The BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course at the UCO is the only course of its kind to integrate evidence-based nutrition science with extensive training and practical experience in a clinical setting.

As a nutritionist you will play a vital role in promoting good health, preventing disease and helping individuals achieve their own health goals.

Gain:

  • A detailed understanding of evidence-based nutrition science.
  • Professional practice training integrated throughout the course.
  • Valuable real-world experience in our busy teaching clinic.
  • Advanced client-care and coaching skills to help clients change behaviours and reach health goals.
  • Communication skills and media training.
  • A qualification with flexible career options for the future.
     


This course has been awarded Association for Nutrition (AfN) Programme Accreditation (Accreditation No. AC326). See below for further details

Request an information pack

Learn more about this course, including modules, career opportunities and earning potential in our course information pack. Request a copy. 

Course overview

Unlike most other nutrition degrees which cover professional practice in a self-contained module or placement year, at the UCO this is embedded throughout your degree, drawing on our considerable experience of providing integrated professional training in clinical practice. From year one of the BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course, you will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge through clinical skills-based practical sessions, and to work within our established teaching clinic, which delivers around 35,000 appointments in a typical year and serves a diverse population.

This approach will give you the psychological tools and interpersonal skills to apply your nutrition knowledge to a variety of real world settings, from working with individual clients to help them reach their goals, to providing small and medium sized food businesses with advice on improving the nutrient profile of their products and menus.

You will gain an understanding of professional practice frameworks, advanced client-care skills and methods to enhance behaviour change, as well as science communication skills, coaching and media training to effectively develop, promote and disseminate healthy dietary advice in public health settings.

While the course may be of particular interest if you are interested in working directly with clients, it is also suitable for those interested in working in research, the food industry, Government, non-government organisations, public health and education, where nutritional knowledge is often applied at a product, institution or population level. It also provides the foundation of evidence-based nutrition science for students intending to progress to postgraduate qualifications such as MSc Dietetics or MSc Sports and Exercise Nutrition.

Successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course will enable graduates to apply for Registered Associate Nutritionist status on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) held by the Association for Nutrition. See Careers & Employability for more information.
 

Key course features

  • Study nutrition science in depth, including the foundation of nutritional biochemistry; fundamental food science and applied nutrition to investigate the nutrient content of foods, how nutrients are affected throughout the food chain and how nutrients affect human physiology to influence health and disease; public health nutrition and recent advances in nutrition research.
  • Benefit from integrated professional practice throughout the course to develop skills to convert your scientific knowledge and understanding into approaches to modify health outcomes.
  • Gain extensive professional practice experience, starting in the first year of your studies, via the UCO’s clinics where you will gain experience of providing nutritional advice and guidance to a broad range of service users.
  • Extensively and critically evaluate the benefits, shortcomings and practical implications of evidence-based nutritional approaches to support individuals in meeting their health goals.
  • Learn science communication and media skills to engage the public with science and effectively develop, promote and disseminate healthy dietary advice in public health settings.
  • Develop an inquisitive and explorative approach to learning, understanding and applying the theories and methods taught to become a highly adaptive nutrition professional.
  • Learn from a passionate and dedicated faculty consisting of expert Registered Nutritionists, nutrition scientists and health professionals who bring together a diverse and extensive range of specialisms and experiences.
  • BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice follows the academic framework set out by the Association for Nutrition. The course is rooted in a science-based tradition with a rigorous approach to evidence, the sharing of best practice and lifelong learning.

Entry requirements

  • Five GCSEs at grades 9-4 (A*-C in the previous grading system), including Mathematics and English Language.
  • Three A Levels (or equivalent qualifications - see the Course Information Form for more details, available to download from this page following course approval process) which should include a suitable science subject. A typical offer is three A Levels at grades BBC, normally with a B in the science subject.
  • Students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate fluency in written and spoken English equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5 or above, with no individual component below 6.0.

Additional entry requirements

All students will be required to complete:

  • a health questionnaire at the point of registration to identify potential student support and reasonable adjustment needs.
  • an enhanced DBS registration check at the point of registration, in line with the UCO’s Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Policy & Procedure

All students must agree to comply with our Student Terms & Conditions and other Policies and Procedures.

Students who wish to apply to join the Association for Nutritions' UK Voluntary Register for Nutritionists upon graduation should be aware of the professional obligations required by the AfN. See the Professional Body Accreditation section for more details.

Equal opportunities

The UCO is committed to a policy of inclusion, actively seeking to widen participation and to increase opportunities for high-calibre students with the aptitude and potential to undertake a degree in nutrition. Students from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds, UCO leavers,  mature ‘second career’ applicants and students with a range of seen and unseen disabilities are all warmly welcomed. Every application to the UCO is considered on its own merits.

