Nutrition at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh - UCAS

Course summary

This comprehensive four-year undergraduate integrated Masters of Nutrition (MNutrition)/BSc (Hons) Nutrition provides a robust combination of the theoretical understanding and practical skills essential for cultivating a rewarding career as a nutritionist. Thrive in our supportive learning environment, with great facilities, complemented by a placement giving you experience in a real-world environment. Upon graduation you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) as an associate nutritionist. Whether you aspire to achieve a BSc (Hons) or an undergraduate master’s degree, we’ll guide you every step of the way.** The field of nutrition affects everyone in the world every day and has grown in importance in recent years. The science of nutrition employs evidence-based approaches to highlight the relationship between our diet and health, and it enables us to optimise health and prevent disease. What and how we eat is vital to individual and community health and it is an engaging and rewarding subject to study. If we are what we eat, then nutrition can tell us a lot about who we are, how we live and how we can improve the health of society. Why QMU?

  • Staff expertise: Your learning will be curated by registered nutritionists and experts in the field who are actively researching some of the most interesting and impactful topics in the field of nutrition. QMU has wide ranging and widely recognised expertise in both health and food sciences, and is home to the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation.
  • Excellent facilities: You will build professional proficiency in our specialist labs, using advanced equipment and proven research techniques. The practical teaching facilities include specialist microbiology, chemistry, food handling, and nutritional assessment laboratories.
  • Professional accreditation/registration: The course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and on graduation with an MNutrition or BSc (Hons) degree you can register with the AfN as an associate nutritionist.
  • High rankings in the UK: QMU is ranked in the top 3 of Scottish higher education institutions for Nutrition & Food Science (Guardian University Guide 2024).
The course in brief: Attracting increasing attention in recent years, nutrition is an engaging and rewarding subject to study, offering a pathway to a range of diverse and gratifying careers. Nutritionists generate, assess, and deliver scientific and evidence-based advice across a variety of settings to improve health and wellbeing, and to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle. The science of nutrition employs evidence-based approaches to highlight the intricate relationship between our diet and health at an individual and population level, with consideration of biological, social, cultural, economic, environmental, and behavioural contexts. This scientific discipline delves into the impact of food on the functioning of the living organism, offering insights to optimise health and mitigate the risk of disease. Nutrition encompasses the study of food composition, digestion and absorption processes, energy metabolism, elimination of wastes, and the vital synthesis essential for growth, maintenance, and reproduction across the life-course. The course covers all three areas of nutrition specialisation (clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, and sports and exercise nutrition), so students can explore their specific interests and career aspirations. There is strong focus on sustainability with a new module dedicated to sustainable food systems. The new Nutrition Communication module (master’s route only) will foster your public engagement and content creation skills.

Modules

Modules are subject to change. Year 1: Human Physiology, Skills for Academic & Professional Success, Food, Lifestyle and Society, Introduction to Food Science Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Genetics, Sustainable Food Systems; Year 2: Health Coaching Conversations, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Nutrient Metabolism, Evidence-Based Practice, Pharmacology, Nutrition, Food & Nutrition Policy; Year 3: (MNutrition route) Disease Aetiology and Management, Sports and Performance Nutrition, Nutrition through the Life-Course Placement, Clinical Nutrition, Epidemiology in Public Health, Nutrition Communication; Year 3: (BSc route) Disease Aetiology and Management, Sports and Performance Nutrition, Nutrition through the Life-Course, Placement, Clinical Nutrition, Epidemiology in Public Health; Year 4: (MNutrition route) Current Issues in Nutrition Science, Nutrition in Practice, Enterprise for Health, Demonstrating Impact, Honours Project Year 4: (BSc route) Current Issues in Nutrition Science, Nutrition in Practice or Enterprise for Health*, Honours Project

Assessment method

Teaching is organised across two semesters each year. You will learn through face-to-face or online lectures, seminars, practical workshops, self-study packs and our well-equipped specialist laboratories, including microbiology, chemistry, food handling, performance and exercise, and nutritional assessment laboratories. Outside these timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a variety of methods (for example: written and practical exams, case studies, written assignments and presentations) at the end of each module or semester. Practical learning in real-world environments is the perfect way to consolidate your skills. In Year Three, you will undertake a compulsory nutrition placement in a setting of your choice and with the support of your tutors, through the placement module. This can be in a variety of settings such as schools, government agencies, public health organisations, community groups, laboratories, private practices, sports teams, care homes, or food and drink companies. This module has been organised to allow students to undertake their placements overseas if they wish to do so. The placement module is a great practical experience, providing students with an opportunity to network within their profession, and to enhance their employability.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Association for Nutrition

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Course does not award QTS

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
B404
Institution code:
Q25
Campus name:
Queen Margaret University
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

For International fee payers, the cost of this course offered at the lower rate of £9,250 per year.

Entry requirements

Standard Qualification Requirements

We accept many different qualifications, but cannot list them all here. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information or advice if you are thinking of taking a course of study. We welcome applications from international applicants and you can find information on specific entry requirements by country here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/international-students/information-for-your-country/. We also welcome applications from mature students, or people holding qualifications such as Access courses. The Scottish Wider Access Partnership (SWAP) offers a range of local Access courses and those that are accepted for entry are listed here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/college-qualifications

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/access-to-higher-education/application-and-access/

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Additional entry requirements

Other

Students may require a PVG check for the placement module, depending on their choice of placement. If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of you studying at QMU. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.


English language requirements

IELTS score of 6.5 with no element below 6.0


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £1820 Year 1
International £9250 Year 1

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

2025/6 Students from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Republic of Ireland: full-time Rest of UK fees will be charged for the first three years of study. The fourth year of study is free. Please note: there are some Health Sciences courses that are not open to international applications. Please check the individual course pages on the QMU website before applying.
Nutrition at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh - UCAS