Support.
  • Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces: Built in 1847 by former students, the University Chapel offers regular services and a venue to services.
  • Accommodation: Most of our student accommodation is located either on or near Exton Park.

Your Future

• Job Prospects
  • Dietitians are qualified and regulated health professionals that assess, diagnose, and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and population-based level.
  • The demand for dietitians is growing rapidly, as they are becoming increasingly recognised as an essential health professional that can work in many different areas including the NHS, private practice, public health, the food and drink industry, medical nutrition, sports nutrition, the media, academia, and research.
• Progression options
  • Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation MSc, PGDip, PGCert
  • Clinical Sciences and Nutrition MRes
  • Exercise and Nutrition Science MSc
  • Food Science and Innovation MSc
  • Human Nutrition MSc
  • Lifestyle Medicine (Obesity) MSc
  • Public Health Nutrition MSc, PGDip, PGCert
• Careers service
  • The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.