MSc Nutrition and Food Science
The MSc Nutrition and Food Science course focuses on the interface between human nutrition and food science, an area of increasing importance to consumers, government and the food industry. This type of course is possible because of the establishment, within the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition: a major centre for human nutrition research. To have an active nutrition research group working alongside food scientists and technologists is unique in the UK.
The Course
Our MSc Nutrition and Food Science course starts in October each year and runs for 12 months. The taught modules for the course are spread over two ten-week terms (October – December and January – March). Examinations are in April/May and students then undertake an individual research project on a specialist topic. The project report has to be submitted in September to complete the course. Students graduate officially the following December.
The programme consists of 180 credits split into modules as follows:
| Mod Code | Module Title | Credits | Term(s) |
| Compulsory modules (170-credits) | |||
| AS2B1 | Statistics and Epidemiology for Life Sciences | 10 | Aut |
| FBMFCA | Chemistry of Food Components A | 10 | Aut |
| FBMFCB | Chemistry of Food Components B | 10 | Spr |
| FBMFM1 | Introductory Food Microbiology | 10 | Aut |
| FBMFPR | Project | 60 | Sum |
| FBMFS1 | Sensory Properties of Foods | 10 | Spr |
| FBMN01 | Fundamentals of Human Nutrition | 10 | Aut |
| FBMN02 | Metabolism | 10 | Aut |
| FBMN03 | Research Methodology | 10 | Spr |
| FBMN04 | Public Health Science | 10 | Spr |
| FBMN05 | Genes, Lifestyle and Nutrition | 10 | Spr |
| FBMN06 | Nutrition in Health and Disease | 10 | Aut |
| Optional modules (10-credits) | |||
| FBMFM3 | Microbial Quality Assurance | 10 | Spr |
| FBMN07 | Food Choice and Regulation | 10 | Spr |
(Please note that the programme may be subject to minor change from the above list)
Further details of each of the above modules can be found on the main University module description pages. See: http://www.reading.ac.uk/module/
Career Prospects
This MSc course is for those wishing to develop a career in food-related research or the food industry. It is designed to meet the increasing demand for nutrition scientists experienced in human nutritional trials and in the evaluation of physiological, biochemical and molecular basis for effects of diet on human health.
For more details, please see our MSc Nutrition and Food Science course leaflet.