BSc Hons Food and Nutrition Top up

1 Year On Campus Bachelors Program

University College Birmingham

Program Overview

This Top‑up degree is designed to take your existing knowledge in food and nutrition to the next level, helping you specialise and prepare for a professional career. It’s perfect if you’ve already completed a foundation degree, HND, or similar, and want to deepen your skills in areas like nutrition, food security and industry trends.

Curriculum structure:
Since this is a one‑year top‑up course, you’ll focus on advanced, real-world topics:

You’ll explore “Contemporary Issues in Food and Nutrition”, keeping up with the latest trends and scientific research, while “Disease Modulation through Dietary Changes” shows how diet can make a real difference in health and wellbeing.
“Food Security, Supply and Sustainability” helps you understand the journey from farm to fork, looking at ethics, biodiversity and global challenges in feeding the world sustainably.
Your Food and Nutrition Project gives you the freedom to research something that really interests you — from practical experiments to analysing data and presenting findings. Optional modules like “Nutrition Communication”, “Nutrition for Performance” or “Principles of Food Technology” let you tailor the course to your passions and career goals.

Focus areas:
“nutritional science, food security & supply, specialist food technology”

Learning outcomes:
“critically analyse contemporary food and nutrition issues, apply scientific knowledge to diet and health, develop strong research skills, specialise in communication or performance nutrition, and understand sustainability across the food system”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
The course is designed following Association for Nutrition (AfN) guidelines, giving you recognised professional credibility in the field.

Reputation (employability rankings):
Students consistently praise the course for its relevance and practical focus, and UCB was ranked top in the region in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023, reflecting high student satisfaction.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

On this course, you won’t just be listening to lectures — you’ll be rolling up your sleeves and getting hands-on with real food, labs, and industry projects. UCB has invested in kitchens and labs designed with the food industry in mind, so everything you do mirrors what happens in professional environments. You’ll also get out of the classroom for site visits, placements, and practical projects that help you gain confidence and understand how nutrition and food science really work. Here’s how your learning comes to life:

Train in the Food Science & Innovation Suite, a state-of-the-art space with food testing and development equipment, letting you experiment just like you would in a professional R&D setting.
Use the Sensory Evaluation Room to test flavours, analyse recipes, and understand how professionals assess food quality and consumer response.
Practise in UCB’s industry-standard kitchens, where you can develop recipes, carry out food production safely (HACCP), and apply techniques you’ll use in the food sector.
Join industry visits and field trips to farms, manufacturers, and production sites, seeing the food industry in action beyond the classroom.
Complete work experience or placements, gaining real-world exposure in nutrition, public health, product development, or food science, depending on your interests.
Explore the Human Performance Centre & Laboratory, which lets you apply nutrition knowledge to sports and performance contexts, including specialised equipment for practical testing.
Benefit from UCB’s Department of Health and Nutrition labs and simulation spaces, supporting research-led, hands-on learning throughout your studies.

Progression & Future Opportunities

When you finish this course, you’ll be ready to step into a variety of rewarding roles where you can make a real difference. Many graduates go on to become Nutritionists, Food Technologists, Health Promotion Specialists, or Product/Process Development Scientists, applying science, creativity, and communication skills in the food and health sectors. And to help you get there, UCB offers a range of support and opportunities:

HIRED employability service guides you through CV building, interview preparation, placement searches, and connecting with employers in the food and nutrition industries.
Employment stats show strong outcomes: around 65% of graduates are employed within 15 months, with just 5% unemployed. Salaries include Nutritionists (~£42,500), Food Technologists (~£35,000), and Health Promotion Specialists (£24,907–£44,503).
The course offers industry placements and partnerships with organisations like NHS England, Food Cycle (Birmingham), Sandwell Council, and even international links, giving you practical experience and contacts before graduation.
Professional accreditation: Following Association for Nutrition (AfN) guidelines, this degree supports recognised career pathways in nutrition.
Graduation outcomes highlight how the course prepares you for meaningful, employable roles in the sector.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the top-up degree, you could continue your studies with a Master’s in Nutrition, Public Health, or Food Product Development, or pursue professional pathways such as becoming a registered nutritionist, dietetics training, or further specialisation in food technology — giving you even more options to shape your career.