BSc (Hons) in Nutritional Sciences

Ireland

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What will I learn?

The BSc Nutritional Sciences course focuses on the role of diet in health promotion and disease prevention (including problems related to undernutrition and over-nutrition, and especially the major non communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis). This is done from an individual, national and international perspective, using insights gained from a wide range of scientific disciplines.

Nutritional science is the study of food as it impacts our health and is concerned with the provision of food and nutrients to the body to facilitate optimum physical and mental development and maintenance of health throughout life.

A six-month work placement in third year forms a significant part of the course and, along with the rich learning load of the placement itself, will enhance your future employment and career development.

The course will give you a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between diet and health and you will learn how to apply this knowledge to the provision of nutritional advice to the public, as well as providing safe, wholesome and nutritious food to the consumer.

A six-month work placement forms an integral part of the course in Year 3.

On completion of the course you will be able to:

apply current knowledge in nutritional science from a molecular, cellular and tissue level to the whole person and to population groups to calculate food and nutrient requirements across the life-span in health and disease;
devise nutritional guidance for individuals and population groups for the maintenance of good health, in the context of authoritative dietary reference and food safety standards;
employ specialist experimental skills in nutritional research and analysis;
identify and critically evaluate emerging knowledge in nutrition and use this as a basis for developing novel approaches to solving challenges in industry, research/academia, government agencies, healthcare and other sectors;
interpret and translate nutritional science meaningfully and communicate the science effectively;
and work effectively as a nutrition professional.

This course blends basic sciences, food science, human biology and nutrition in a unique and interesting way to give you the knowledge, skills and training you need to work as a nutritional scientist

As a nutritional scientist, you will increase knowledge of the relationship between diet, health and disease through research, and apply that knowledge through the provision of sound nutritional advice, and safe wholesome and nutritious food to consumers

Lecturers are internationally recognised researchers and are deeply committed to excellence in teaching

Graduates have excellent opportunities for employment and for further career specialisation. Our course has a long history of producing outstanding graduates who have gone on to have successful careers in areas such as dietetics, public health nutrition, sports nutrition, nutrition research, academic lecturing and a range of other career paths. Our graduates are also highly sought after by the food industry, especially for areas such as quality assurance and new product development.

Career Opportunities

Nutritional Sciences graduates are equipped to work in a wide range of industries and other areas of responsibility including:

Food
Pharmaceuticals
Healthcare
Governmental and non-governmental agencies

Which department am I in?

College of Science, Engineering and Food Science

Study options

Full Time (4 years)

Tuition fees
€23,500.00 (21,24,966) per year
EU Student Contribution Charge: €3,000 per annum and the Capitation Fee: €147 per annum; EU Total fee: €7,467

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

Expected January 2026

Venue

UCC Campus

College Road,

Cork,

T12 K8AF, Republic of Ireland

Entry requirements

For international students

Non-EU applicants are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate

Duolingo English Test (DET): DET 120 with a minimum score of 110 in each individual section

IELTS - International English Language Testing System/ IELTS Indicator Test: Minimum overall score of 6.5 and a minimum of 6.0 in each band

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language - TOEFL iBT/TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Test: Minimum overall score of 90 and minimum of 20 in each section

University of Cambridge: 176+ on the Cambridge English scale with no less than 169 in each skill and use of English i.e.

Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2) First Certificate, Grade A (CEFR Level C1)

Pearson PTE Academic: Minimum of 63 (with at least 59 for each item in the Communicative Skills section)

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About University College Cork

UCC is an award-winning, world-class teaching and research university with over 170 years of history.

  • Ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide
  • Cork is rated as a top ‘cultural & creative city’
  • Over 3,000 international students
  • Over 90% of graduates secure employment after graduating