BSc (Hons) Food Science, Nutrition and Wellbeing

Year 2 Core Modules

You must study and pass all five core modules

Brief description

The physicochemical characteristics and functionalities of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and their changes during freezing, cooking and processing. Learn the functionalities and applications of commonly used food additives and develop basic chemistry laboratory and scientific writing skills.

Indicative content:

• Basic chemistry.
• Chemical structure and physicochemical properties of water, macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
• Physiochemical and nutritional changes of macronutrients and micro-nutrients during freezing, cooking and processing.
• Food additives – functionalities and applications.
• Basic food analysis techniques.

Brief description

Learn about the functionality of food ingredients and develop food handling skills to apply in the design and promotion of a multi component food recipe.

Indicative content:

• Fundemental Food Handling and Demonstration Skills: Fundamental food handling skills and understanding of how ingredients interact in recipes. Develop ability to modify recipes in order to confidently prepare complex foods.
• Theoretical underpinning of recipe development: Food Ingredients, Industrial Food Ingredients, Unit Processing operations, Food demonstration skills.

Brief description

Using a lifespan model, explore nutrient needs, nutritional status and associated nurtitional issues. 

Indicative content:

• Nutrition during the lifecycle
• Nutrition during pregnancy and lactation
• Nutrition during infancy
• Nutrition in childhood
• Nutrition in adolescence
• Nutrition in adulthood
• Nutrition in ageing
• Nutrition and sports

Brief description

Learn the concepts of public health, development of public health policy and key public health issues. Fundamentals of epidemiology also to be explored. 

Indicative content:

• Food and nutrition policy: Framework of national and local policy and guidelines; models of good practice.
• Health policy and public health: What is health policy? State intervention in health. Development of Green Papers/White Papers/Guidelines for health/Targets and implementation. Influences of global health policy. Structure of public health agencies.
• Policy implementation: Implementation of food and nutrition policy in educational establishments, community food initiatives, local authorities and health services.
• Fundamentals of epidemiology: e.g. concept, measuring disease frequency, study designs for public health.

Brief description

The techniques required to test food using analytical, physico-chemical and sensory analysis techniques.

Indicative content:

• Physicochemical characterisation of foods: pH and titratible acidity, salt analysis using flame photometry, water content and water activity, colorimetry, turbidity measurement, texture analysis using empirical instruments (bostwick consistometer, texture analyser).
• Spectrophotometry, Chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• Sensory evaluation techniques (discrimination tests, ranking, descriptive and affective testing including accompanying statistics).
• Method development for NPD, quality control and quality assurance.

Years 1 and 2 Elective Modules

You must study and pass one elective module of your choosing

Brief description

Introduction of the concept of smart cities - hard infrastructure, social capital including local skills and community institutions, and digital technologies to fuel sustainable economic development and provide an attractive environment for all.

Module content:

• Social impacts

There is an overall need for theoretical and methodological plurality in how we assess the impact and value of future cities in terms for individual and societal well−being. Gaps in our understanding relate to the complex ways individuals and groups engage with built and natural settings, the cultural goods and consequent benefits that may arise and the inequalities associated with these cultural benefits.

• Security

Different types of cyber-attacks that could be launched against a Smart City. Impact of cyber-attacks. Approaches to securing the smart grid and critical infrastructure, i.e. improving cyber resilience.

• Sustainable urban food production

Includes the long established allotments movement to large-scale projects based on sustainability throughout the food chain. Urban food production includes the long established allotments movement. The demand for urban growing also responds to the densification and intensification of living areas, due to population rise, migration and demographic aging with lower housing and ‘garden’ space standards placing greater importance on collective production.

• Energy, waste and water

At present, water and wastewater facilities are often the largest and most energy intensive responsibilities owned and operated by local governments, representing up to 35% of municipal energy use. Future cities will need to utilise more sustainable methods of water and wastewater management and renewable energy production.

• Digital technologies

​Digital technologies will play a major role in creating sustainable and resilient cities offering a vehicle for more inclusive decision−making process and promoting dialog amongst architects, urban planners, the public and technologists.

Brief description

Develop a range of skills, knowledge and techniques within the natural, technological and social sciences relevant to the study of environmental sustainability and life in the twenty-first century. Understand the critical issues that confront humanity and begin to discern appropriate responses.

