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BSc (Hons)

Nutrition & Exercise Sciences

Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an Autumn Open Day

Duration

3 Years

Start

September 2024

UCAS Code

B4C0

Delivery

Campus Taught

Foundation Entry

Discover a combination of subjects that puts the health of the nation in your hands, with an evidenced-based approach to nutrition and exercise science to help combat poor food choices and sedentary lifestyles.

Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition can cause diseases that place an enormous burden on the individual and society as a whole. If you’re interested in the science behind nutrition, exercise and health, this is the course for you. Our state-of-the-art laboratories boast a wide variety of equipment, including advanced physiology, nutrition and food chemistry laboratory facilities and equipment.

The role exercise and nutrition science plays in healthy ageing and disease reduction has become a focus for national health policy in recent times. While the course offers a good grounding in both nutrition and exercise science, it also offers the flexibility of two strands of study – allowing you to specialise in either nutrition and food science or health and fitness. In your final year, you’ll also have the chance to take on a professional work experience module and a research project.

Learning is reinforced through opportunities to work with case studies, local community initiatives and our own Eat-2-Win clinic. Our unique and longstanding relationships with local professional sports clubs and health organisations enables us to provide you with experiential learning opportunities that are relevant to both your learning and your career goals. You can also tailor your degree studies to your personal career ambitions, choosing from a range of specialist optional modules.

Please note, that in Year 3, you will choose between the double research project (X53900) or the consultancy project (TL3172) you are not required to do both.

Please also note that different pathways will change which compulsory modules you take. If you choose the human nutrition pathway, module XS2001 is compulsory in Year 2 and XS3600 in Year 3.

If you choose the health and fitness pathway, module XS2206 is compulsory in Year 2 and XS3200 in Year 3.

Why study with us

4th
in the UK for learning opportunities
National Student Survey (Nutrition and Dietetics) (compared with unis in the Guardian University Guide)
2023
6th
in the UK for teaching on the course
National Student Survey (Nutrition and Dietetics) (compared with unis in the Guardian University Guide)
2023

Study on one of only six courses in the UK endorsed by the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register.
Benefit from being taught by registered nutritionists, clinical and exercise physiologists and experienced industry professionals.
From Year 2 specialise by following the Human Nutrition Pathway or the Health and Fitness Pathway.

Interested?

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What you'll do

This course produces skilled graduates who will fill the gap between the medical profession and the fitness industry. You’ll develop an understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and metabolic diseases, as well as learning how to create effective exercise and nutritional interventions.
This course provides opportunities to undertake work experience, support real-world research as well as study abroad via student exchange programmes. We have links with universities in the United States, Canada and China.
Throughout your degree you will have access to a range of facilities which includes our BASES accredited Physiology laboratory and specialist nutrition and food chemistry equipment to aid teaching and research.

Module overview

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Year 1

Compulsory modules

XS1120: Health and The Social Sciences
XS1205: Planning and Instructing Exercise for Health and Fitness
XS1601: Principles of Biology and Nutrition
XS1902: Principles of Physiology and Scientific Enquiry

XS1120: Health and The Social Sciences

Learn about the key elements of the social sciences, drawing specifically on philosophy and psychology. These will be interpreted within the context of health and used to understand opportunities for change regarding current health issues. The module also aims to provide you with a foundation from which to monitor and reflect upon your personal and skills development.

XS1601: Principles of Biology and Nutrition

The general aim of the module is to develop your understanding of the scientific basis of nutrition by introducing you to the basic concepts of nutrients, metabolism, requirements for energy and nutrients as well as key biological and biochemical concepts. You'll understanding the biological principles underlying the nutritional requirement of the human body and food science.

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Year 2

Compulsory modules

XS2001: Food Processing and Preservation
XS2043: Public Health: Context and Need
XS2206: Advanced Principles of Exercise and Training
XS2600: Nutrition for Life
XS2601: Performance Nutrition
XS2902: Applied Physiology & Scientific Enquiry

XS2001: Food Processing and Preservation

You'll critically examine the principles of food processing and preservation as mechanisms for reducing spoilage, maintaining food safety, extending shelf life, and enhancing palatability. You'll link theoretical principles with industrial practice as you gain a critical insight into food production and the nutritional composition of food products.

