Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Food and Nutrition

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Copenhagen

Program Overview

The BSc in Food and Nutrition gives students the scientific knowledge needed to develop sustainable, nutritious and safe food while understanding how food is processed and used by the human body. It is particularly suitable for students interested in chemistry, biology, nutrition, food production, sustainability and the development of healthier food products.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish a broad scientific foundation through courses such as Mathematics and Data Processing, Food Production, Society and Health, Food Physics, General Chemistry for Bioscience and Food Processing and Nutrition. They learn to connect mathematics, chemistry, physics and cell biology with real food-related questions, including food processing, nutrient absorption, production systems and sustainability.

At the end of the first year, students select one of three pathways: Health and Nutrition, Quality and Technology, or the extended Food Engineering pathway. The Food Engineering route follows much of the Quality and Technology curriculum but adds a six-month professional placement.

Year 2: Students move into specialist food and nutrition subjects such as Biochemistry 1, Food Data Analysis, Food Chemistry and Raw Material Quality. Health and Nutrition students also take Basic Physiology, Basic Human Nutrition and Sensory Evaluation of Food, while Quality and Technology students study Food Microbiology and Exploratory Data Analysis/Chemometrics.

This stage develops students’ ability to analyse food composition, nutritional value, microbial safety, sensory quality and production data. Students also learn to use statistical methods and digital tools to interpret results from areas such as quality control, analytical chemistry, dietary interventions and consumer testing.

Year 3: Health and Nutrition students personalise the degree through electives and complete the project-based course Health, Nutrition and Quality of Life, followed by an independent bachelor’s project. Quality and Technology students take advanced modules including Food Technology, Hygienic Design in the Food Industry and Rapid Methods for Measuring Food Quality, alongside electives and their bachelor’s project.

Students on the Food Engineering pathway complete the same technological foundation but add a six-month placement in a food company or control laboratory. Their remaining electives and bachelor’s project extend the programme to approximately three and a half years.

Focus areas: Sustainable food production, food chemistry, human nutrition, physiology, food microbiology, food safety, sensory science, product quality, food-processing technology, raw-material quality, data analysis, consumer behaviour and food innovation.

Learning outcomes: Graduates learn to evaluate food composition and quality, understand how processing and storage affect food, analyse nutrition and human-health relationships, use scientific and statistical methods, assess sustainability challenges and contribute to the development of safe, nutritious and appealing food products.

Professional alignment: The programme awards the academic title Bachelor in Food and Nutrition and is designed around the scientific and technical needs of the food, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. It is not presented by the university as a professional clinical-dietetics qualification and does not itself lead to registration as a dietitian.

Reputation: The University of Copenhagen is Denmark’s highest-ranked university and is placed among the world’s top one per cent of universities. In the university’s current official rankings, it is ranked 35th globally in ARWU 2025, 90th in QS 2027 and 90th in Times Higher Education 2026; it is also ranked fifth in Europe in the 2025 CWTS Leiden Ranking measure reported by UCPH.

Official programme link: BSc in Food and Nutrition – University of Copenhagen

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Practical learning is integrated into the programme through laboratory exercises, data analysis, company visits, research-based projects and teaching delivered by active food-science researchers. Students also attend guest lectures involving representatives from the food industry and work on real food-related challenges with regular exposure to professional and industrial perspectives.

Depending on their chosen pathway, students can undertake a company project, study abroad or complete a formal six-month placement. The programme’s practical opportunities include:

