What will I learn?

**Foundation courses**A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:You don’t have the grades for a full degree courseYou have non-traditional qualifications or experienceYou’re starting university after some time away from educationYou’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.**Life as a foundation year student**During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.**Why choose this course**•Access our £12.5 million Innovation for Health Learning Laboratory to acquire practical experience that is valued by a wide range of employers.•Gain industry experience through a Professional Training placement, working for an employer such as the Government, an NHS trust or a nutrition company.•Learn from lecturers who’ve been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education, in recognition of their research excellence in the field of food and nutrition.•Get the academic requirements needed to register with the Association for Nutrition to work as an associate nutritionist once you’ve graduated.**What you will study**On this course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of how the body assimilates and uses nutrients, and you’ll fully appreciate how human nutrition impacts health and the development of disease. In your first year, you’ll study topics, including biochemistry, cell biology, food science, human nutrition and health, and physiology, ensuring you have a solid foundation upon which to build the rest of your degree. We’ll also encourage you to start thinking about contemporary issues in nutrition, as you begin to develop your skills.In your second year, you’ll get the option to undertake food analysis and quality control, to improve the nutritional profile, eating quality and safety of food products, or investigate the fundamental aspects of new product design and development, studying the functionality of the main ingredient components of food and their impact on nutritional aspects. In your third year, you’ll have the choice to specialise further in an area of personal interest, exploring topics like the analysis of foods and processing methods that meet UK and EU food legislation and guidelines, the biochemical transformations which occur during the processing, storage and preparation of foods, and the role heat processes have on the destruction of microorganisms. You’ll also complete a research project, bringing together all the practical, analytical, and presentation skills you’ve developed.