Nutrition

Nutrition is the study of how food and the nutrients it contains interact with the human body to support health, performance, and wellbeing across the lifespan. It is both a biological science and an applied discipline, drawing on biochemistry, physiology, and epidemiology to understand how dietary patterns affect health outcomes at the individual and population level. Nutritionists work in clinical settings, public health, food industry, sport, and research, applying their understanding of nutrients, metabolism, and dietary behaviour to support healthier lives and better-informed food policies.

At Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, this four-year full-time degree provides a thorough grounding in the science of nutrition alongside its practical applications in health and public health settings. You will study the biochemistry of macronutrients and micronutrients, the physiology of digestion and metabolism, the epidemiology of diet-related disease, and the behavioural and social factors that influence food choices. The programme develops both scientific rigour and the communication skills needed to translate evidence into advice for individuals and communities.

Clinical and practical elements of the programme give you experience of applying nutritional knowledge in real contexts, preparing you for professional practice in a field where evidence-based communication is central.

Nutrition graduates pursue careers across a wide range of sectors. Many go on to practise as registered nutritionists, working in community health, NHS dietetic support teams, public health programmes, and health promotion. Others work in the food industry in product development, regulatory affairs, and consumer science roles, or in sport and exercise nutrition supporting athletes and active populations.

Research roles in nutrition science, public health, and food policy are also open to graduates, as are positions in health communications and journalism. Postgraduate study in clinical nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, or food science is available for those who wish to specialise further, and some graduates choose to continue to doctoral research in areas such as metabolic disease, gut health, or nutritional epidemiology.