Food Science
Coventry University
UCAS Code: DB64 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Coventry University
UCAS Code: DB64 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
to include one from Biology or Chemistry. Excludes General Studies.
The Access to HE Diploma to include 30 Level 3 credits above Merit of which 15 must be at Distinction in Biology or Chemistry units. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English, Mathematics and two Sciences.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
to include 5 points in Biology or Chemistry at Higher level.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a Biological or Chemical Science based subject. Excludes Health and Social Care.
Scottish Higher
to include one from Biology, Chemistry or Health and Food Technology at Advanced Higher.
UCAS Tariff
[1] 4 qualifications for tariff points allowed (excluding General studies) [2] Must include 32 points or above in a Biological or Chemical Science based subject [3] May also include AS level and EPQ
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Focused on food production, new product design, food analysis and food safety, this course provides an opportunity to prepare for a career as a food scientist in the largest manufacturing industry in the UK.**
Food affects every person every day and, as such, there is a large regulatory framework overseeing the food industry.
Graduates are needed across the food chain from raw material inspection, production and processing through to final product evaluation.
- A focus on practice-led teaching means you will have opportunity to develop the analytical and practical skills required by employers – working with accuracy and precision to obtain data and results relevant to the skills being taught.
- The course provides an opportunity to develop an understanding of the complex commercial nature of the industry, as well as the interactions between food composition, metabolism, diet, health, and consumer science.
- Research-informed teaching brings real life examples and case studies into lecture discussions and tutorials.
**Key Benefits**
* Ranked No.7 for Food Science in The Complete University Guide 2023.
* Gain hands-on experience of a wide range of industry techniques in our state-of-the-art laboratories based in the multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building.
* Specialist industry-standard facilities include analytical equipment such as GC, GC-MS, ICP and HPLC, in addition to access to food science facilities for rheological and texture profile analysis of food and drink as well as tasting sessions*.
* Our current experienced teaching team bring a range of professional and research expertise into their teaching. Having worked as food scientists, public and environmental health professionals and nutritionists for both governmental and local councils as well as working in the food industry, they ensure you receive up-to-date information and can help you begin to establish your professional networks (staff may be subject to change).
*For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website.
Modules
This course has a common first year
The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.
If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).
Common first year courses
Food Safety, Inspection and Control BSc (Hons)
Food Science BSc (Hons)
Nutrition and Health BSc (Hons)
Year One
In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.
Modules
Physiology and Biochemistry for Nutrition - 20 credits
Introduction to Public Health - 20 credits
Chemistry of Foods - 20 credits
Introduction to Food Law and Policy - 20 credits
Practical and Academic Skills for Food and Nutrition Sciences - 20 credits
Introduction to Food Preparation and Production - 20 credits
Year Two
In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with nutrition across the lifespan, food microbiology, food preparation, food processing technology, food properties and material sciences, amongst others.
Modules
Research and Employability Skills for Food, Nutrition and Health - 20 credits
Nutrition through the Lifespan - 20 credits
Food Microbiology - 20 credits
Principles of Food Preparation - 20 credits
Food Processing Technology - 20 credits
Food Properties and Material Sciences - 20 credits
Placement Year
There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.
If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,250. For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.
Final Year
Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from years one and two. You could also work on an independent project in an area of your interest.
Modules
Product Design - 20 credits
Research Design for Food, Safety and Nutrition Sciences - 20 credits
Independent Project in Food, Safety and Nutrition Sciences - 20 credits
Integrated Topics in Nutrition, Food and Public Health - 20 credits
Food Quality, Safety and Assurance - 20 credits
Food Biotechnology - 20 credits
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website.
Assessment methods
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods include:
Tests
Essays
Group work
Presentations
Reports
Projects
Coursework
Individual Assignments
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Coventry University
School of Life Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Nutrition and dietetics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Nutrition and dietetics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is the subject you need to study if you want to become a dietician — an important job in the country’s healthcare sector, and the single most common job for nutrition graduates. We don’t have many graduates in nutrition every year and with the population becoming more aware of health and well-being and with many medical needs being addressed by the application of specific diets, this is likely to be an area of increasing demand in the future.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Nutrition and dietetics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£25k
£30k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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