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Food and Nutrition

University College Birmingham

UCAS Code: BD65 | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc

Entry requirements


A level

C,D-D,D

UCB will accept A Level in General Studies for this course and will also take into consideration applicants who are studying an extended project.

You will need a minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PPP

This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.

You will need a minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points

T Level

P

A T-level graded Pass with a core component profile less than C.

UCAS Tariff

32-56

Level 3 qualifications are accepted at UCB for entrance, a minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points will be required. If you are unsure if your qualification is accepted call us on 0121 604 1040 or email [email protected].

About this course


Course option

2years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Food science

**OVERVIEW**
**Nutrition is a major talking point today, with governments working hard to emphasise the importance of nutrition and health, while diet, food-related research and new products are reported in the media on an almost daily basis. By studying our Food and Nutrition foundation degree, you will gain the scientific knowledge and specialist background in nutrition to understand how to flourish in this fast-growing profession.**

Developed in accordance with guidelines from the Association for Nutrition (AfN), our Food and Nutrition course allows you to explore food science as well as the skills required to critically evaluate common perceptions of nutrition and health. The course covers a vast range of core competencies in the sector including science, the food chain, social and behavioural aspects, health and wellbeing and professional conduct.

Supported by fantastic facilities such as our Food Science and Innovation Suite and our Human Performance Centre, you will be able to apply your knowledge in practical and relevant ways to areas such as nutrition, public health, food science, manufacturing and psychology. You will also go on residential visits to boost your industry engagement.

**WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?**
- **Residential visits** – Visit industry sites and events with essential costs covered by the University – past visits have included food exhibitions and competitions, manufacturers, farms and producers

- **Specialise your studies** – Develop a specialism relevant to your chosen career through optional modules covering subjects such as sports nutrition

- **Practical application** – Put your knowledge into practice working in our cutting-edge Food Science and Innovation Suite and other facilities

- **Enrichment** – Our links with the food industry offer an array of opportunities including guest lectures and industry research

**FACILITIES**
University College Birmingham is renowned for its outstanding food industry training facilities. Studying our Food and Nutrition degree course means you will have access to our state-of-the-art food development facilities including our Food Science and Innovation Suite, which features the latest food testing and diagnostic technology, state-of-the-art development kitchen facilities and a bespoke sensory evaluation room. You will also have use of our Human Performance Centre.

**PLACEMENTS**
You are encouraged to gain work experience throughout this course in order to put your learning into practice alongside qualified professionals, with a wide range of opportunities available through our close working relationships with the food science and product development industries.

You will also complete the Personal and Professional Development module, in which you will undertake at least 40 hours of placement within the industry – this could be shadowing, voluntary or paid work and may be in a block (i.e. one week) or across several weeks.

Employers we have worked with include Department for Education (DfE UK), NHS England, Holland & Barrett (Coventry), Food Cycle (Birmingham) and Sandwell Council (Birmingham).

**CAREERS AND PROGRESSION**
Examples of careers you could pursue following this course:
- Nutritionist

- Food technologist

- Product/process development scientist

- Health promotion specialist

- Nutritional therapist

- Secondary school teacher (food technology)

Upon completion of the foundation degree, you can also progress onto the final year of our full BSc (Hons) degree.

- **Please refer to our website www.ucb.ac.uk for the latest updates to this course**

Modules

**YEAR 1**

- Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Introduction to Nutrition
- Public Health and Nutrition
- Culinary Skills for Nutrition
- Food Manufacture
- Food Science

**YEAR 2**

- Psychology of Eating Behaviour
- The Science of Nutrition
- Nutrition through the Lifecycle
- Personal and Professional Development
- Research for Food and Nutrition

Plus one option from:

- Sport and Exercise Nutrition
- Food Product Design Development

Assessment methods

**Note: Indicative information only. Actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued at your induction. Please be aware that methods of delivery for this course may be altered due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – for the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website: www.ucb.ac.uk**

**ASSESSMENT**

Estimated breakdown of assessment for this degree course (weighting will vary depending on optional modules):

- **Coursework** – 80%
- **Practical assessment** – 10%
- **Written examinations** – 10%

Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£13,500
per year
International
£13,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University College Birmingham

Department:

Sport and Nutrition - FdA/FdSc

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

48%
Food science

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.

Food sciences

Teaching and learning

64%
Staff make the subject interesting
67%
Staff are good at explaining things
70%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
55%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

71%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
48%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
23%
Male students
77%
Female students
72%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

Food sciences

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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

31%
Food preparation and hospitality trades
12%
Other elementary services occupations
10%
Managers and proprietors in hospitality and leisure services

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Food sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

£26k

£26k

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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Course location and department:

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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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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