Food Nutrition & Health

The MSc Food, Nutrition and Health is aimed at graduates from a variety of disciplines and the programme is suitable for both science and non-science graduates. Students will be educated on the fundamentals of food science and nutrition after which the curriculum enables students to choose topics for more detailed focus.



This programme is delivered and assessed entirely on- line. The minimum registration to the MSc is two years, however students have four years in which to complete the programme thereby affording flexibility. The flexible and online format of the programme enables the majority of students enrolling on the programme to combine studying while in employment.



Hosted by the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, the Food, Nutrition and Health programme brings together academic and research staff from across UCD in health-related aspects of food research, including food science, human and public health nutrition, food production, biosystems engineering, food law, consumer behaviour and food safety.



Students will gain an understanding of the nature of food, how it is produced, how it is affected by processing, why we eat, what happens to food when we eat it, and how food components can interact with the functioning of humans. Upon completion of the MSc graduates will be able to apply this knowledge to address nutrition-related problems in different groups, cultures and societies.



Graduates will be educated to a high level in the science of food as it pertains to human nutrition and health.



What Will I Learn?

• Be skilled in proposing and developing solutions to nutrition-related problems as they relate to human health and disease and communicate these to stakeholders, at a professional and appropriate level, utilizing information technology and a range of approaches

• Demonstrate a critical awareness of principles relating to scientific integrity and ethical issues in Food, Nutrition and Health

• Demonstrate competence to acquire, organise, analyse, integrate and critically review information from a wide range of sources relating to issues in Food, Nutrition and Health and construct and defend reasoned conclusions

• Demonstrate effective time management and organization skills

• Have a working knowledge of the structures and theoretical tools that enable efficient team work, in order to generate innovative ideas and know-how to approach their subsequent selection for further development

• Integrate and apply knowledge of key principles underlying Food, Nutrition and Health

• Think independently, show initiative, evaluate and select appropriate and reasoned approaches to solve problems

• Use the principles of scientific inquiry, to research a particular Food, Nutrition and Health issue that merits a detailed research investigation.



NFQ Level: 9 (90 credits)

Level: Graduate Taught

Award: Master of Science

Stage 1 Options - A) Min 1 of:

Core Modules

All students must take the five core modules listed below. Students should, if possible, take HNUT40060, FDSC40500, and FDSC40530 in Autumn of Year 1. These three modules are pre-requisites for several Spring modules.

FDSC40500: Chemistry of Nutrients

FDSC40530: Principles of Biochemistry

HNUT40060: Introduction to Nutrition

HNUT40130: Research Design and Statistics

HNUT40270: Project FNH O/L



Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:

Group 1 Option Modules

Students taking the Food Nutrition and Health pathway take 65 credits from the following list of option modules.

Students should refer to the Food, Nutrition & Health Programme Handbook for further details.

FDSC40520: Food Microbiology & Safety

FDSC40920: Plant Foods

HNUT40090: Pathways to Health (O/L)

HNUT40100: Food Regulatory Affairs (O/L)

HNUT40150: Nutritional Assessment

PHPS40720: Public Health Nutrition O/L

FDSC40510: Food Chemistry

FDSC40540: Food Process Technology

FDSC40570: Food Marketing (O/L)

FDSC40600: Principles of Sensory Science

FDSC40890: Animal Foods

HNUT40070: Nutrients in the Life Cycle

HNUT40080: Omic Strategies in Nutrition

HNUT40110: Food Quality and Safety (O/L)

HNUT40170: Professional Practice

HNUT40250: Clinical Nutrition O/L

HNUT40280: Nutritional Physiology

PERS40090: Sport and Exercise Nutrition

PHPS40710: Promoting Consumer Nutrition



Stage 1 Options - C) Min 0 of:

Group 2 Option Modules

Students taking the Food Nutrition & Health (Nutrition) Pathway please select 65 credits from the following list of option modules.

Students should refer to the Food, Nutrition & Health Programme Handbook for further details.

FDSC40520: Food Microbiology & Safety

HNUT40090: Pathways to Health (O/L)

HNUT40100: Food Regulatory Affairs (O/L)

HNUT40150: Nutritional Assessment

PHPS40720: Public Health Nutrition O/L

FDSC40510: Food Chemistry

FDSC40600: Principles of Sensory Science

HNUT40070: Nutrients in the Life Cycle

HNUT40080: Omic Strategies in Nutrition

HNUT40110: Food Quality and Safety (O/L)

HNUT40170: Professional Practice

HNUT40250: Clinical Nutrition O/L

HNUT40280: Nutritional Physiology

PERS40090: Sport and Exercise Nutrition

PHPS40710: Promoting Consumer Nutrition

The course is aimed at graduates from science-based disciplines with no previous or recent formal educational background in Food Science or Nutrition who wish to up-skill and become competent in this increasingly important and rapidly evolving area.



Applicants must hold a minimum of a Second Class Honours degree in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering or related discipline), or international equivalent.

Applicants with other awards who hold substantial relevant work experience will be considered.

Applicants who do not hold the requisite Science qualification (but who hold a Level 8 Honours degree or equivalent) have been admitted previously and are advised to submit an application for assessment by the Programme Coordinator to determine eligibility.



All applications are assessed on a case by case basis by the Programme Director.



Applicants are asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement with their application, along with Academic Transcripts (non UCD Graduates) and proof of English proficiency if required.



Applicants who would like to take a stand-alone module may do so as an Occasional Student, and should contact the School of Agriculture and Food Science directly for further details on how to apply and cost per module. Email: foodonline@ucd.ie



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme.



Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page (https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax) for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

2 years part-time

Delivery: Online

X436: MSc Food, Nutrition & Health

Master of Science



Part-Time: Commencing September 2025

Graduate Taught

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

There are excellent job prospects for graduates in Food, Nutrition and Health with graduates working in a range of roles across the food industry, public health and regulatory agencies. Graduates have the distinct advantage of bringing a nutrition or health perspective to their roles.



Within the food industry graduates will work in areas such as product innovation, technical sales, product quality enhancement, nutrition and health promotion or food labelling regulation.



The range of roles and careers that our graduates have progressed to has been very broad. This is principally due to the range of backgrounds our students originate from – including medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, sports nutrition, teaching, law, etc.

Graduates have progressed to further study including PhD research and Clinical Dietetic Graduate Programmes.



Graduates have also progressed to Nutritionist roles securing personal accreditation with the AfN (Association for Nutrition)



Graduate Roles include:

• Product Innovation

• Technical Sales

• Production Quality Enhancement

• Health Promotion

• Food Regulation