XS2043: Public Health: Context and Need

This module will explore the historical development of public health and consider the effect that changing psychosocial, cultural, environmental, economic and political and global influences have on population health and illness, nationally and internationally. You'll examine developing public health roles, policy and legislation in a local, national and international context and will explore different methods of measuring health and illness.

XS2206: Advanced Principles of Exercise and Training

The module introduces the scientific basis of exercise and training prescription. You will learn sports science terminology, research with applied fitness training, and individual exercise prescription. You will study cardiovascular and resistance training and conditioning, as well as practical applications to athletic performance. The module facilitates the achievement of the criteria for the REPS Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training.

XS2600: Nutrition for Life

This module uses a combination of laboratory classes and theory classes to develop your understanding of the scientific basis of nutrition. You will consider the nutrient composition of foods, the nature of the nutrients, their digestion and absorption, and their physiological and biochemical roles and will investigate the requirements for energy and nutrients, and the methods for assessment. Specific objectives of this module are to use practical sessions to develop competence in carrying out experimental work, in recording results and in writing reports in a scientific format; to develop your ability to use IT packages to analyse data; and to develop your ability to evaluate data in the context of a real-life situation.

XS2902: Applied Physiology & Scientific Enquiry

This module will provide you with skills necessary to carry out data collection and analysis of data, and to interpret critically the research findings in an applied sport and exercise physiology framework. You'll develop an understanding of cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular physiology and have ability to conduct experiments and to undertake physiological measurement.

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Year 3

Compulsory modules

XS3200: Exercise Referral
XS3600: Nutritional Biochemistry
XS3601: Nutrition and Health
XS3900: Double Research Project

Optional modules

XS3005: Professional Work Experience 2
XS3008: Foodborne Disease
XS3009: Food Allergy and Intolerance
XS3043: Public Health: Delivery and Action
XS3103: Training Prescription for the Elite Athlete

XS3200: Exercise Referral

This module aims to develop your ability to identify suitable exercise referral programmes for the treatment of several conditions and diseases. You will have the ability to translate the scientific literature into safe, effective and enjoyable exercise programmes.

XS3043: Public Health: Delivery and Action

This module aims to develop your critical understanding of how global, national and strategic health/public health policy shapes the development and implementation of health improvement strategies at local level. You'll critically analyse and evaluate the success (or otherwise) of current health improvement strategies in improving the health of the population/population groups.

XS3103: Training Prescription for the Elite Athlete

This module will provide you with the knowledge to monitor training and competition demands in sport (team and individual settings). It'll blend the theory and applied nature of Elite sport, you'll be able to implement training/competition load monitoring and interpret the data appropriately, whilst also developing an understanding of environmental considerations and how these might influence training and competition loads and the monitoring and training prescription processes.

Course delivery

Following the pandemic, we have found that some courses benefit from a blended learning and teaching approach. Therefore, the majority of your teaching will be face-to-face on campus aside from a small amount of online teaching where we have learnt it works best.

80%Face-to-face

20%Online

Please note the delivery information for this course is accurate for the academic year 2023/24. The information displayed in this section may not yet accurately reflect how the course will be delivered in 2024/25 but this information will be updated by October 2023.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Visit us this autumn

Discover our facilities, explore campus and talk to academic staff and students about the courses you want to study at one of our autumn Open Days.

Book an Open Day

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Accreditations

This course is aligned with the Entry and General Management professional standards outlined by CIMSPA, the professional development body for the UK's sport and physical activity sector. As a member, you will be entitled to attend seminars and meetings and learn from industry professionals. The Health and Fitness pathway on the course allows students the option to meet professional standards in Gym Instruction, Personal Training, Health Navigator and Working with People with Long Term Conditions.
Our facilities have achieved a BASES Laboratory Accreditation, providing a mark of quality assurance that illustrates the laboratory has undergone meticulous inspection by BASES and that high professional standards of practice have been achieved.
The SENR outlines professional standards and competences for Sport and Exercise Nutritionists. In so doing it guides the development of Sport and Exercise Nutrition curriculum, provides career development pathways for aspiring Sport and Exercise Nutritionist.

