Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences>Courses>Food Science and Nutrition - BSc (Hons) Degree

Food Science and Nutrition - BSc (Hons) Degree

Entry Year

Our professionally accredited BSc (Hons) Food Science and Nutrition degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University is an exciting development that gives you the opportunity to shape your studies to provide a strong foundation for your chosen career. You decide what your degree will look like as you understand more about the subject areas. Your choices will also reflect how your own interests evolve, and how your career goals are most effectively achieved.

This unique degree has two named pathways which you will select at the end of your first year of studies. The shared first year enables you to gain key skills for working within a range of public and private sector organisations in a variety of roles.

BSc Food Science and Nutrition (Human Nutrition) enables you to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to support future practice as a Registered Nutritionist.

BSc Food Science and Nutrition (Quality, Safety and Innovation) enables you to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to support technical aspects of organisations operating in the global food industry sector. Maximum student industrial exposure is assured by the inclusion of industrial visits and industrial work experience.

Foundation Year

This degree can be studied as a three-year full-time degree or a four-year full-time degree that includes a year of foundational study. Our foundation year is intended to prepare you for your subsequent years of studying, offering you the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence.

The foundation year will be relevant to:

  1. Students who aspire to enrol onto the first year of a science-based honours degree programme within the Cardiff School of Health Sciences, who have not achieved the standard entry requirements to enter at year one of the chosen degree.
  2. Students who have not studied subjects that provide the necessary background within the scientific disciplines required to enter at year one of the chosen degree.


Find out more about the foundation year​.

Please note: You will need to apply using a specific UCAS code if you wish to undertake the 4 years including foundation. Please refer to Key Course Information at the bottom of this page.

​Course Content​

Degree:

Common First Year 

  • Professional and Interprofessional Development 1*
  • Human Biochemistry and Physiology 
  • Fundamentals of Food Product Development 
  • Nutrition (Macro and Micronutrients) 
  • Food Safety Management 
  • Food and Nutrition Professions

Year 2:
BSc (Hons) Food Science and Nutrition (Human Nutrition):

Core:

  • Assessing and Improving Population Health
  • Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology
  • Research Methods*
  • Population and Lifecycle Nutrition
  • Applied Food Product Development 

Optional:  (pick one) 

  • Health Psychology and Wellbeing 
  • Food Quality, Composition and Labelling

BSc (Hons) Food Science and Nutrition (Quality, Safety and Innovation)

Core:

  • Research Methods*
  • Applied Food Science and Processing 1
  • Food Quality, Composition and Labelling
  • Microbiological Safety and Chemical Analysis of Food
  • Applied Food Product Development
  • Applied Food Science and Processing 2


Year 3:
BSc (Hons) Food Science and Nutrition (Human Nutrition):

Core:

  • Project *
  • Contemporary Nutrition 
  • Nutrition in Sport and Exercise*

Optional: (pick one) 

Option 1:

  • Experiential Learning 
  • Intervention for Health and Sustainable Development

Option 2: (if 20 credits selected in option 1, choose 20 from below. If 40 selected above, do not choose any from option 2)

  • Advanced Food Product Development
  • Health Behaviour Change

BSc (Hons) Food Science and Nutrition (Quality, Safety and Innovation)

Core:

  • Project*
  • Advanced Food Safety and Quality Management
  • Advanced Processing Technology

Optional: (pick 40 credits)

  • Experiential Learning
  • Advanced Food Product Development
  • Advanced Food Chemistry and Microbiology
  • *modules available through the medium of Welsh

Learning & Teaching

The course is taught by experienced academics with a wealth of experience. Many are experts in their fields with research and consultancy backgrounds. Team members also include registered Nutritionists, Dietitians and Sports and Exercise Nutritionists who have previously worked in primary and secondary NHS care, public health, industry, overseas development and with sports teams and elite athletes. Our team use their experiences to bring real-life examples to their teaching with plenty of opportunities for case studies and practical tutorial tasks.

The team uses a variety of teaching methods throughout the programme to provide learning environments which are the most effective for the achievement of the course aims and objectives. We make full use of our laboratories and consumer kitchen facilities to contextualise learning and provide real-world experience of how theory informs best practice. We also use lectures coupled with seminars which will include group discussion and workshops. These methods can be supported by guided individual study and field visits.

All students will undertake modules with practical elements that are delivered in our kitchens and food production areas. In compliance with Food Manufacturing Regulations, no jewellery including exposed piercings are permitted in these areas. All jewellery including exposed piercings (but with the exception of a single, plain wedding ring, wedding wristband or medical alert jewellery) must be removed before entering these spaces.

Assessment

Assessment consists of a variety of forms including, written examinations, coursework and practical assessments. In order to proceed to subsequent years of the course students must satisfactorily complete all modules.