Laboratory exercises: Students conduct practical work in areas such as chemistry, microbiology, food processing, sensory science and quality analysis.
R statistical software: Students learn to import, manage, visualise and analyse food-related datasets using R, alongside structured spreadsheet use and basic programming.
Food Data Analysis projects: The course combines lectures and calculation exercises with case-based group work involving quality control, analytical chemistry, sensory data and dietary-intervention datasets. Students complete group case studies and spoken presentations.
Chemometrics and digital analysis: Students use computer-based tools to apply Principal Component Analysis, Partial Least Squares modelling, preprocessing and model validation to real research and industry datasets. The course refers to user-friendly commercial analysis software but does not publish the product name.
Sensory evaluation: Students conduct difference tests, descriptive profiling and consumer-acceptance testing while learning how to select sensory panels, analyse sensory data and manage experimental bias.
Group projects: Several courses use collaborative case studies, group reports, mini-projects and oral presentations. The final bachelor’s project may also be completed individually or with a group.
Company visits and industry lectures: The programme includes visits to businesses and guest lectures from food-industry professionals, giving students insight into commercial food production and current professional challenges.
Company-based project: Students may complete a project in a company, organisation, NGO, public institution, embassy or trade office. These projects normally last three to six months and develop experience in workplace culture and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Food Engineering placement: Food Engineering students complete a six-month placement in a food-production company or control laboratory, where they apply their knowledge to production, quality management and industrial problem-solving. Placements may also be completed abroad.
DTU collaboration: Quality and Technology and Food Engineering students take specialist courses at the Technical University of Denmark, including Food Technology and Hygienic Design in the Food Industry.
International study: SCIENCE has approximately 100 exchange agreements with European universities, while UCPH has agreements with more than 100 institutions outside Europe. Students usually complete an exchange during the later part of the bachelor’s or during a subsequent master’s programme.
Department of Food Science facilities: The department houses an Aroma Laboratory, Fermentation Platform, Brewery, Sensory Laboratory, Gastro Lab, GC-MS and LC-MS platforms, NMR Platform, Proteomics Platform, Genomics Platform, Spectroscopy facilities, Microbial Imaging Platform and UHPLC Laboratory. Access depends on the course, research activity and level of technical support required.
Future Consumer Lab: UCPH’s sensory and consumer-science environment includes specialist facilities for sensory analysis, consumer panels, observation and the study of food choice and consumer behaviour.
Frederiksberg Campus: Teaching takes place at Frederiksberg Campus, which brings together programmes and research environments in natural science, health science and food-related disciplines.

Official facilities link: Department of Food Science Facilities

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates develop a broad scientific foundation for careers involving food production, nutrition, food safety, innovation and sustainable product development. Typical roles include Food Product Developer, Food Quality Specialist, Food Consultant and Research Assistant, with additional opportunities in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, regulatory work and scientific communication.

Career and progression support includes:

Career guidance: UCPH provides tools and guidance for students seeking relevant student employment, internships and graduate positions. The Faculty of Science also organises career activities concerning job searching, project collaboration, LinkedIn and professional development.
JobTeaser: UCPH’s career portal advertises student jobs, internships, company projects and full-time graduate positions. The Department of Food Science also publishes student project proposals through this platform.
SCIENCE Career Horizons: Students can attend the Faculty of Science’s career week and employer fair to meet organisations offering full-time roles, student jobs and project collaborations.
Entrepreneurship support: UCPH Lighthouse offers entrepreneurship guidance, mentors, workshops, masterclasses, professional coaching and free office space for students developing businesses or research-based ventures.
Industry contact: Programme teaching includes company visits, guest lecturers, company projects and close engagement with food-industry challenges. The Department of Food Science also works with companies and organisations across food research and education.
Research and company collaborations: Official UCPH examples include food-science research involving Arla Foods, Carlsberg, Unilever and Chr. Hansen, particularly in foodomics, process optimisation and the assessment of food ingredients and nutritional properties.
Food-sector network: The department participates in collaborative food-research initiatives involving organisations such as Arla, Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and the Confederation of Danish Industry.
Long-term degree value: Graduates receive the title Bachelor in Food and Nutrition and gain scientific competencies in food chemistry, food production, food safety, quality, nutrition and sustainability. The degree is designed primarily as a foundation for advanced study and food-sector employment rather than clinical-dietitian registration.
Food Engineering outcome: Students completing the extended pathway add six months of approved industry experience and gain direct knowledge of production processes and quality management in food companies or laboratories.
Employment outlook: UCPH describes graduates as having strong career opportunities in Denmark’s food industry and related biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. However, the university does not publish a programme-specific employment percentage or graduate salary figure, so no verified numerical outcome should be attributed to this bachelor’s programme.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can pursue relevant master’s programmes including MSc Food Science and Technology, MSc Human Nutrition, MSc Food Innovation and Health, MSc Integrated Food Studies, MSc Natural Resources and Development, or MSc Food Technology at DTU, depending on the bachelor’s specialisation and completed courses.

Students who complete the Health and Nutrition pathway have a legal right of admission to UCPH’s MSc in Human Nutrition and MSc in Food Innovation and Health when they meet the application conditions and begin within three years of completing the bachelor’s degree. These programmes provide further specialisation in human health, food innovation, product development, consumer science, sensory quality and sustainable food systems.

After an appropriate master’s degree, graduates may continue to doctoral study in areas such as food science, nutrition, microbiology, fermentation, sensory science, food chemistry or sustainable food systems through UCPH’s Faculty of Science and Department of Food Science.