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A thoroughly enjoyable and life changing experience.

Naomi Liles

BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Exercise Sciences
United Kingdom

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Stephanie is the academic team leader for Sport, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences and Course Leader for Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Stephanie is a Nutritional Biochemist with a PhD in Clinical Biochemistry with an interest in dietary micronutrients and antioxidants in health...

April is the module leader for the foundation entry and teaches across undergraduate courses delivering nutritional and personal fitness content in addition to module lead for Exercise Referral. April has expertise with techniques for body composition analysis, capillary blood sa...

Future careers

The knowledge and skills you’ll develop on our Nutrition and Exercise Sciences BSc (Hons) programme can help you chart a future in research, healthcare, sport, food industry, teaching and more.

Graduates of this course are highly employable, because they leave us equipped with all the tools to create exercise and nutritional intervention programmes that prevent and reduce disease. It’s an area that has climbed the agenda in recent years, making it a skillset that’s more valuable than ever.

So today you’ll find our graduates working in a range of roles, from public health nutritionists, fitness instructors, exercise physiologists, and lab technicians to science teachers, dietetics professionals and food industry new product development technologists.

If you wish to study to become a Dietitian after graduating, our BSc Nutrition and Exercise Sciences programme currently meets the academic learning requirements of our UCLan MSc (Pre-Reg) Dietetics programme, providing you achieve at least a 2:2 or above and meet other requirements (DBS, Occupational Health and score in Values-Based Recruitment - for further details see our MSc (pre-reg) Dietetics programme). Please note, this information is correct as of March 2022, and precludes any changes due to circumstances beyond our control (eg changes in professional body requirements, or reapproval requirements).

Fees and funding

2023/24

Full-time£9,250 per year

Sandwich year£1,385 for the sandwich year

Part-time£1,540 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£14,900 per year

2024/25

Full-time£9,250 per year

Sandwich year£1,500 for the sandwich year

Part-time£1,540 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£16,500 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Care Leaver Bursary
Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Care Leaver Bursary
Estranged student support
Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Estranged student support
Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Contextualised Admissions Bursary
We recognise that the last two years have been very challenging for young people and learning has been impacted. To help support students eligible for a contextualised offer we are offering a bursary of £250 in their first year of study.
Find out more about Contextualised Admissions Bursary

Your time with us will involve a mixture of different learning methods and environments. While you’ll have lectures, tutorials and seminars in the classroom, this is also a hands-on course that will involve plenty of practical sessions – whether in our physiology and nutrition labs or in the fitness room. Of course, you’ll also need to spend time on independent study, whether at home or on campus.

Here, you’ll have access to some superb facilities, with state-of-the-art laboratories offering industry-standard equipment for exploring physiology, nutrition and food chemistry, not to mention our excellent library and sport and exercise facilities.

To measure and monitor your progress throughout the course, we use a variety of assessments, including coursework, case studies, presentations, examinations and reflective portfolios.

We have built an impressive network of connections, from local councils and the NHS, to professional sports clubs, food industry organisations and local and international charities – a network which not only informs our curriculum, but also helps us offer opportunities for professional work experience.

The Health and Fitness pathway on the course allows students the option to meet CIMSPA professional standards in Gym Instruction, Personal Training, Health Navigator and Working with People with Long Term Conditions.

Interested?

Download

This course is based in the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Book your place

Nutrition & Exercise Sciences

Why study with us

What you'll do

Module overview

Year 1

XS1120: Health and The Social Sciences

Course delivery

Visit us this autumn

View the course facilities

Accreditations

Academic expertise

Future careers

Fees and funding

Course Specific Optional Costs

Course Specific Optional Costs

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Dependants Bursary

Contextualised Admissions Bursary

Learning and assessment

Industry links