Assessments have been written to closely resemble many day to day workplace situations. This provides students with hands on experience of what they will encounter before going into industry.

Employability & Careers

A career in the food industry will put you in the middle of the largest and most important economic activity in the world.  Your degree in Food Science and Nutrition will put you in a strong position to take advantage of the many career options available in the industry.  You may choose to specialise in the complex and increasingly sophisticated food supply system that constitutes the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK.  Alternatively, you may decide to work in health improvement, with groups or communities to promote health, wellbeing and reduce inequalities.

With an almost 100% employment rate, graduates can gain employment within many areas, including:

• Research and development
• Quality control
• Manufacturing and retailing
• Hygiene
• Packaging
• Food microbiology
• Food analysis
• Public Health
• Local Councils
• NHS Trusts (e.g. Dieticians)
• Sport Nutrition
• Emergency & Disaster Relief
• International Development Projects

The programme will also provide you with a strong foundation for further study at Masters or PhD level following graduation. Many of our previous students have taken these opportunities.

Entry Requirements​ & How to Apply

Typical Offers

​The following requirements are based on typical offers relevant to entering year 1 of the degree.

If you do not meet these entry requirements, we also offer a Foundation Year which allows progression to Year 1 upon successful completion.

  • Tariff points: 96-104
  • Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy and Science.
  • English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6 in all elements, or equivalent.
  • A level subjects: Minimum three A levels. Grades CC to include a Science/Food/Nutrition subject.
  • Relevant subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Physical Education, IT, Mathematics, Food Technology, Environmental Science or Geography considered as the equivalent Science. Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject.
  • BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM-DMM.
  • T Level: Pass (C+) – Merit in a Science subject considered.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: Within a Science subject.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: Minimum one Grade 5 in Higher Level Science.
  • Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2 to include Science. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
  • Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades DD to include Science. Scottish Highers are also considered, either on their own or in combination with Advanced Highers.

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.


How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact Ginnie Winter:
Email: gwinter@cardiffmet.ac.uk​

We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the university to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary. Please read our Terms and Conditions for the full information.

Key Course Information

UCAS Codes:
BD01 - 3-year degree
BD0F - 4-year degree (including foundation year)

Place of Study: Llandaff Campus

School: Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences

Course Length:
Three years full-time.
Four years full-time if undertaking foundation year.
Also available part-time and can be up to eight years. The part-time students join the full-time students for all modules. Therefore most of the modules are completed between 9.00am and 6.00pm on weekdays.

Part-time fees:
Charges are per single module unless specified: undergraduate = 10 credits. Please contact the programme leader for further information on modules to be studied part-time and how this will affect fees.

MEET THE TEAM
James Blaxland

My academic journey began by being inspired in a darkened microbiology lab in my college days in Cornwall, where I was excited to see some of the parasites that have been recovered from patients!! I came to Cardiff Met in 2006 and completed my BSc and MSc in Biomedical Science (Medical Microbiology) before undertaking my PhD in Pharmaceutical microbiology at the School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University. My PhD focused on identifying novel components from hops and testing their ability to destroy drug resistant pathogens! Something my current project students still do. Following my PhD I worked on projects with the UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down; Before moving into a public engagement role bringing microbiology teaching into primary schools in South Wales. Seeing the fascination in these young people when they learnt about bacteria and viruses really focused my career and I am proud to say it led me back to Cardiff Met.

James Blaxland
Senior Lecturer in Microbiology

OUR FACILITIES
Food Science Practical Sessions

Shot by Food Science and Technology students, get an inside look at what the practical sessions look like on the degree - from the consumer kitchens to the biomedical science labs.

Blog
From studying at Cardiff Met to working in Australia – the 4 major lessons I learnt to make the most of uni

Hear about Alice's journey from Cardiff Met to Australia, and the lessons learned along the way.
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Blog
My Food Science and Technology work placement experience

Beth blogs about her 12 month industry placement at Brecon Foods as a Student Food Technologist.
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Blog
From two tours of Afghanistan with the army to studying Food Science at Cardiff Met

Hear from mature student Mike and his experience on the course and how he was able to undertake a 12-week funded summer studentship.
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Richard Parks - Team Quest

As part of Team Quest, Food Science and Technology students were central in helping Richard in his world-record attempt to ski solo across the South Pole, by preparing a 25 day food ration plan.

Blog
Working with Food Flavourings on my industry placement

Leah blogs about completing her industry placement at Taste Tech as an Application Technician.
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Blog
How Cardiff Met and a Placement at Peter’s Food Shaped My Career in the Food Industry

Graduate Abi blogs about her Placement at Peter’s Pies and how she is ready to enter her new role as a Process Technologist at Melton Foods.
Read more