Course summary

Foundation courses A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if: You don’t have the grades for a full degree course You have non-traditional qualifications or experience You’re starting university after some time away from education You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study. Life as a foundation year student During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course. As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support. Why choose this course -Study a research-led curriculum on a course ranked 2nd in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2023 and 2nd in the UK by The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 -Access our £12.5 million Innovation for Health Learning Laboratory to acquire practical experience that is essential for a research career and valued by a wide range of employers -Gain industry experience through our Professional Training placements, where you can work for a range of employers, including the Government, NHS trusts and nutrition companies -Learn from lecturers who’ve been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2017 for Further and Higher Education, in recognition of their research excellence in the field of food and nutrition -Get the academic requirements needed to register with the Association for Nutrition to work as an associate nutritionist once you’ve graduated. What you will study On this course, you’ll learn about food and the nutrients it contains, how the body uses them and how they relate to health and disease. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of how the body assimilates and uses nutrients, and you’ll fully appreciate how human nutrition impacts health and the development of disease. In your first year, you’ll study topics, including biochemistry, cell biology, food science, human nutrition and health, and physiology, ensuring you have a solid foundation upon which to build the rest of your degree. In your second year, you’ll get the option to undertake food analysis and quality control, to improve the nutritional profile, eating quality and safety of food products, or investigate the fundamental aspects of new product design and development, studying the functionality of the main ingredient components of food and their impact on nutritional aspects. In your third year, you’ll have the choice to specialise further in an area of personal interest, exploring topics like the analysis of foods and processing methods that meet UK and EU food legislation and guidelines, the biochemical transformations which occur during the processing, storage and preparation of foods, and the role heat processes have on the destruction of microorganisms. You’ll also complete a research project, bringing together all the practical, analytical, and presentation skills you’ve developed.