Nutrition and Dietetics

Nutrition and dietetics is a discipline concerned with the relationship between food, diet and health, and with the application of that knowledge to help individuals and populations eat in ways that promote wellbeing and prevent or manage disease. Dietetics is the clinical and professional application of nutritional science: registered dietitians work with patients and clients to assess their dietary needs, develop individualised nutrition plans, and support behaviour change, in hospitals, community settings, and an increasingly wide range of other contexts.

At the University of Nottingham this four-year programme includes a foundation year, which provides an entry route for students who need to strengthen their scientific preparation before progressing into the main degree. The programme combines the science of nutrition, covering macronutrients and micronutrients, metabolism, physiology, biochemistry, and the epidemiology of diet-related disease, with the clinical and communication skills needed to practise as a dietitian. You will develop an understanding of how dietary assessment is conducted, how nutrition recommendations are developed and applied, and how dietary advice is delivered effectively to individuals with different needs and backgrounds.

Clinical placements are a core part of the programme, giving you direct experience in NHS and other healthcare settings.

Graduates who complete an accredited dietetics degree are eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council as a dietitian, which is required to practise professionally in the UK. Registered dietitians work in NHS hospitals and community services, in sports nutrition, in public health and health promotion, in food industry roles including product development and regulatory affairs, in research, in private practice, and in education and media. The profession is in sustained demand as diet-related conditions including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and eating disorders place increasing pressure on healthcare systems.

Postgraduate study in clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, or related fields is a route for those wishing to specialise or pursue research careers.