Human Nutrition MSc - 2026/7
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Level 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Human Nutrition
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Human Nutrition |
| PGCert | Human Nutrition |
Professional recognition
Association for Nutrition (AfN)
Accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) for the purpose of eligibility for Direct Entry Registration at Associate Level with the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN).
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PCA61003 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Biosciences
Other internal and / or external reference points
This is an AfN accredited programme, and as such is designed around equipping students with the following 5 core competencies as laid out by AfN as the professional Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB). Specifically: 1- Professional Conduct and Practice (CC1) Overarching competency underpinning all others Ethics, professionalism, scope of practice Communication, collaboration, EDI, CPD 2 - Science and Research Skills (CC2) Understanding and applying nutrition science Critical appraisal of evidence Research methods, data interpretation 3 - Food/Feed Chain and Sustainability (CC3) From production to consumption Food systems, safety, policy, sustainability 4 - Social/Behavioural and Policy Context (CC4) Determinants of dietary behaviour Cultural, social, economic influences Public health nutrition and policy context 5 - Health and Wellbeing (CC5) Role of nutrition in health and disease Lifecourse nutrition Application to individuals and populations
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences - School of Biosciences
Programme Leader
COLLINS Adam (Biosciences)
Date of production/revision of spec
08/05/2026
Educational aims of the programme
- MSc - Provide a fundamental understanding of nutritional science, which takes a critical and scholarly approach to relevant theory, practice, literature and latest research findings on the importance of nutrition in diet-health-disease relationships;
- MSc - Provide new knowledge and understanding of the role of nutrition in both individual and community health;
- MSc - Discuss the role of diet in the development of disease;
- MSc - Evaluate the potential, efficacy and scope of nutritional methods in health and disease;
- MSc - Examine current knowledge of the specific roles of individual macro- and micronutrient deficiencies and imbalances on short- and long-term disease risk;
- MSc - Explore the concept of optimal nutrition in various special situations;
- MSc - Develop an understanding of research methodology in the area of Human Nutrition.
- MSc - Design, undertake, communicate and defend an original research project in nutrition.
- MSc - Meet the required standards of competency for registered nutritionists as outlined by the Association for Nutrition
- PG Dip - Understand the principles of basic and applied nutritional science and have detailed knowledge of selected areas relevant to Human Nutrition;
- PG Dip - Take a critical and scholarly approach to theory, practice, literature and research findings within the subject;
- PG Cert - Be able to appraise more critically the theory, practice, literature and research findings within certain areas of nutrition
- PG Cert - Make more effective use of nutritional methods
- PG Cert - Have detailed knowledge of selected areas of Human Nutrition research;
- PG Cert - Understand something of the principles of basic and applied nutritional science;
- PG Dip - Deal more competently with queries from individuals on issues of nutrition and health
- PG Dip - Know how to go about evaluating the nutritional status of individuals and make more effective use of nutritional methods for improving health from a secure knowledge base;
- PG Dip - Understand current consensus views on the dietary requirements of the various population groups for individual nutrients in health and disease;
- PG Dip - Understand the nutritional adequacies of various dietary practices in terms of meeting nutritional requirements, maintaining health and preventing and treating disease;
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Understand the main principles of current human nutritional science, and the current challenges of this discipline | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Understand, apply and critically appraise methods and approaches used for the purposes of nutritional assessment | KP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Develop an in depth knowledge of Human metabolism in health and in the pathogenesis of disease, exploring the ambiguity and contradictory nature of current theories and evidence | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Understand the main principles of public health in relation to diet and nutrition, both nationally and internationally to be able to plan and critically evaluate health promotion activities related to nutrition | KP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| To establish the underpinnings of nutrition as applied to exercise and sport, and the application of nutrition principles to exercise for health and/or sports performance. | KP | PGDip, MSc | |
| To explore and contextualise the influence of nutrition at the molecular/genetic level; | KC | PGDip, MSc | |
| To apply knowledge and evidence to establish the therapeutic use of nutrition in the management of health and disease | KP | PGDip, MSc | |
| Find and critically evaluate scientific literature and other appropriate sources of material, including AI-generated information. To make judgements as to the consensus of evidence around a topic . | KCT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Critically evaluate research design and the methods commonly used in nutrition research, demonstrate competence in commonly used nutrition research methodology to design plan and execute human nutrition research. Appreciate the use of AI as a research and wider tool in nutrition science. | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Use acquired knowledge and appropriate skills and resources to make professional judgements within the code of ethics and scope of practice of modern nutritionists. | CPT | PGDip, MSc | |
| Design relevant experiments to test formulated hypotheses. Gather, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data. Gather, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data | CP | PGDip, MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7*. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
*some programmes may contain up to 30 credits at FHEQ level 6.
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must pass a minimum of 15 credits from Semester 1 and achieve an overall pass mark (50%) across all Semester 1 modules to progress to the Original Research Project (MHUM009)
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | Y | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
This programme aligns with the University of Surrey's Five Pillars of Curriculum Design.
Digital Capabilities: Students develop strong digital skills through the use of SurreyLearn, online databases, and specialist tools such as dietary analysis and statistical software. They learn to collect, analyse, and present nutritional data, and to collaborate via platforms such as Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, and cloud-based file-sharing. Students also enhance digital fluency by engaging with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools relevant to nutritional science and the wider biosciences, gaining experience applying AI approaches while critically evaluating ethical considerations, limitations, and data reliability. In addition to the appropriate use of digital media
Employability: This AfN-accredited programme equips students with the core competencies required of registered nutritionists. Graduates are eligible for automatic entry to the UK Voluntary Register as Associate Registered Nutritionists (ANutr). Teaching by academic staff and external practitioners exposes students to diverse career pathways. Assessments develop professional skills, particularly critical appraisal of evidence and its application to individuals, groups, and populations in research, product development, and health interventions.
Global & Cultural Capabilities: Delivered through interactive and collaborative learning within a diverse cohort, the programme encourages engagement with multiple perspectives. Nutritional science is explored using cross-cultural evidence, addressing ethnic differences, health inequalities, and global causes of poor nutrition. Guest speakers and dedicated teaching on equality and diversity enhance cultural competence.
Resourcefulness & Resilience: Students develop self-efficacy, independent learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through flipped learning, structured timetabling, and progressive assessments. Collaborative learning and exposure to both participant and practitioner perspectives emphasise leadership and professional adaptability.
Sustainability: Sustainability is embedded throughout, linking nutrition to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students examine sustainable food systems, food security, and environmental impacts, including the National Food Strategy, EAT-Lancet recommendations, and UK and global challenges
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.