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Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKNBUNutrition Bulletin0141-96842003 British Nutrition Foundation

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News and Views

UG and PG degree programmes at University of SurreyJane Morgan

Correspondence:

Dr Jane Morgan MSc PhD SRD, Reader Childhood Nutrition, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK. E-mail: j.morgan@surrey.ac.uk

NEWS AND VIEWS: EDUCATION

Undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in nutrition, food science and dietetics in the School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Surrey

Jane Morgan

University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Introduction

There has never been such a rich pool of potentialundergraduates, ideally placed to launch themselves intohigher education and on to a range of challengingcareers based on food science and technology (Valentine2001). In November 2002, the British Nutrition Foun-dation recognised six dedicated sixth-form students fortheir excellent commitment and work at A-level in afood-related course. The calibre of students studyingfood and nutrition post-16 remains, as ever, high. As inprevious years, many of the prize-winners are continu-ing their passion for food and nutrition by undertakinga degree in a food-related discipline. There are greatopportunities for sixth-form leavers now consideringundertaking a degree in food science and technology,human nutrition or dietetics.

The University of Surrey has one of the longest-estab-lished departments of human nutrition in the UK andhas internationally recognised expertise in diet-relatedareas. Surrey was one of the first established universitiesto offer undergraduate degree programmes in nutritionaccredited by professional bodies. Now some threedecades later Surrey is widely recognised as the UKleader in nutrition teaching, conducted within a 5*Aresearch-rated School of Biomedical and Life Sciencesproviding undergraduate and postgraduate programmeswhich continue to be extremely popular and relevant tothe needs of today’s professionals.

Undergraduate degree programmes

BSc Honours Nutrition (B400), BSc Honours Nutrition/Dietetics (B401), BSc Honours Nutrition and Food Science (BD46)

Who are the programmes for?

The Nutrition (B400) degree provides a comprehensiveand therefore wide-ranging programme in nutritionalscience which enables graduates to work as professionalnutritionists in public health, industry or research. Thusgraduates find employment in government agencies,with major food companies or with research institutes.

The majority who follow the Nutrition/Dietetics(B401) programme and graduate with eligibility forState Registration in Dietetics, start their career in theNational Health Service (NHS) in order to consolidatetheir training and broaden their experience. Promotionthrough the dietetic grades is usually rapid and seniorand even chief grades can soon be reached. Some of ourgraduates who have chosen not to enter or have left theNHS hold highly responsible jobs within major foodcompanies, work as dietitians in other countries or workin private practice.

Graduates of the Nutrition and Food Science (BD46)programme enter a wide range of careers within thefood industry, encompassing food technology throughto management. Emphasis given to the toxicologicaland legislative aspects of food production in our pro-grammes makes our graduates especially suited for acareer within the European Union.

The nutrition programmes at Surrey are career ori-ented. They include periods of placement in host insti-tutions such as hospitals, in industry, with retailers andin research establishments. Placements are very valuable

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for undergraduates’ personal and professional develop-ment (Griffin 2001). There are also many reciprocalbenefits for both the host institution (Bennoson 2001)and university (Seal 2001).

Thus, graduates are in great demand for nutrition-related posts both in the UK and abroad. In addition asthe programmes provide a rigorous, demanding andintellectual training, those who choose not to enter acareer related to their degree programme have no trou-ble entering professions such as banking, accountancyand personnel management.

With such a wide range of career opportunities avail-able, it is not surprising that the University of Surrey hasone of the best graduate employment records in the UK.

Outside recognition

The Nutrition/Dietetics (B401) programme is accreditedby the external professional body (The Health Profes-sions Council) and successful completion of the pro-gramme leads to State Registration in Dietetics. Whilestudying, student membership of the British DieteticAssociation (BDA) is available.

The Nutrition and Food Science (BD46) programmeis accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Tech-nology (IFST) and on graduation eligibility for full IFSTmembership is available.

Professional bodies which give accreditation requirecertain subjects to be studied and therefore these twoprogrammes have rather more core (compulsory) mod-ules than the Nutrition (B400) programme which allowsmore flexibility of module choice, especially at Levels 2and 3 (see below).

Whichever programme is followed student member-ship of the Nutrition Society is available.

Programme structure

All the degree programmes offered in the School of Bio-medical and Life Sciences have a modular structure, givinga range of modules from which to choose each year. Thismakes it relatively easy to transfer from one programmeto another, although the number we can admit to theNutrition/Dietetics programme is governed by the NHS.

At each level (year) of the programme, 12 or 13 mod-ules can be taken. The assessment is based at each levelon the performance in the 12 modules with the highestmarks. Successful completion of each module brings anaward of 10 credits, and for a BSc Honours Degree atotal of 360 credits is required. At Level 1 a foreign lan-guage can be chosen as a module. For B400 or BD46this could increase the chance of getting one of our over-seas Professional Training Year Placements.

