(Award available for year: Bachelor of Science)
On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
Subject specific knowledge:
-demonstrate coherent and detailed understanding of subject knowledge and professional competencies some of which will be informed by recent research/scholarship in the discipline, including knowledge of:
>the biochemical basis underlying the link between diet and disease;
>the scientific principles underlying personalised nutrition and nutrient-gene interactions;
>the role of specific diets and nutrients in the treatment of disease with an appreciation of nutrient bioavailability and food-drug interactions.
-demonstrate a critical understanding of the policy development process that affects the nutrition discipline and demonstrate a conceptual understanding which enables the development and sustaining of an argument within the context of policy development and implementation;
-demonstrate understanding of the application of Good Manufacturing practice, ISO standards, HACCP and the techniques to evaluate quality in food innovations.
Subject Specific and Intellectual Skills
-demonstrate ability in critical evaluation of current issues, research and advanced scholarship relevant to nutrition using concepts from scholarly reviews and primary sources relevant to nutrition;
-demonstrate an understanding of the provisional nature of information and allow for competing and alternative explanations within the nutrition discipline;
-apply their knowledge and understanding to solving standard and novel problems by collecting, analysing, and evaluating appropriate information, and use it creatively to suggest innovations or make decisions;
-demonstrate ability in the use and evaluation of analytical techniques standard to the nutrition discipline;
-demonstrate ability in the use of industry standard project management tools;
-demonstrate ability to communicate complex scientific ideas and concepts effectively, using a range of media, and aimed at a variety of audiences;
-take a proactive and reflective role in learning and to develop professional relationships with others through team working exercises;
-demonstrate ability in the use and evaluation of statistical methods relevant to nutritional research;
-exhibit ownership of some aspects of the defining elements of the discipline as a result of an in-depth study of the literature and the undertaking of a research project;
-apply their knowledge and understanding in order to initiate, plan and carry out an extended piece of work or project, using principles based on the scientific method of hypothesis-driven research, and taking into consideration the safety and ethical issues pertinent to the work undertaken;
-conform to professional boundaries as set by the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists.
Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- qualities and transferable skills necessary for good academic practice and employment in the food and nutrition industry and in food and nutrition research.
Transferable skills developed in years 1 and 2 will be further developed to include:
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility which will be best demonstrated through the undertaking of an extended piece of an independent research project;
- team working to include the deployment of decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations which will be best demonstrated through a multidisciplinary team project in new food product development and a specialist team project in health promotion;
- the communication of information, ideas, problems and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences which will be best demonstrated through the writing of the project report and the presentation of a health promotion campaign aimed at a lay audience;
- ICT skills to include tools used in industry (statistics, project planning)
- the ability to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature (Life-long learning);
- self-management will be further encouraged through more complex project work that involve a variety of tasks with self-imposed milestones; independent learning will be at the core of most modules;
- qualities in analytical and critical thinking will be further developed including synthesis of opinions and the questioning of the boundaries of knowledge within the discipline;
- social and cultural sensitivity will be further developed though tasks involving real-life problems and situations;
Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- demonstrating the ability top apply a broad range of aspects of the Nutrition discipline;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of an ability to conduct independent, in depth enquiry within the discipline;
- work that is typically both evaluative and creative.
Competence Standards
1. Demonstrate understanding of the UKVRN’s (UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionist) Standards of Ethics, Conduct and Performance, including principles of equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDEI), and personal professional development within the legal boundaries of your own scope of practice.
2. Effectively apply appropriate communication skills throughout all areas of your own professional practice.
3. Demonstrate understanding of the mechanisms underlying energy and nutrient metabolism in human beings, including the nature of common health conditions requiring dietary manipulation.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the principles and methods of assessing nutritional status and their application to identifying those at risk of nutrient deficiency or excess.
5. Apply understanding of study design methodology, research methods and statistical analysis to critically analyse the scientific literature and to plan, conduct and report on nutrition research using appropriate support as necessary.
6. Apply knowledge of dietary sources of nutrients and food analysis methods to determine and[or] manipulate the nutrient content of foods and diets of individuals or groups.
7. Apply understanding of the impacts of food processing on nutrient composition and regulations on nutrition and health claims to inform food labelling, and marketing.
8. Evaluate the links between nutrition and sustainability, and implications for national and global food systems and supply chains.
9. Demonstrate understanding of the wider determinants of health, nutrition education and behaviour change theories. For example, by designing a diet or a health promotion initiative that meets the specific needs of an individual, or group.
10. Explain the importance of large nutrition-related data sets and big data in revealing dietary patterns, food consumption trends, and associations between these and other factors, which affect health.
If the chosen pathway includes an industrial placement –
11. Demonstrate ability to direct, monitor and evaluate their work, by seeking/accepting feedback, within a workplace context, using appropriate support as necessary.
12. Demonstrate an awareness of own strengths and development needs and the need for ongoing learning and proactive continuing professional development.
If the chosen pathway includes an international placement -
13. Collaborate effectively with other people in a new environment and successfully completes a period of work or study in another country.
14. Demonstrate self-awareness relating to personal and academic/professional development through successfully completing a period of work or study in another country.
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team