Nutrition and Dietetics MNutr

This 10 credit module will develop your knowledge of the nutrient composition of food.

You'll study:

• the principles of healthy lifestyle guidance
• develop the skills to apply this knowledge to different population groups
• essential skills for dietetic practice

Nutrients are vital to human and animal health, but how do they work? In this module, you’ll be given a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts in the field of nutrition. Depending on your interests, you can study human or animal nutrition, or both. Understand how the food we eat influences our health. Explore how the food eaten by animals impacts on food production and the global food system.

You’ll study:

• micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals
• macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• metabolism, and how nutrients give us energy
• the influence of nutrition in diseases such as cancer and diabetes

How can you use science to help improve global food security? This module introduces you to the issues of global food security and the complexity existing in different parts of our food generation system. Looking across the food supply chain, you’ll cover the evolution of crops, crop and animal production, and the food industry. Importantly, you’ll also look at sustainable nutrition because food security isn’t just about supply – it’s important that people are getting the right kind of food. You’ll learn about these issues through a mix of lectures and practical laboratory sessions. You’ll also develop professional skills to work safely in laboratory situations.

Have you ever wondered how some crops can resist diseases? This module provides you with the fundamentals for understanding biochemical processes in living organisms. You’ll be introduced to the basic structure, properties and functions of the four key biological macromolecules: nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. You’ll also look at the metabolic pathways occurring in cells, such as respiration, photosynthesis and the biosynthetic pathways for the key macromolecules. In addition to lectures, you’ll have practical laboratory sessions to learn how to use key biochemical techniques for the separation and analysis of macromolecules and measurement of the metabolic process.

Cells are the basic functional units of life, but how do they grow and develop? In this module, you’ll follow the lifecycle of cells. You'll focus on mitosis, meiosis, cell division and differentiation. We’ll put cells not just under the microscope, but use advanced laboratory technologies to explore the ultrastructure of cells. These are the parts of cells too small to be seen through ordinary laboratory equipment. You’ll then put this science to the test, to apply cellular biology to applied genetics.

You’ll study:

• structures and ultrastructures of animal and plant cells
• microscopic features of bacteria and viruses
• gene replication, expression and inheritance
• laboratory methods used to discover how cells work

What major physiology systems are essential for life in animals and humans? In this module you will learn about:

• the body's principle physiological systems including the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, renal and digestive systems
• the structure and function of the major organs including the function of individual cell types

Through weekly lectures, we will cover topics on genes, proteins and membranes, transport of molecules across membranes, nerve signalling and biorhythms. 

You’ll investigate food composition, nutritional requirements and recommended dietary intakes before looking at methods of measuring food intake. Basic psychology and sociology concepts will be introduced to help investigate social, economic and cultural factors that influence food choices. You'll then examine concepts of health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Theories of health education and promotion and how these relate to influencing health behaviour will be covered. You’ll have weekly lectures (4 hours each) and workshops (4 hours each).

This module is designed to help you make the transition into university and guide you through the academic expectations of your Dietetics degree. The module is spread throughout the year and includes three generic sessions on ‘study skills and plagiarism’, ‘study opportunities’ and ‘career and personal development’, and a series of small group tutorials with an academic tutor to develop generic skills such as finding crucial information (library skills), oral presentation, data handling and presentation of results, preparation for examinations, and essay writing skills. 

The food we eat determines the functioning of our bodies. But how does metabolism influence whether this leads to health or disease?  You will explore the nutritional biochemistry of metabolism. Looking at healthy outcomes, and factors associated with chronic diseases. These include obesity and diabetes. You will investigate the fed, fasted and starved states. You’ll understand how the body uses macronutrients in different physiological and pathological situations.

You’ll study:

• metabolism, nutrition and exercise in sporting performance
• disorders of metabolism and the therapies used to treat them
• cardiovascular disease risk factors
• obesity and diabetes, from a metabolic perspective

This module, delivered by the School of Medicine, will introduce you to the principles of disease aetiology and diagnosis and to consider the pathophysiological consequences of common diseases likely to be seen in clinical practice by qualified dietitians. You’ll also be introduced to history taking, clinical chemistry based assessments, nasogastric intubation and venepuncture, and will also practice the basic aspects of life support, and measurement of BP.

This module provides insight into formal and informal methods for both written and verbal communication. Educational and learning theories will be taught, and you’ll be introduced to basic counselling skills and provided with the opportunity to practice such skills within a dietetics setting. 

