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Food and nutrition courses

Food and nutrition specialists are always in demand, playing crucial roles in everything from product development to public health. On our food and nutrition courses you'll engage with some of the most important ideas and debates in this fast-moving sector. 

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Create, test, innovate

Experiment and develop ideas in £3.5 million specialist kitchens, laboratories and food technology facilities.

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Advance your career

Study courses accredited by the AfN and IFST, gaining expertise recognised across the food and nutrition sector.

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Stand out to employers

Build your confidence and CV through live projects, placements and collaboration with major employers.


Why study food and nutrition at Sheffield Hallam?

Study Food and Nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University and gain the knowledge and practical skills to make a real impact on people’s health and the future of the food sector. Explore how:

  • food is developed and manufactured,
  • how our dietary choices affect both wellbeing and the planet, and
  • how nutrition can support healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.

You’ll also build strong scientific and technical expertise while engaging with the contemporary issues shaping the sector, developing a critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing today’s food and nutrition industries.

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Get industry recognition from day one

Our courses are accredited by leading professional bodies, including the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST). You’ll gain industry-recognised expertise and a strong foundation for a career in one of the UK’s largest and most innovative sectors.

You’ll also be part of our supportive Sheffield Business School community. Our school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), placing us in the top business schools worldwide. Follow our Sheffield Business School Instagram to see real student life, course experiences, and what it’s like to study here.

Logos for AACSB accredited, Association for Nutrition and IFST accredited degree course

Turn the subject you love into a career

Apply your learning to real-world challenges through live projects, placements and collaboration with major food manufacturers and retailers, such as Sheffield City Council, Premier Foods, Co-op, Kellogg’s and Sainsbury's. You'll also benefit from conferences, field trips, and an active student community, supported by a friendly and experienced academic team to help you thrive. 

You’ll gain hands-on experience by analysing food composition, health and performance, while building digital skills through specialist diet assessment and portfolio software; preparing you for placements and future careers in the sector. 
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Learn from the experts

You’ll be taught by experienced academics and industry professionals with expertise across food science and nutrition. Their specialist knowledge includes:

  • public health and food safety
  • sports nutrition and behaviour change
  • sustainability, food production and microbiology.

This ensures your learning is informed by current research and real-world practice, helping you develop industry relevant skills.

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Train in industry standard food and nutrition facilities

You’ll learn in £3.5 million, state-of-the-art development kitchens and specialist laboratories, using industry-standard equipment. Our food and nutrition facilities include:

  • product development kitchens
  • food technology pilot plant
  • nutrition and food science labs
  • physiology lab
  • sensory evaluation suite.

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Your questions answered

What placement opportunities are available for food and nutrition students?

On our undergraduate courses, you’ll have the opportunity to take a year long work placement between your second and third years, gaining valuable experience in the food and nutrition sector.

This allows you to apply your learning in a professional setting and graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to strengthen your CV. Previous students have secured placements with organisations such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Greencore, Unilever, GSK, Premier Foods and Samworth Brothers.

What careers can a food and nutrition degree lead to?

A food and nutrition degree can lead to careers in:

  • nutrition
  • public health
  • obesity and diabetes support
  • behaviour change
  • sports nutrition
  • food product development
  • food safety
  • food quality and operations management
  • consumer research and sustainability
  • food marketing.

Common roles include public health nutritionist, sports nutritionist, food product developer, food safety and quality manager, behaviour change practitioner, and food marketing executive. These careers allow graduates to improve health outcomes, support healthier communities and help create more sustainable food systems.

Where do food and nutrition graduates go on to work?

Our food and nutrition graduates go on to work for leading organisations across the food and health sectors, including major manufacturers, retailers and public health bodies. Recent graduates have secured roles with companies such as Premier Foods, Cranswick, My Protein and the NHS – building successful careers in areas such as product development, nutrition, quality assurance and health improvement.

How do you become a nutritionist in the UK?

To become a nutritionist in the UK, you usually need to study a nutrition-related degree to provide you with the underpinning scientific knowledge in evidence-based nutrition. Our BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Health courses are accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN), which means that after graduation you can apply for direct entry to the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists as a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr). You can then build your professional experience and work towards becoming a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr).

Are food and nutrition courses science based?

Yes, food and nutrition is a science-based discipline. Our courses explore how food, nutrients and diet affect health, wellbeing and the wider food system, using knowledge from areas such as biology, chemistry, physiology, public health and food science.

On our BSc (Hons) Food and Nutrition course, you’ll study topics such as food composition and nutrient function, food safety, innovative and sustainable food product development, sustainable processing and packaging, and food quality management.

Our BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Health covers physiology and biochemistry for nutrition, food choice, nutrition in health and disease, and how nutrition is applied to specific populations and contexts. You’ll also develop practical skills through specialist facilities, live projects and placements.

Why choose us?

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Teaching

Rated Gold in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and graduate outcomes

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Award-winning

Students voted us one of England's top 5 universities at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2026

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Employment

95% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2022/23 Graduate Outcomes Survey)