Module content:

• The challenge of sustainable development
Problems associated with life in the 21st Century and the relationship to scientific provisionalism and uncertainty.

• The genesis of sustainable development concept
Developments associated with the Club of Rome are outlined while Limits to Growth and the Tragedy of the Commons.

• Evolution of sustainable development
The Reo Summit and Suitability, and Policy Developments thereof.

• Scientific inquiry and sustainable development
Controversial issues like climate change, oil peak, and food production and the role of science in helping delimit them as problematic.

• Mainstreaming sustainability
Sustainability and Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience, as individual and social concerns, and their role in transformation.

• Communicating sustainability
Human well-being, Environmental Justice, Environmental Policy and the practicalities of Sustainability in Scotland.

• Sustainable development in practice
Community Empowerment associated with Land Reform. Energy Production and Food Production in Tayside.

• Ethics and sustainability policy
Active citizenship and globalisation.

• Innovating locally, transforming globally
Transformations required to embrace Sustainability.

• Active relationship for sustainable futures
Thinking globally, acting locally.

Brief description

Work in a team to develop game design concepts for serious applications. Gain the knowledge, processes and techniques of game design and study examples of serious games developed to benefit society.

Module content:

•    Overview of Games
A brief history of games, game art and gamification.

•    Games for change
Understanding how games can benefit society.

•    Game mechanics
Deconstructing core components of popular game genres.

•    Gameplay constructs
What is gameplay and how is this broken down and communicated within the game design.

•    The game design process
Conceptualisation, iteration, phases of workflow.

•    Game design theory and practice
Identifying the elements within effective design and how they are implemented.

•    Documenting the design interactive
Oriented design, technical design, capturing requirements.

•    Business models
Exploring methods that can be used to generate revenue within the game design.

Brief description

Develop critical thinking skills that form the basis for progression across the academic disciplines of the university. Learn how to recognise, construct, evaluate, criticise and defend different forms of argument.

Module content:

•    Potential 'timeless' debates 
Debates delivered by internal and external experts on: e.g. existence of God; privacy and civil society; private property; money as source of 'evil'; nature/nurture; free speech; pornography; capital punishment; prostitution; animal experimentation; meaning of justice; abortion; affirmative action; just war; trade union power; good life/good political community; human nature; monarchy; value of democracy; meaning of equality; citizenship rights.

•    Potential 'timely' debates
Debates delivered by internal and external experts on: eg, Scottish independence, academic freedom; drug legalisation; drug use in sport; immigration; free health care; war on terror; EU membership; euthanasia; progressive taxation; race and gender discrimination; gay marriage; human rights; politics/sport; global warming; internet censorship; nuclear power; education league tables; nuclear weapons; GM agriculture; religion; cloning; fair trade; value of contemporary culture.

•    Critical thinking seminars
Follow-up discursive discipline specific seminar sessions led by teaching staff on topics covered in formal debates. Learn to identify types of argument presented, evaluate perspectives and to reflect upon their own reasoning processes and value assumptions. The debates and seminars facilitate a foundation for the acquisition of graduate attributes.

•    WEB CT Wiki discussion forum
Work in small groups to write a short 800 word indicative "Thinking Summary" online Wiki of the arguments presented in each debate. These summaries will be constructed by each designated Thinking Group of three students using the Wiki facility on Blackboard which will facilitate further discussion on the moderated WEB CT discussion forum.

Brief description

The social, managerial, economic, political, and technical challenges and opportunities associated with emerging renewable energy innovation, production, supply and consumption.

Module content:

•    Renewable energy non-technical challenges and opportunities
Social and political challenges and opportunities of renewable energy production supply and consumption. Economic and environmental challenges of renewable energy production supply and consumption. Strategic and managerial challenges of renewable energy production supply and consumption.

•    Renewable energy technological challenges and opportunities
Geotechnical, Geophysical and Hydrographic information; Knowledge of sources of hydrographic information and interpretation of published charts. Forces on structures; Appreciation of the various forces acting on marine structures. Technical limitations and challenges of energy distribution systems and energy storage. Current technological development trend, collaborative innovation in renewable energy.

Brief description

An understanding of the concepts of tolerance, and the importance of making sound ethical decisions. Develop the qualities, characteristics and skills to meet the aspiration for Abertay graduates to become global and active citizens. 