Hormones carry signals between different parts of the body. But how do nutrients determine the interaction between hormones and health? In this module, you’ll carry out an in-depth study of the mammalian endocrine system. You'll look at this from cellular, molecular and anatomical perspectives. You'll explore the role that hormones play in controlling homeostasis and metabolism. We use the latest published nutritional research. You'll look at appetite regulation and how endocrine systems determine what, how and when we eat.

You’ll study:

• nutritional energetics and energy expenditure
• appetite regulation by the endocrine system
• homeostasis in relation to the diet

This module aims to add to the knowledge you have already gained in year one, whilst developing the skills that are fundamental to dietetic practice. The module considers the dietetic care process and how this defines the actions, critical thinking and specialist skills that form the components of a dietetic intervention. Students will become more familiar with the variety of techniques that can be used to assess dietary intake and to measure anthropometry, and will consider the lifestyle and social factors that may pose barriers to healthy eating. Using case study based teaching, students will be able to apply their knowledge of dietetic assessment and adapt their recommendations to meet the needs of individuals. Other aspects such as genetics in healthcare and user and carer involvement will be discussed. You will study via weekly lectures and some seminars and workshops.

Good nutrition is needed to maintain health at any age. So how do nutritional requirements change as we get older? In this module, you’ll explore nutrition throughout the life course. You'll identify the nutritional needs of different age groups. Starting with pre-conception, to pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and into old age. You'll understand the role of optimal nutrition in preventing disease and promote healthy diets.

You’ll study:

• developmental origins of health and disease
• risk factors for nutritional disease at different stages of life
• epidemiological methods used to identify public health challenges
• nutrition in human physiological development across the life course

This module is delivered at the School of Medicine by a pharmacist. You’ll be given an overview of clinical pharmacology, with particular emphasis on route of delivery of drug and principal aspects of pharmacokenetics, including factors influencing drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. The use of drugs in the treatment of diseases for which there is a dietetic input to the management, and the possibility of drug-nutrient interactions in these, and other, patients will be covered. Activities consist of lectures, private study work on clinical case studies and a review and feedback session. 

Healthy diets are vital for healthy lives. But how do nutritionists change health behaviours to achieve optimal nutrition? In this module, you'll study the psychological origins of dietary behaviour. You will learn the behaviour change techniques nutritionists use to modify food choice. You'll look at how to promote healthy diets using community, legislative, persuasive and empowerment tools. You'll work as an intervention team to achieve improved dietary health. Working together, you'll design an evidence-based behaviour change programme.

You’ll study:

• psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic explanations of food choice
• social influences on consumer behaviour and the social determinants of health
• behaviour change techniques used in professional practice
• health promotion tools used to achieve dietary health across populations

This module aims to link the underpinning science of nutrition developed over the first two years of the programme to the applied practice of dietetics. This will consider both the professional aspects of dietetics alongside the theory of the nutritional management of disease in individuals and populations. This will prepare you to start your 12-week practice placement.

This module covers the theoretical and practical aspects of commonly used research methods. It includes hands-on experience of statistical packages and laboratory skills, provides information on systematic reviews, practical and audit based projects, and an understanding of the ethical nature of research. This is preparatory study for your dietetics research project. You’ll have weekly lectures, laboratory and workshop sessions.

In this module you will carry out original research at the forefront of human nutrition and dietetics. You are supported by a member of our academic team.

The research project encourages critical thinking and involves both independent research and teamwork. You'll work on a literature survey, and data handling, analysis and interpretation. 

We have close links with the University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and local dietetic departments. This means that your research project can directly relate to nutrition and human health.  Alternatively, you can do a laboratory-based project using the specialist facilities within the school. 

Recent research projects include:

• compliance to dietary advice in diabetes mellitus Type 2
• processed food intake in pre-school children
• the relationship between breastfeeding and allergy: a systematic review of the literature 

Students producing the highest quality projects are encouraged to submit abstracts to the British Dietetic Association annual conference and present their work at the conference.

This module considers dietary management in specialist areas of advanced dietetic clinical practice and public health nutrition using individual student learning experiences and small group work. You will also cover the aspects of management, leadership and professionalism you will require in order to be suitably prepared prior to registration as a dietitian.

Under the supervision of experienced registered dietitians, you’ll gain active experience in areas of health care that support subsequent application for dietetic registration. At the end of the 12-week placement you will have had the opportunity to work with clients and patients in the same way as a newly qualified dietitian.