Nutrition

Nutrition is the science of how food and the nutrients it contains affect health, function, and disease across the lifespan. It draws on biochemistry, physiology, epidemiology, and behavioural science to understand how dietary patterns influence everything from the risk of chronic disease to athletic performance, cognitive development, and healthy ageing. As the University of Leeds notes, nutrition is a fast-moving discipline, and nutritionists play an important role in providing and implementing evidence-based nutritional guidelines and dietary recommendations across a wide range of settings.

Leeds' three-year full-time Nutrition degree carries a typical entry tariff of 152 points and includes a sandwich year, a year abroad option, and work placement opportunities. These structural features give you the chance to gain professional experience in a nutrition-related role and potentially an international academic or professional experience before you graduate. You will study the science of nutrients and metabolism, the evidence base for dietary recommendations, public health nutrition, the determinants of eating behaviour, and the application of nutritional science to different population groups and health contexts.

The programme develops both your scientific knowledge and your ability to communicate nutritional information clearly and accurately to different audiences.

Graduates who complete an accredited programme and meet the experience requirements can register as a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition, which is the professional qualification for nutritionists in the UK. Career paths include public health nutrition, food industry roles, sports and exercise nutrition, research, dietary advice, and policy work. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, or related sciences.

The scope of career options for Registered Nutritionists is genuinely wide, spanning healthcare, industry, government, and sport.