Module content:

•    Introduction to equality and ethics legislation 

•    Diversity competence and moral/ethical reasoning 
Inclusiveness, equal opportunities, positive action, reasonable adjustment.

•    Attributes for the workplace and for global citizenship.

•    Reflective practice 
Application of models of reflective practice.

•    Contemporary issues

Brief description

Learn how to adjust language to suit context. Analyse a range of linguistic issues, including “proper English”, how language can be used to create moral panics, and the ethics of communication.

Module content:

•    “Good English”
The role of standardisation, dialect and idiolect − how we choose language to reflect our identities and our role in a speech or discourse community.

• Language and influence
How the media constructs narratives to persuade or inform the audience (and how to tell the difference).

• Creating a narrative across genres
The conventions, freedoms and limitations of different forms; using these forms in new ways.

• Narrative changes over time
How authors reinvent old stories to reflect current concerns.

• Technical writing
The use and manipulation of data; hearing the author's voice; critiquing "bad science".

• The ethics of communication
 (Electronic) media and ownership, attribution and theft.

Brief description

“Personal” digital safety to make computer security fun, practical and eye-opening.  Learn the base knowledge that will continue to be relevant to future generations of devices.

Module content:

•    Current state of computer security
An overview including legal aspects.

•    Cyber-attacks, vulnerabilities and threats
Malware, Network attacks (denial of service, packet sniffing etc.), bots and rootkits. How the bad guys can obtain your password.

•    Information leakage
Recovery and forensics recovering deleted or corrupted files. What your browser knows about you. Web browser forensics.

•    Securing networks, accounts and devices
Defence against malware, honeypots, Secure protocols, intrusion detection, Password security, Mobile device security.

•    Human aspects of cyber security 
The Psychology of Hackers, Social Engineering, identity theft, Usability vs security.

•    Breaking the code
An introduction to cryptography, Encryption and Decryption, public and private keys, the key exchange problem.

•    History of cryptography 
The Caesar cipher, polyalphabetic ciphers, the Playfair cipher, the role of Enigma and the Bletchley Park cryptographers in WWII.

•    Computers and Crypto Diffie-Hellman and RSA encryption
Phil Zimmerman and “Pretty Good Protection". Quantum Cryptography – Provably unbreakable information hiding. Mathematical Underpinnings – Large prime numbers and why they matter.

•    Steganography
 A picture's worth a thousand words when you're hiding the wood in the trees.

•    The law, society and cryptography 
Why you can be imprisoned for forgetting your password. The Civil Liberties Arguments for and against strong-crypto. International perspectives on information hiding, information freedom, the right to privacy and the conflicts between these. Are unbreakable cyphers an unqualified “good thing”?

Brief description

Develop perspectives on the key challenges faced by humankind such as environmental change, pollution, food security, energy provision, conflicts, terrorism, emerging diseases, and changing demographics. Understand the overwhelming complexity of the problems and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to create solutions.

Module content:

• Interdisciplinary research
  Introductory lectures will discuss the definitions, methods, benefits, challenges, and drawbacks of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches and the role of public policy influencing research
   
• Global challenges
  Challenges from different disciplines. Examples include: Climate Change: causes and impact; Serious Games: science and application of visualization and games; Global Security: valuing ecosystems: balancing policy, economics and environment; Contemporary Challenges to Healthy Living; Food Security: global threats and local needs; Energy Poverty: space travel.

Brief description

Design an activity to communicate and present scientific principles to primary school children. Learn about working as a group and how to communicate complex ideas.

Module content:

• Developing a science communication activity
Target audience, sources of information to identify suitable activities (CfE documentation etc.), health and safety, issues around working with specific groups, accessibility, ethics, costing and sustainability.

• The landscape of engagement and current practice
Types of public engagement activities, target audiences, funding, role of learned societies, universities and other bodies. Public engagement in Dundee and Tayside.

Brief description

Develop the knowledge and awareness required to make good career decisions and the skills and confidence to successfully navigate each stage of the recruitment process for graduate jobs.

Module content:

• Developing self-awareness
  Profiling of personal strengths, values and priorities in relation to career choice.
   
• Developing opportunity awareness
  Generating career ideas based on your personal profile; Exploring the range of graduate opportunities within job sectors of interest; Reviewing occupations that are directly related to your own subject discipline.
   