Entrance requirements

• Normally three A-levels are required. These mustinclude two science A-levels and it is recommended (butnot essential) that one of these be in biology, togetherwith either one further A-level or two AS-levels.• A-level Chemistry is advantageous but not essential.GCSE Chemistry or Double Science is required for theNutrition and Food Science (at C Grade), Nutrition andNutrition/Dietetics programmes.• Other suitable qualifications include approved AccessCourse, Advanced GNVQ in Science (Distinction) withone science A-level, BTEC National Diploma and Cer-tificate in suitable subjects, Scottish and Irish Highersand the European and International Baccalaureates.

Assessment

Modules are assessed in a number of ways with themajority being assessed by both coursework and exam-ination. Examinations are held at the end of both semes-ters and all assessments for any one level are completedby June of the academic year in which the modules arestudied.

Postgraduate degree programme

MSc in Nutritional Medicine

(text taken from the course brochure)

Who is the programme for?

The interface between nutrition and health is of impor-tance to physicians, gastroenterologists, pathologists, sur-geons, anaesthetists, general practitioners, dietitians,other health-care workers, pharmacists, nutritionists, sci-entists and those in the food and food supplement indus-tries, for whom no equivalent course exists at present. TheMSc programme is CME and PGEA accredited and is rec-ognised by the BDA as suitable for the higher educationqualification required for the Diploma of Advanced Die-tetic Practice. Graduates of the programme are eligible forprofessional membership of the IFST.

Programme objectives

The aim of the programme is to inform and educatethose to whom the public turns for advice on nutrition-ally related aspects of health and disease and thoseinvolved in the manufacture of food and food supple-ments. Participants will learn to take a critical andscholarly approach to theory, practice, literature and

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research findings within the subject resulting in a greaterunderstanding of the range and potential of nutritionalmanagement of disease risk. They will gain knowledgeof the tools necessary to investigate diseases of metab-olism caused by nutritional imbalances so that they canunderstand and apply the concepts of Nutritional Med-icine in relation to current needs.

Programme structure

The modular, part-time programme has been designedfor those in full-time employment, consisting of 12, 3-day, taught periods at the University of Surrey, precededby preparatory study (for which carefully selecteddistance-learning materials will be provided), and fol-lowed by consolidation and assessment. Many moduleshave a special theme dinner as part of the learning pro-cess. The Postgraduate Diploma will be awarded on sat-isfactory completion of eight modules, two of which (thecore modules) are compulsory. Additional requirementsfor the MSc degree are a further taught module (nine intotal), and a research project, which will normally becarried out at the participant’s place of work, e.g. hos-pital, surgery, clinic or pharmacy. Literature-basedprojects are also acceptable, and in exceptional circum-stances, candidates may be able to complete all 12 mod-ules. A Postgraduate Certificate may be awarded on thecompletion of four modules. Modules, which are inde-pendent, can also be taken as stand-alone short courses.

Those registering for the MSc or PostgraduateDiploma are strongly recommended to begin the pro-gramme by attending the two core modules, which arerepeated every year, and must in any case take thesemodules at the first opportunity after registration.

Length of study

The MSc degree programme may be taken over a min-imum of 2 years or up to a maximum of 6 years. A max-imum period of 4 years is allowed for the PostgraduateDiploma, while the Postgraduate Certificate must becompleted within 3 years.

Entrance requirements

Graduates in medicine or those with a good honoursdegree in appropriate science or health disciplines areeligible for admission to the MSc or PostgraduateDiploma programme. In exceptional circumstances non-graduates may be admitted but they may be required topass an entrance examination. There are no formalrequirements for course participants not wishing to reg-

ister for the MSc/Postgraduate Diploma, although ascientific background to at least degree level is stronglyrecommended. Applicants must be able to demonstratecompetence in both written and spoken English.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on a written assignment,requiring answers both to short questions and essayquestions which will be carried out in the 2-monthperiod following attendance at each module. Theproject will be assessed by the supervisor and one inter-nal examiner, on the basis of a written report.

Fees

The registration fee is £195 and the cost per module is£575 (£675 for nonregistered participants) to includedistance-learning materials (with the exception of somebooks), lunches, tea and coffee. The cost for the researchproject or dissertation is £1725 to cover supervisionand examination. If the location of the project is outsidethe UK, participants may additionally be liable for thecost of one return trip by their supervisor to the location.

