Food is one of the main contributors to overall health and wellbeing and Europe’s largest and most
successful industry. As consumers become increasingly aware of the role of eating well for health
and for the prevention of diseases, the role of nutrition science professionals in the food industry
and in health-oriented settings is becoming of paramount importance. If you have a keen interest in
food, the science behind it and its impact on human health, then you should consider studying with
us.
We offer a four-year professional undergraduate degree Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Food
and Nutritional Sciences. The programme holistically tackles the science of food, human nutrition
and dietetics and is specifically designed to meet the growing demand for health professionals and
technical people to work in the food and health sector.
The course boasts of a variety of teaching methods. The first three years include a combination of
theoretical study units, practical based study units in our well-equipped laboratories and various site
visits in different settings, ranging from food industries, public health settings, clinics and hospitals. A
hands-on approach is encouraged by having a study unit dedicated to technical work in every
academic year of the programme, enabling students to develop key practical and analytical skills.
In the first year, you will study an extensive range of topics, from physiology to biochemistry, the
fundamentals of human nutrition, food chemistry and food microbiology. This gives you a sound
foundation enabling you to follow the degree with profit.
In the second year you will start to appreciate better the role of nutrition in health and disease
prevention and treatment. You will gain an understanding of the different dietary requirements
throughout the lifecycle and the skills necessary to enable you to translate nutritional science into
public health recommendations or more specifically dietary advice. You will develop an improved
understanding of food technology, food legislation and aspects of food physics.
During the third year you will undergo your first placement through experiential learning, with the
aim of exposing you to the different professions and career opportunities available to graduates. The
skills acquired during the three-year period will enable students to orientate themselves towards a
career in health or in the food industry.
The fourth year of study is structured around a strong placement component. Students choose to
follow study units in one of three streams, namely Human Nutrition, Dietetics or Food Science and
complete another three block placements in settings relevant to their chosen stream. In this final
year of your degree you will also be given the choice to perform research in an area of your interest,
linking the theoretical knowledge and analytical skills you have developed.
Students following either the Human Nutrition stream or the Dietetics stream successfully will be
able to register with the Council of Professions Complementary to Medicine as a Nutritionist or a
Dietitian respectively upon graduation, providing a clear marker of their professional status within
the nutritional sciences. This also implies professional autonomy in the field upon graduation, enabling graduates to work independently. Students choosing the Food Science stream will have the
theoretical skills and technical knowledge required to embark on a career as a professional Food
Scientist.
Some of our students use the degree as a stepping stone and further their studies at postgraduate
level to MSc or PhD following our research-based programmes. Alternatively, some move into other
areas such as teaching. Recent graduates work both freelance as registered dietitians, registered
nutritionists and offering consultancy services to the food industry, as well as with a range of
employers, including the Government such as the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Mater Dei
Hospital, Kenn Ghal Sahhtek, Karen Grech Hospital, Primary Health Care and specialised food
companies such as Foster Clarks, James Caterers, Consolidated Biscuits and Corinthia Group of
Companies amongst others.