• Developing a career action plan
  Matching your personal profile with best fit opportunities in the job market; Creating a timeline of actions to improve your prospects of meeting your aim.

• Developing job seeking skills
  Sourcing suitable job opportunities - both advertised and unadvertised; Creating a professional image online; Identifying the skills and qualities employers look for in graduates; Learning how to produce targeted applications for specific job roles; Practising the presentation of your strengths and motivations in face to face selection activities.

Brief description

Learn about natural disaster such as landslides and flooding, structural disasters such as the Tay Rail Bridge and the system of critical infrastructure (such as road, rail, air and shipping transport networks, power grid, gas and water networks, health system) that constitute the backbone of modern societies.

Module content:

•    Overview of the scope and the content of concept of critical infrastructure failure during natural disasters and resilience against such failures
The consequences of geophysical, hydrological and meteorological disasters on critical infrastructure and critical infrastructure protection capabilities against natural disasters. Interdependencies of critical infrastructures during large disasters, presents a brief review of current research being done in this field, and presents a methodology to address interdependencies.

•    The identification of the vulnerabilities of the critical systems
The critical systems upon which modern society, economy, and polity depend. The identification of the vulnerabilities of these systems threats that might exploit these vulnerabilities. The effort to develop techniques to mitigate these vulnerabilities through improved design.

•     Flooding in Scotland
General overview of fluvial, pluvial and coastal flooding, the structural, economic and societal impact and responses to flooding. Resources will include historical examples, current policies and information (including SEPA flood maps). Case study (with virtual/actual field visit?) the Perth Floods of 1990 and 1993 and the Perth flood defence scheme*

•    Landslide origins, types and mitigations
General overview what landslides are, why they happen and what can be done to prevent them.

•    Structural failure
An example such as why the Tay Bridge failed and what it meant for the Forth Rail Bridge.

•    Reports and investigations
The role of reports in accident and disaster investigations in creating informative reports; case studies of accidents, disasters, learning from history, learning from case studies, learning from common law

Brief description

Introduction to the skills and knowledge needed to launch a small business successfully. This module will define and help you acquire the personal and professional skills needed to develop a professional career and/or to succeed as entrepreneurs in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Module content:

• Understanding entrepreneurship.
   
• Generating successful business ideas.
   
• Environmental scanning.
   
• Developing a credible business plan that includes evaluating business ideas.
   
• Presenting the business idea.

Brief description

Learn how we approach and understand mental health, from historic, social, therapeutic, and individual perspectives. Explore questions such as ‘what is madness?’, ‘how does society position people with mental illness?’, and ‘how do we best respond to challenges to our mental health?’

Module content:

• Historical and cultural perspective on mental illness
  How do we ‘think’ about mental health, and mental ill health?
   
• Diagnosis and the anti-psychiatry movement
  Who holds the power to decide what is normal in terms of psychological well-being and behaviour?
   
• Gender, culture and mental health
  How gendered cultural expectations and representations influence how we respond to mental health issues.
   
• Media representations
  The impact of film and literature on attitudes and understandings of mental health.
   
• Resilience, treatment and recovery
  Common mental health problems in the UK, treatment and management, and frameworks for enhancing well-being and resilience.

Brief description

An introduction to the wide range of disciplines in forensic investigation. Learn how crimes are investigated from the moment of reporting through to the presentation of the evidence in court. A hypothetical case study provides an over-arching framework in which to explore the critical aspects of forensic investigations. It involves not only physical and electronic evidence, but also statements from witnesses, suspects and victims which requires cross discipline collaboration of professionals.

Module content:

• Crime scene investigation
How a crime scene is examined in the context of incomplete contextual information and to avoid loss or contamination of evidence and the maximising of the value of evidential material.

• Media involvement
Positive and negative effects of the media/public interest in the crime.

• Forensic biology
Examination and evidential value of body fluids, DNA, hairs and fibres.

• Forensic chemistry
Analysis for drugs, toxicological analysis, firearms, explosives, and trace evidence.

• Digital sources
Evidence from CCT, mobile phones, computer hardware, on−line behaviour.

• Forensic reasoning and practice
An introduction to forensic problem solving, thinking styles, case assessment and interpretation.