MSc in Food Safety

Programme overview

Public concerns over food safety issues have grown overthe last decade. There has been a decline in the public’sperception of the quality and safety of food, and in theirconfidence in scientists and the regulatory process. Thispoor perception, justified to an extent by recent eventssuch as BSE, Foot and Mouth,

E. coli

O157, etc., haspresented government, industry and the regulatoryauthorities with some difficult problems.

One approach to solve these problems and to help dis-pel these loudly voiced concerns, is to ensure that keypersonnel in industry, at all levels in the regulatorymachinery, and ideally also within the consumer organ-isations, receive a thorough training in the scientificprinciples, good manufacturing practice and knowledgebase that underpin the regulatory process. It is alsoimportant that updating of this knowledge base is avail-able as required.

Programme objectives

• To provide multi-disciplinary training in food safetyby bringing together experts from the University andoutside (e.g. industry, regulatory authorities, researchorganisations).

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• To give students in-depth working knowledge of thescientific principles and application of a complementaryrange of techniques used for food safety evaluation,assurance and monitoring.• To ensure that students are scientifically competent todesign, plan and manage studies, and to critically reviewand interpret data.• To enhance the students’ written and oral communi-cations skills, particularly with respect to report writingand oral presentations of data, both to specialist andnon-specialist audiences.• To develop in the student an awareness of the professionalresponsibilities required of a practising food scientist.

Length of study

The modular training programme is based on a series ofintensive four or five day short courses. Each course isself-contained and is individually assessed. Courses aresupported by extensive distance learning material. Thelanguage of instruction is English. The MSc may betaken over a minimum of two–three years up to a max-imum normally of five years. The maximum for a Post-graduate Diploma is normally four years and aPostgraduate Certificate three years.

Entrance requirements

Short Courses:

There are no formal entrance require-ments for course participants not wishing to register forthe MSc/Diploma/Certificate, although a scientific back-ground to at least degree level is recommended.

Higher Awards:

Those candidates wishing to registerfor the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diplomaor a MSc at the University must satisfy the General Reg-ulation for Higher Awards of the University for studentspursuing courses of study on a modular basis. In par-ticular candidates should be qualified to at least UK sci-ence degree level, or equivalent, in a relevant sciencesubject. Non-graduates with suitable professional qual-ifications and/or work experience will be considered ona case by case basis and referred to the Head of Schoolfor approval, in accordance with the University GeneralRegulations. Application to register for a higher awardwill normally take place following the second moduleattended by a candidate. Retrospective registration ispermitted provided not more than four modules havebeen completed.

It will often be possible for academic credit awardedthrough study at Masters level at another higher educa-

tion institution which is directly relevant to the partic-ular programme outcomes for this programme to betransferred in to gain exemption from certain taughtmodules. Professional qualifications or experience at theappropriate level may also be considered. Applicantswishing to apply for credit transfer should contact theProgramme Director to discuss the process in detailinggeneral and subject to agreement of both academic insti-tutions, it is possible to transfer credits (modules) fromone Masters Degree to another.

Enquiries

BSc programmes

For further information and copiesof the Undergraduate Prospectus please contact:

Mrs Maureen Biffen, School of Biomedical andLife Sciences, University of Surrey, GuildfordGU2 7XH, UK. Tel.:

+

44(0)1483 686420; Fax:

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44(0)1483 576978; E-mail: m.biffen@surrey.ac.uk;http://www.surrey.ac.uk/sbs

MSc Nutritional Medicine

For further information,application forms, copies of the Postgraduate Prospec-tus, please contact:

Mrs Julie Paice, School of Biomedical and Life Sci-ences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.Tel:.

+

44(0)1483 686465; Fax:

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44(0)1483 686481; E-mail: j.paice@surrey.ac.uk; http://www.surrey.ac.uk/sbs

MSc Food Safety

For further information, applicationforms, copies of the Postgraduate Prospectus, pleasecontact:

Miss Mercedes Romano, Programme Administrator,Modular Training Programme in Food Safety, School ofBiomedical and Life Sciences, University of Surrey,Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH. Tel:.

+

44(0)1483 686413;E-mail: m.romano@surrey.ac.uk; http://www.surrey.ac.uk/SBS/pg_taught_courses/food-safety.htm

For general information about careers in nutritionand degree courses see the BNF (http://www.nutrition.org.uk) and the Nutrition Society (http://www.nutsoc.org.uk) websites.

References

Bennoson

J (2001) A step in the right direction: an employer’s per-spective.

Nutrition Bulletin

26

: 225–6.Griffin

C (2001) A step in the right direction.

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: 223–5.

Seal

C (2001) A step in the right direction: a placement tutor’s per-spective.

Nutrition Bulletin

26

: 226.Valentine

S (2001) Gi’s a job.

Nutrition Bulletin

26

: 193–4.