BSc Hons Human Nutrition

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

London Metropolitan University

Program Overview

This degree will give you a deep scientific understanding of how food, diet, and lifestyle affect human health and disease, as well as practical skills in nutrition assessment, public health, and food science. It’s a great fit if you’re interested in working in public health, community nutrition, food policy, research, or health promotion.

Curriculum structure

Here’s how your studies are structured over the 3 years, with some of the key modules and what you'll gain from them:

Year 1
In your first year you get the basics: modules like Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 (for Life Sciences), Biochemistry for Life Sciences, Cell Biology (for Life Sciences), Essentials of Human Nutrition, Health, Society and Behaviour (for Nutritionists), Introduction to Human Nutrition, and Applied Health Psychology (for Nutritionists). These modules help you build a solid foundation in the sciences (how the human body works, how nutrients operate at a biological level), understand what influences health behaviours, and begin engaging with nutrition issues from both individual and societal perspectives.

Year 2
The second year gets more specialised and applied. You’ll take modules like Applied Food and Nutritional Science, Energy and Macronutrients, Food Science, Metabolic Biochemistry for Nutrition, Micronutrients for Health, Public Health Nutrition, Techniques in Dietary Assessment, and Techniques in Nutritional Research. In these, you’ll learn to analyse diets, assess nutritional status, understand the scientific basis of macro- & micronutrients, explore how food is processed, and start working with research tools and methods. Practical labs and applied work feature more heavily, preparing you for real-world challenges.

Year 3
In your final year you pull everything together. Modules include Diet and Disease, Global Health Nutrition, Energy Metabolism & Endocrinology, Nutrition Through the Lifecycle, Sports & Exercise Nutrition, Empowering London: Working within the Community, and a Human Nutrition Research Dissertation. You’ll examine how diet relates to the major diseases, explore nutrition in different life stages and in sporting contexts, engage with community health challenges, and carry out your own research project which demonstrates independent thinking and scientific rigour.

Focus areas

“Nutrition science & metabolism; food science & technology; public health & disease prevention; research methods; lifecycle & sports nutrition; community nutrition & policy; applied/practical skills.”

Learning outcomes

“Graduates will be able to: apply scientific knowledge of human biology, metabolism, nutrition and disease; conduct and analyse dietary assessments; critically evaluate nutritional research; communicate nutrition advice and public health strategies; understand the role of nutrition in different life stages and in sports; work effectively in community, governmental or private settings; and continue professional or academic growth.”

Professional alignment (accreditation)

This course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN). On graduation you are eligible to register as a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr).
The curriculum is built to meet the standards which the professional body expects in terms of scientific foundations, ethics, practical skills, etc.

Reputation (employability rankings)

The course achieved 93% in the National Student Survey 2025 for teaching, learning opportunities, assessment & feedback, and academic support.
According to the Guardian University Guide 2024, London Met’s nutrition and food science courses are ranked second in the UK and best in London.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Studying Human Nutrition at London Met isn’t just about learning from books — it’s about getting hands-on experience that prepares you for the real world. From practical lab work to work placements, the program gives you plenty of opportunities to apply your knowledge and develop the skills employers are looking for.

Here’s what you can expect:

Laboratory Sessions – Get practical experience in nutrition and food technology labs, learning how to analyze foods, nutrients, and physiological responses.
Work Placements – Apply your learning in real professional settings, gaining valuable insights into careers in nutrition, public health, and the food industry.
Specialist Facilities – Use state-of-the-art equipment and computers with industry-standard software to support your studies.
Simulated Clinical Environments – Practice skills in controlled settings that mirror real-world clinical or community nutrition work.
Supportive Learning Environment – Learn alongside experienced academics and guest professionals who guide you through practical and research activities.
Group Projects and Case Studies – Work collaboratively on real-world scenarios, building teamwork and problem-solving skills.

These experiences ensure that by the time you graduate, you’re not just knowledgeable — you’re confident, capable, and ready to make an impact in the nutrition field.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Human Nutrition at London Met isn’t just theory — from early years you’ll be in labs, doing experiments, analysing real data, and engaging in community work. The course builds your skills step by step: you’ll do lab practicals (food chemistry, microbiology, metabolic biochemistry), use modern instrumentation, apply techniques of dietary assessment, work on research projects, and participate in modules that force you to engage with public health and global nutrition issues.

You don’t just learn about what is healthy or why biology matters — you learn how to measure, test, evaluate, and intervene. The university ensures you graduate with scientific, analytical, and professional skills that are directly applicable in health, research, food industry, public policy, or further studies.

Here are the specific components, facilities, tools, and experiences you’ll get:

Key Hands-On Components & Facilities

Laboratory work & practical classes
Modules such as Applied Food and Nutritional Science, Food Science, Energy and Macronutrients, Metabolic Biochemistry for Nutrition, Micronutrients for Health all include lab practicals. You’ll measure nutrient content (protein, fat, moisture etc.), work on food microbiology, test effects of food processing, do spectrophotometry, use centrifuges, microscopes, balances etc.
Science Centre & specialised labs
You get access to the Science Centre (Hornsey Road) which has:
• A superlab with ~280 workstations so many students can conduct experiments simultaneously.
• Facilities for nutritional physiology, food technology labs, microbiology labs.
• Advanced instrumentation: spectrophotometers, centrifuges, laminar flow hoods, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Modules with applied & community emphasis
• Techniques in Dietary Assessment teaches you how to assess nutrient intake, survey methods, epidemiological tools.
• Techniques in Nutritional Research builds scientific methodology, study design, statistics, critical evaluation of literature.
• Empowering London: Working within the Community ‒ a module that gives you work-based learning in community projects, dealing with real challenges in London (health inequalities, environment, public health).
Major independent research project
The Human Nutrition Research Dissertation in the final year is a big plus: you integrate what you’ve learned, design your own small-scale research, collect or analyse data, use statistical software, interpret results, and write up a scientific report.
Nutrition through the lifecycle & global health modules
These modules let you apply nutrition knowledge to different population groups (infants, elderly, maternal nutrition) and see nutrition issues globally (food security, undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, policy).