• Psychology of witnesses and suspects
False confessions, offender profiling, effects and avoidance of cognitive bias in forensic science through process design.

Year 3 Option Modules

In Term 1, you must study and pass three modules from the six modules below. You must choose FOD307 if you plan to choose FOD302 in Term 2. Do not select FOD307 if you plan to choose FOD308 and SPS408 in Term 2. 

Brief description

Preparation for your Placement period and for research skills.

Indicative content:

• Briefing sessions: Issues re: induction, confidentiality, Health and Safety, realistic expectations and assessment. Prior to start of placement you, the employer and placement tutor will agree task(s) involved in the learning opportunities to be developed and expected outcomes.
• CV writing
• Development of reflective learning techniques
• Data Handling and Numeracy Skills: Basic statistics for food science: parametric tests: t tests, (independent, one sample, paired t-tests, Shapiro wilks normality test, Levene’s homogeneity of variance test); non parametric tests: Kruscal Wallis, Mann Whitney test; linear regression, test for associations.

Brief description 

A practical module providing research tools and theoretical enquiry into consumer orientated reasons for poor dietary choices and the potential technical and psychological solutions.

Indicative content 

• Satiety/obesity and CVD explored in terms of drivers of consumption: Genetic and ageing differences in sensory perception explored. Supertasters (bitter reception/ fat taste – CD36) Chewing strategies and satietyBiomarkers, hormones and receptors e.g. satiety Cognitive factors] Sociological approach
• Research methods: Methodological review of techniques – strengths and weaknesses. e.g. Attitudinal scoring does it predict behaviour ? Working knowledge on a variety of techniques Basic report writing skills. Accuracy, Data presentation and analysis, Experimental critique, and Report Structure
• Solutions/interventions Psychological, medical and technical solutions investigated

Brief description

This module provides you with knowledge about interactions of nutrients with other components (non-nutrient food components; gene and drug interactions). The module gives also information about methods used for assessment of the nutritional status and an introduction to nutritional genomics.

Indicative content

• Introduction to nutritional genomics: 1 – Genetic fundamentals 1.2 – Genetics and Nutrition (Nutrigenomics & Nutrigenetics)
• Food-Drug interactions: 2.1 – Drug use and nutritional Status 2.2 – Drug effects on Food and Nutrients 2.3 – Food and Nutrient effects on drugs 2.4 – Alcohol (as a drug)- absorption, metabolism and effects on health
• Non-nutrient components in foods: 3.1 – Bioactives and their metabolic activity 3.2 – Main Classes of anti-nutrients and their effect on nutrient’s bioavailability 3.3 – Adverse reactions to Food/Food components
• Functional Foods: 4.1 – Definition of Functional Foods and their health benefits 4.2 – Functional Foods (Prebiotics and Probiotics) 4.3 - Functional Components
• Laboratory data in nutrition assessment: 5.1 – Indicators of Protein-Energy Malnutrition (undernutrition- starvation and chronic undernutrition) 5.2 – Inflammation and Biochemical Assessment 5.3 – Markers of vitamins status (overview of function and deficiency) 5.4 – Markers of iron status (overview of function and deficiency)

Brief description

Introduction to the basic unit operations and food processing technologies used in the food and drink manufacturing industry.

Indicative content:

• Basic processing concepts for example: Heat transfer; thermal properties of food, modes of heat transfer, modes of heating; mass balance; flow of liquids; size reduction and mixing.

Brief description

The issues related to the management of food safety and quality systems in food environments, throughout the food supply chain.

Indicative content:

• Contamination of foods and its prevention: Bacteriology, physical, chemical and microbiological contamination of food and its prevention. Carry out risk analysis, identify hazards and indicate suitable controls.
• Safety management: Assessment of existing HACCP plans, design and implementation of new HACCP plans and safety management systems.
• Legislation and other requirements: Food Safety Act 1990, EC Regulations, Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations, FSA, European Food Safety Authority, BRC and ISO standards, hygienic design of food premises.

Brief description

You are provided with a 10 week unpaid work placement that provides practical experience of the world of work in food and consumer studies. This gives an opportunity to develop useful employability and interpersonal skills.

