Nutrition is a dynamic discipline that is central to understanding the role of foods, nutrients and consumption behaviour in maintaining human health and preventing disease.

Nutritionists play a significant role in providing dietary recommendations at the individual level, as well as contributing to evidence-based guidelines and policy formulation and implementation at community and population level. As such, nutritionists are in demand – meaning there'll be an exciting range of career or research opportunities open to you when you graduate.

Our Nutrition MSc degree will give you an in-depth understanding of the scientific and contextual considerations that inform the ethical practice of the nutrition profession, as set by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) — the UK professional voluntary register of nutritionists.

You’ll cover the essential areas of nutritional sciences — from the scientific principles underpinning the relationships between diet, the food environment and food choice and the associated impacts on human health and wellbeing, to the application of this knowledge in policy and practice. You'll learn about both existing and emerging areas which inform current policy and practice, such as obesity, personalised nutrition and healthy and sustainable diets.

Throughout the course, you’ll build up the key technical knowledge, practical skills and professional competencies needed to pursue a career in nutrition. And, as the course is accredited by the AfN, you’ll have to platform to become a Registered Associate Nutritionist when you graduate – a status required by many organisations in industry.

Career opportunities

The food industry is one of the largest in the world — with a vast amount of career opportunities available to qualified nutritionists.

On graduating from our Nutrition MSc, you’ll have the knowledge and skills relevant to register as a qualified nutritionist, providing personalised advice on healthy eating in food companies and other nutrition/health-related industries. You’ll also have the groundings to follow careers in food manufacturing, nutrition training, health promotion, marketing, scientific research and product development to name a few. This programme also provides a good foundation for students who would like to pursue further studies at the PhD level at Leeds, or elsewhere.