Careers & employability

  • The demand for high-quality nutrition professionals with a strong scientific understanding and who have the appropriate skills to work within and alongside traditional healthcare professionals is growing exponentially.
  • The unique structure and content of the UCO course ensures graduates will be particularly well adapted to work within multidisciplinary healthcare teams, supporting a diverse cohort of clients with complex needs.
  • Graduates will also be well equipped to work as self-employed nutrition professionals; within the food industry developing nutritional products; as employees of the NHS; as researchers; as advisors to Government and public health organisations.
  • Graduates may also choose to progress on to further study at postgraduate level (for example, MSc Dietetics or MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition), pursue areas of specialism, or move into teaching at higher education level.
  • Successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course will enable graduates to apply via Direct Entry for Registered Associate Nutritionist status on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) held by the Association for Nutrition. This would entitle you to use the letters ANutr after your name. The UKVRN is the only register of qualified nutritionists recognised by Public Health England, NHS Choices and NHS Careers.
  • Registered Associate Nutritionists can progress to full Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) status after an appropriate period of professional experience in nutrition. Whilst working with individual clients, Registered Associate Nutritionists must have support/mentoring from an appropriately qualified nutrition professional such as a Registered Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian. Graduates from the BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course will automatically have access to a supervision and mentoring support network.

    Read more about careers in nutrition...

Course structure & delivery

The BSc (Hons) Nutrition with Professional Practice course is a three-year course where you will study units totalling 360 credits. Lectures, seminars and group tutorials are used to deliver most of the academic content of the units on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. Lecturers, researchers and practitioners are used deliver high-quality, research-based teaching. A detailed overview of the course structure, including the level and credit weighting of each unit as you progress through the course, can be found in the Course Information Form available to download from this page.

Unit information

More information can be found in the Course Information Form available to download from this page.

Assessment & feedback

The assessment strategy aims to ensure the course is robust, reliable, valid and fair, and has been designed to ensure that the learning outcomes of the course are comprehensively achieved and that students become safe and competent nutrition professionals. The ability to combine theoretical and practical skills is essential and so the assessment tools chosen reflect the type of knowledge or skills nutrition professionals require, helping students to build confidence in applying their learning effectively. The assessment programme reflects this with a mixture of academic and practical assessment tools and examinations.

The course is assessed through both summative and formative assessments including:

  • essays
  • presentations
  • report writing
  • online assessments
  • case study interpretation
  • academic examinations
  • practical assessments

More information can be found in the Course Information Form available to download from this page.

Mode of study

Full-time

Dates & duration

September start, three years.

Location

The course will mainly be delivered across our teaching and clinic sites:

University College of Osteopathy, 275 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JE
UCO Clinic, 98-118 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 0BQ

Teaching may on occasion be delivered at other sites as required.


Potential relocation plans for the UCO
As part of the UCO’s long term plan to enhance our learning environment we are currently considering a number of options, including a potential relocation. Applicants and students will be kept informed of any developments.       

Award & awarding body

Bachelor of Science (BSc), University College of Osteopathy

Professional body accreditation

This course has been awarded AfN Programme Accreditation (Accreditation no: AC326). This accreditation was awarded on 16 December 2021 and is due for renewal on 15 December 2026.

The Association for Nutrition (AfN) protects and benefits the public by defining and advancing standards of evidence-based practice across the field of nutrition and at all levels within the workforce. AfN Programme Accreditation is a quality mark awarded to degree programmes which meet the high standards required by the AfN. Graduates of an AfN Accredited Programmes are eligible to apply via Direct Entry for UKVRN registration as a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr).
 

Students who wish to apply for Direct Entry to the Associations for Nutritions UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) upon completion of the course should:

  • do so within three years of graduation using the Direct Entry Application Form (applications beyond this date are via a portfolio of evidence).
  • be aware and comply with professional obligations as set out in the AfN's Standards of Ethics, Conduct and Performance, so as to ensure that they are committed to public protection, lifelong learning and CPD.
     

AfN Accredited Programme logo
 

Facilities & resources

Students have access to a variety of resources at the UCO to support learning. These include a recently refurbished library, an ergonomic IT suite, spaces for group and independent study, practice rooms, a student union and common room, and the UCO Clinic. Students also have access to our virtual learning environment (VLE) and Anatomy TV.

Read more about our facilities and resources.

Support for students

The UCO has a dedicated Student Support team who are on hand to provide advice and guidance on a range of issues, including learning and welfare, budgeting and finance, disability and dyslexia, pastoral care, bereavement and personal issues, as well as counselling. Find out more.

Costs & financial support

The course fee for Home/UK students for the 2022-23 academic year (2022 entry) on this course is £9,250; for international students (including students from the EU) and those who are eligible to be charged ‘Overseas’ fees it is £11,450. More details on course fees, discounts and payment plans for this course, as well as a copy of our Course Fee Policy, can be found on our course fees page. 

Students should be aware that there may be some additional costs to consider when budgeting for the course. 

There may be financial support available to you depending on your circumstances. Details can be found on our Financial Support page.

How to apply

Applications for September 2023 entry are now closed.

Disclaimer

Please note that while the University College of Osteopathy makes every effort to run courses as advertised, courses that are in development are subject to approval, and courses that are approved are subject to change or cancellation if enrolment targets are not met.

Courses are typically approved for a period of five years from the point of approval to the point of periodic course review. During this period, it may be identified that modifications to a course would enhance the provision. As part of this process current students shall be consulted on any proposed change and current and prospective students shall be notified of any change.