Public Health Nutrition (MSc)

For this master's degree in public health nutrition you’ll need at least a 2:2 degree in a health sciences, biomedical or medical subject.

Recognition of professional experience

If you don't have the exact entry requirements, but you have significant work experience in this sector we’ll assess your relevant professional experience, your subject knowledge and your aptitude for learning.

Your application will be considered on individual merit and you may be asked to attend an interview.

Got a question?

If you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course please contact our enquiries team; we're very happy to help.

Your studies will run for a full year, from September through to the following September. This course does not follow the normal University semester/vacation timetable.

If you’d like to take longer to complete this master’s you can study part-time over 2 to 5 years.

On this full-time course you’ll study several taught modules over the first 8 months. In the final 4 months you’ll complete your dissertation.

The structure of the Public Health Nutrition MSc is:

• 7 core modules addressing public health nutrition
• an optional module that will allow you to specialise further
• a dissertation, which may be a professional, work-related project or a research project

Each 5 ECTS module is up to 100 hours of learning, and each 10 ECTS module represents up to 200 hours of learning.

You should expect to spend about 16 to 20 hours on campus every week.

Between your on-site learning you’ll take part in online discussions and seminars to support your independent learning; these take place through our online learning environment. Our academic team will support you throughout these sessions.

The core nutrition modules will give you a strong grounding in public health nutrition, covering everything you’ll need to start a career as a public health practitioner, an academic researcher, or a public health analyst.

You’ll cover: 

• assessing the nutritional health and wellbeing of groups or populations
• developing, planning and evaluating public health programmes / projects
• using social marketing and media, community engagement, advocacy and innovation to initiate health behaviour change
• exploring the links between agricultural production, food availability, access to food and public health nutrition in both developed and developing countries
• conducting epidemiological studies, looking at elements such as chance, bias, risk estimation and hypothesis testing
• when and how to apply quantitative analytical techniques and how to use SPSS statistics
• methods of data collection and analytical techniques used when conducting qualitative research

You’ll be able to specialise even further with your choice of an optional module from the following:

• dealing with nutrition in humanitarian emergency settings
• understanding the economics of health policies

Your dissertation gives you the chance to pursue your interests even further in your choice of topic. Previous dissertation projects have included:

• an assessment of whether young people understand the risks of performance-enhancing drugs
• determinants of stunting and wasting in children under 2 years in Kenya
• a process evaluation of the PaperWeight Armband in screening for malnutrition among older adults

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Learning

There's a strong focus on interactive learning in this master's, bringing together theory and practice. We’ll help you to develop a reflective and problem-solving approach to your practice.

You'll work closely with students from a wide variety of backgrounds and will learn from sharing diverse experience.

As well as lectures and tutorials, learning your methods may include:

• patient case studies
• workshops
• debates
• problem-solving exercises
• interpretation of data
• computer demonstrations

You’ll be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent learning.

Assessment

We'll assess you through a variety of methods, including:

• position papers
• needs assessments
• reports and briefings
• team debates
• gap analysis
• written exams and essays
• research proposals

Dissertation

Your dissertation can be either a research or a professional project. You’ll need to complete a 6,600 word report and present a summary to an audience.

Academic Support

You'll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.

When writing your dissertation you’ll be supported by a primary supervisor on a one-to-one basis.

“The MSc Public Health equipped me with the skills I needed to successfully gain employment and flourish in roles with a local authority public health team.” Rachel Brown, MSc Public Health

This master’s degree is very applied. Learning reflects real-world multi-disciplinary teams and assessment is by practical tasks. This will prepare you well for employment across the sector, particularly: 

• as a nutrition practitioner in public health, developing, implementing and evaluating nutrition policies and programmes
• as an academic researcher
• as a public health intelligence officer, looking at the incidence, distribution, and possible control of nutrition-related diseases such as obesity

Previous graduates have gone on to work for the Medical Research Council, Health Education England, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Portsmouth City Council, charities such as Action against Hunger and private food companies such as Waitrose.  

Some graduates go on to take a PhD and some are working for themselves as independent consultants or educators.  

Once you successfully complete this course you’ll be able to register as a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutritionists.  

You’ll also gain transferable skills that will improve your employability in whichever career you choose, including: 

• how to conduct research projects
• collaboration, negotiation and influencing skills
• effective communication using a range of methods

Careers services at Southampton

We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV/resume and interview skills workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:

• our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
• a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
• our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK/EU students pay £9,250.
• International students pay £18,812.

Check fees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and all examinations.

10% alumni discount

If you’re a graduate of the University of Southampton you get a 10% discount on your postgraduate tuition fees.

Postgraduate Master’s Loans (UK and EU nationals only)

This can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master's course. Find out if you're eligible.

International Postgraduate Taught Merit Scholarship

You are eligible for this scholarship if you:

• are an international student who hasn’t taken a master's with us before

• are enrolling to start a master's in September 2020

• gained a 1st class honours degree at undergraduate level

If you meet these criteria you’ll be awarded an automatic £3,000 scholarship. This will mean a £3,000 reduction in your tuition fees. We’ll confirm your scholarship in your offer letter.

Unfortunately this offer isn’t open to UK / EU students.

Full terms and conditions.

Other postgraduate funding options

A variety of additional scholarships, grants and bursaries  may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations.

You can apply directly through our online form by using the apply button on this page.

Application deadlines

Single module (CPD) applications

To apply for a single module (CPD), you'll need to fill in a physical application form that you can download from our continuing professional development pages.

Supporting information

When you apply you’ll need to submit a personal statement explaining why you want to take the course. 

You’ll need to include information about: 

• your knowledge of the subject area
• why you want to study a postgraduate qualification in this course
• how you intend to use your qualification

You'll also need to send 2 academic references. 

Please include the required paperwork showing your first degree and your IELTS English language test score (if you are a non-native English speaker) with your application. Without these, your application may be delayed.

You may also be asked to provide:

• a degree transcript
• evidence of professional qualifications

Learn more about how to apply with our postgraduate application guide.

What happens after you apply

You'll be able to track your application through our online Applicant Record System.

We will assess your application on the strength of your:

• academic achievements
• relevant professional experience
• personal statement
• academic references

We'll get back to you within 6 weeks with a decision about your application.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000