Indicative content:

• Briefing: Final preparation for placement building on an earlier module, Professional Practice.
• Placement: Individual learning experiences will vary depending on the organisation/agency to which you are attached. You undertake a 10 week unpaid work placement. You are visited at least once during your placement period by a university supervisor.
• Debriefing: Follows immediately upon completion of the period of work placement and is designed to offer guidance to help you transfer your learning experience back into the university-based setting and for consideration of future learning.

Brief description

In this module you will learn the principles of assessment and exercise programming, examine acute and chronic outcomes of training to improve health and undertake several physiological/fitness tests. You will also learn how to use the fitness tests results to plan, implement and evaluate individualised and safe evidence-based exercise programmes that will help clients achieve their health goals.

Indicative content

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theoretical and scientific basis of health related fitness testing and training.
• Explain and critique acute and chronic responses to exercise.
• Critically appraise and be proficient in a range of assessments of health related fitness.

In Term 2, you must choose either FOD302 or FOD308 and SPS408.

Brief description

The placement is a planned part of your education. It is designed to complement and extend the academic programme and provides an opportunity for you to accept responsibility for your own personal and professional development, learning and training.

Indicative content

• Briefing: Final preparation for placement building on Professional Development for Placement and Research module - in semester 1 (FOD307)
• Placement: Individual learning experiences will vary depending on the organisation/ agency to which a student is attached. Each student will undertake an unpaid work placement during Term 2.
• Debriefing: Follows immediately upon completion of the period of work placement and is designed to offer guidance to the student in order to better enable them to transfer their learning experiences and to future learning.

Brief description

The Lifestyle Management module is designed to enhance communication skills to support behaviour change intervention strategies that are used to elicit lifestyle change to promote positive health and wellbeing. 

Indicative content

The aim of this Module is to provide the you with: Effective communication, Self-awareness, Listening skills
Management skills: Practicalities of management, administration and organisation of client.
Behaviour Change: Identify Influences on behaviour. Understanding and assessing behaviour, Individual behaviour and motivation, Determinants and factors that impact on behaviour and motivation.
Time management: Aspects of time management. Changing time management. Effective planning.
Goal Setting: Identifying Goals. Developing Practical Realistic goals. Short long term goals. Achieving goals.
Behaviour Change Models: Models of behaviour change. Social cognitive theory, relapse prevention model, ecological theories of behaviour, stages of readiness. Moderators mediators of change. Behaviour change process.
Promoting Adherence: Self efficacy. Social Support. Behaviour change skills, Impact of habitual behaviour, Factors that affect adherence. Overcoming barriers.

Year 4 Core Modules

You must study and pass SCN421 in Term 1 and SCN422 in Term 2

Brief description

This module provides you with the theoretical underpinning required to pursue a detailed investigation of a research topic of choice. It explores the qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and the range of statistical analysis techniques used in conducting research, as well as the development of project management skills.

Indicative content

• Introduction to Research: The nature and purpose of research; different types of research (quantitative qualitative, mixed methods, developmental, practice based) and their mapping within different philosophical paradigms (positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism); strengths and weaknesses.
• Dealing with Practical Issues: The research process; identifying a research topic and setting research objectives; developing a research strategy; characteristics of a good research project; ethical issues in conducting research.
• Searching and Reviewing the Literature: The purposes and main steps of a literature review; searching, evaluating, organizing and synthesizing the relevant literature; and, writing a literature review and managing bibliographic records. In addition, developing research questions for qualitative and quantitative research; and identifying characteristics/attributes.
• Data Collection and Analysis: Approaches to data collection and analysis (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, iterative); questionnaire design; populations, samples, and sampling methods; data Mining.
• Writing your Research Proposal: Identifying a research problem or issue, the purpose of the research and the main research question(s); choosing the research strategy and methods; writing a research proposal. In addition: discussing findings, formulating conclusions, making recommendations, and reporting; planning, executing, writing up, and submitting a dissertation.
• Descriptive Statistics for Quantitative and Qualitative Data: Summarizing and visualizing data sets; finding trends in data and formulating a research hypothesis.
• Introduction to Probability and Statistical Inference: Basic concepts of probability and probability distribution; discrete and continuous random variables; basic probability distributions; introduction to the hypothesis testing procedure.
• The Hypothesis Testing Procedure: Parametric and non-parametric tests; Chi-squared Test for Association; Independent Sample t-Test; One and Two Way Analysis of Variance ANOVA; power calculation and sample size estimation
• Correlation and Regression: Relationship between two numeric variables, dependent and independent variable; Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient; Simple Linear Regression.
• Multiple Regression: Multiple Regression Analysis and introduction to the General Linear Model.

Brief description

This module allows you to develop your own intellectual processes and communication skills in the pursuit of research goals substantially defined by you.

Indicative content

• Project Work: Effectively and efficiently conduct the project into a specific aspect of your discipline, under the supervision of a named academic or academic team.
• Project Log /Lab Book: Keep accurate records of your work in an appropriate format.
• Communication of findings: Produce a final project report within the discipline specific guidelines. Present the outcomes of the research project by means of a poster presentation.

Year 4 Option Modules

You must study and pass two option modules in Term 1 and one option module in Term 2. You can only take one of the modules marked with an asterisk if not taken in Year 3. Please see Programme Leader for advice/approval.

Brief description

This module will cover methods use in nutritional epidemiology with its limitations and benefits. The module will provide information related to design, implementation and analysis of epidemiologic studies that address questions of dietary intake and nutritional status.

Indicative content

• Nutritional and physical activity assessment methods (revision and limitations)
• Nutrition epidemiology – an overview.
• Study designs in nutritional epidemiology.
• Biomarkers in nutritional epidemiology.
• Methods to establish link between diet and chronic diseases.
• Measuring exposure and outcomes
• Biostatistics (applied to nutritional epidemiology).
• Significance of evaluation of nutrition in maintaining and driving public health agendas.

Brief description

A project-based module. Gain the skills in applying qualitative and quantitative techniques to conduct a product development project (up to concept and businesses plan stage) in the food industry.

Indicative content:

• Food New Product Development theory and practice: RG Cooper stage gate model and food modifications. Idea generation and screening. Ideas, concepts and specifications (the development). Concept development and screening “me too”, incremental and radical innovation in the food industry. Factors critical for successful food new product development.
• Consumer research: Primary and secondary market research. Qualitative and quantitative consumer research for NPD. Focus groups for concept building, developing and screening. Shop surveys.
• Business plan: Own label versus branded. Basic financial appraisal of NPD project. Appropriate marketing and price strategy. Introduction to scale up and production issues from and NPD perspective.
• Food ingredients: Modern food ingredients explored. Food additives – functionality, interactions. Raw materials managed.

Brief description

This module will examine the role of physical activity for special populations. It will examine how participation in physical activity has the potential to enhance physical, social and mental health and well−being. The challenges of getting different population groups to engage in physical activity will also be examined.

Indicative content

• Guidelines: Population physical activity guidelines.
• Benefits: Physical, social and mental health benefits associated with physical activity
• Needs and Challenges: Identification of Physical activity needs and challenges associated with engaging different groups in physical activity.
• Participation: Examine participation trends associated with different populations
• Exploration of attitudes, beliefs and values: Exploration of attitudes, beliefs and values of different populations regarding physical activity.

Brief description

Introduction to the basic unit operations and food processing technologies used in the food and drink manufacturing industry.

Indicative content:

• Basic processing concepts for example: Heat transfer; thermal properties of food, modes of heat transfer, modes of heating; mass balance; flow of liquids; size reduction and mixing.

Brief description 

A practical module providing research tools and theoretical enquiry into consumer orientated reasons for poor dietary choices and the potential technical and psychological solutions.

Indicative content 

• Satiety/obesity and CVD explored in terms of drivers of consumption: Genetic and ageing differences in sensory perception explored. Supertasters (bitter reception/ fat taste – CD36) Chewing strategies and satietyBiomarkers, hormones and receptors e.g. satiety Cognitive factors] Sociological approach
• Research methods: Methodological review of techniques – strengths and weaknesses. e.g. Attitudinal scoring does it predict behaviour ? Working knowledge on a variety of techniques Basic report writing skills. Accuracy, Data presentation and analysis, Experimental critique, and Report Structure
• Solutions/interventions Psychological, medical and technical solutions investigated

Brief description

This module provides you with knowledge about interactions of nutrients with other components (non-nutrient food components; gene and drug interactions). The module gives also information about methods used for assessment of the nutritional status and an introduction to nutritional genomics.

Indicative content

• Introduction to nutritional genomics: 1 – Genetic fundamentals 1.2 – Genetics and Nutrition (Nutrigenomics & Nutrigenetics)
• Food-Drug interactions: 2.1 – Drug use and nutritional Status 2.2 – Drug effects on Food and Nutrients 2.3 – Food and Nutrient effects on drugs 2.4 – Alcohol (as a drug)- absorption, metabolism and effects on health
• Non-nutrient components in foods: 3.1 – Bioactives and their metabolic activity 3.2 – Main Classes of anti-nutrients and their effect on nutrient’s bioavailability 3.3 – Adverse reactions to Food/Food components
• Functional Foods: 4.1 – Definition of Functional Foods and their health benefits 4.2 – Functional Foods (Prebiotics and Probiotics) 4.3 - Functional Components
• Laboratory data in nutrition assessment: 5.1 – Indicators of Protein-Energy Malnutrition (undernutrition- starvation and chronic undernutrition) 5.2 – Inflammation and Biochemical Assessment 5.3 – Markers of vitamins status (overview of function and deficiency) 5.4 – Markers of iron status (overview of function and deficiency)

Brief description

The issues related to the management of food safety and quality systems in food environments, throughout the food supply chain.

Indicative content:

• Contamination of foods and its prevention: Bacteriology, physical, chemical and microbiological contamination of food and its prevention. Carry out risk analysis, identify hazards and indicate suitable controls.
• Safety management: Assessment of existing HACCP plans, design and implementation of new HACCP plans and safety management systems.
• Legislation and other requirements: Food Safety Act 1990, EC Regulations, Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations, FSA, European Food Safety Authority, BRC and ISO standards, hygienic design of food premises.

Brief description

In this module you will learn the principles of assessment and exercise programming, examine acute and chronic outcomes of training to improve health and undertake several physiological/fitness tests. You will also learn how to use the fitness tests results to plan, implement and evaluate individualised and safe evidence-based exercise programmes that will help clients achieve their health goals.

Indicative content

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theoretical and scientific basis of health related fitness testing and training.
• Explain and critique acute and chronic responses to exercise.
• Critically appraise and be proficient in a range of assessments of health related fitness.

Brief description

This module explores the role of nutrition on the prevention and management of a variety of diseases.

Indicative content

• Risk factors for major causes of illness - use of epidemiological and intervention studies to characterise risk factors for major causes of morbidity and mortality
• Principles of the management of diseases (e.g. cancer, anaemia, diabetes type 2, gastrointestinal disorders; metabolic disorders)
• Role of Nutrition in the prevention of diseases
• Dietary intervention strategies
• Nutrition support (e.g. enteral and parenteral nutrition)

Brief description

The development and design of a product formulation and production process for a defined food product concept, and the production and marketing of the product at pilot scale.

Indicative content

• Product Development: Kitchen Scale development of a concept through to development of a commercial formulation.
• Experimental Design: Application of experimental design in food prototype and pilot scale development of a food product.
• Upscaling: Upscale of kitchen formula for generating large enough number of units for market evaluation.
• Market Evaluation: Quantitative consumer market evaluation.
• Feasibility Assessment: A study of the requirements and feasibility of factory scale manufacture, including financial analysis and food safety considerations.
• Additional Concerns: Consideration of ethical, legal and social issues, including product and plant safety and environmental impact.
• Commercialisation: Commercialisation and product launch.

Brief description

The Lifestyle Management module is designed to enhance communication skills to support behaviour change intervention strategies that are used to elicit lifestyle change to promote positive health and wellbeing. 

Indicative content

The aim of this Module is to provide the you with: Effective communication, Self-awareness, Listening skills
Management skills: Practicalities of management, administration and organisation of client.
Behaviour Change: Identify Influences on behaviour. Understanding and assessing behaviour, Individual behaviour and motivation, Determinants and factors that impact on behaviour and motivation.
Time management: Aspects of time management. Changing time management. Effective planning.
Goal Setting: Identifying Goals. Developing Practical Realistic goals. Short long term goals. Achieving goals.
Behaviour Change Models: Models of behaviour change. Social cognitive theory, relapse prevention model, ecological theories of behaviour, stages of readiness. Moderators mediators of change. Behaviour change process.
Promoting Adherence: Self efficacy. Social Support. Behaviour change skills, Impact of habitual behaviour, Factors that affect adherence. Overcoming barriers.