Course summary
Help prevent disease and improve the understanding of the relationship between diet and health with our AfN accredited MSc in Human Nutrition. Enhance your knowledge of clinical, metabolic and molecular nutrition while also learning about issues affecting public health, sustainable diets and global food systems with our comprehensive MSc programme. You will study different aspects of human nutrition before deciding which areas to specialise in and the flexible course structure means your studying will be best aligned with your interests and career requirements. Upon successful completion of the masters degree, you will be able to:
- Describe the scientific basis of nutrition.
- Explain nutritional requirements, from the molecular through to the population level.
- Describe the food chain and its impact on food choice, integrating the food supply with dietary intake.
- Evaluate food in a social or behavioural context, at all stages of the life-course.
- Apply the scientific principles of nutrition for the promotion of health and wellbeing of individuals, groups and populations.
- Apply for direct entry to the UKVRN as a Registered Associate Nutritionist.
Modules
Our Human Nutrition taught programme combines traditional lectures with seminars and practical sessions. All learning material is available on MyAberdeen, the University's Virtual Learning Environment. The MSc enables you to learn outside the classroom so that you can apply both theory and practice to human nutrition projects. Some of the additional learning opportunities on the programme include: Research placements, Insight into current human nutrition studies, Access to industry experts, Site visits to key nutrition projects in the community, Research-led teaching by key opinion leaders. On-going support is provided by the University’s dedicated team of experienced researchers, who will be tutoring you. Much of the teaching on this course involves participatory research work. Students are expected to engage with research work as well as classroom teaching and independent study in their own time.
Assessment method
Students are evaluated in the form of essays, laboratory practicals, individual and group presentations and written examinations in December and March. The assessments aim to train you for your future career. We use innovative assessment procedures which complement the skills that you will be required for the future, such as academic poster presentations, writing papers and communicating with the public. The MSc project is assessed by a thesis and oral presentations of the project findings.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Association for Nutrition
How to apply
International applicants
When you are thinking about studying overseas, it is important that you understand all the costs involved and budget accordingly. It is essential to budget for your studies prior to leaving your home country and to arrange all your funding for BOTH your tuition fees and your living costs. In addition, it is important to check all immigration requirements regularly and before travelling, as they can change. Students without the necessary visa will be refused entry to the UK. You should allow plenty of time to organise your visa and ensure you are aware of all your responsibilities under the terms and conditions of your visa. Please note that the advice provided via the University is the Student Visa category of the UK's Points Based Immigration Scheme. For further information, please visit the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration.
Entry requirements
A second-class honours degree in Biological Sciences or Life Sciences, or equivalent research or field experience. Students who do not meet the current entry requirements, such as a lower degree in a relevant subject, or appropriate level of degree but in an alternative discipline, may be eligible to enter the programme via one of our MSc access route options. These routes are designed to help students planning to study MSc Human Nutrition (on campus) or MSc Clinical Nutrition (online) gain the required level of biomedical science knowledge and understanding to prepare for postgraduate studies. For more information about our access routes for this programme please contact the programme coordinator(s) at [email protected].
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | Overall - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5 or above; Reading - 6.0 or above; Speaking - 5.5 or above; Writing - 6.0 or above. IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training are not accepted. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 90 | TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Overall - 90 with: Listening - 17 or above; Reading - 21 or above; Speaking - 20 or above; Writing - 21 or above. DI code is 0818 |
| PTE Academic | 62 | Overall - 62 with: Listening - 59 or above; Reading - 59 or above; Speaking - 59 or above; Writing - 59 or above. Online test is not accepted. |
| Institution's Own Test | Academic English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE) - Pass (valid for 1 year). Academic English Preparation Programme undertaken at other UK HEI - accredited by BALEAP and within 1 year of start of course. | |
| Cambridge English Advanced | C | Overall - 176 with: Listening - 162 or above; Reading - 162 or above; Speaking - 162 or above; Writing - 169 or above. |
To study for a postgraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write academic English fluently. These skills will allow you to understand lectures, produce high standards of written work, and perform well in examinations. We can assess your English language proficiency through a variety of means: through your nationality, through the qualifications you gained in high school, through the degree you undertook or are undertaking at university, or through a recognised English language test. Postgraduate Higher requirements are used by the Schools of Business; Divinity, History and Philosophy; Education; Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture; Law; and Social Sciences. The MSc in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management and the MSc in Integrated Petroleum Geoscience also make use of the Postgraduate Higher requirements. Please note certification must be within the two years prior to commencement of your degree programme, unless otherwise stated.
Please use the checklist at the following webpage to determine how you can meet our English language requirements:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/requirements-pg-266.php
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fee information is not yet published for entry in Academic Year 2025/2026. For guidance, the fees on the University Online Prospectus website are for 2024/25.
Sponsorship information
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships: www.abdn.ac.uk/study/funding/. The University of Aberdeen provides an Alumni Discount Scheme: The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen.
Provider information
University of Aberdeen
Directorate of External Relations
King's College
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX