“I really enjoyed the classes. At QMU there seemed to be a real
emphasis on teaching.”
Chris Mantle
BSc (Hons) Nutrition
Why QMU?
We have two health science courses:
BSc (Hons) Nutrition and BSc (Hons)
Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing.
These multidisciplinary courses focus on
healthy living and prevention of lifestyle
diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
The first years of the courses ground
students in the health sciences needed
for careers in nutrition or physical activity
and health. Community-based public
health and health promotion
competencies are developed throughout
both courses. You will get first hand
experience of evaluating the impact of
your knowledge and skills in placements
off campus and in your final year
research project.
Our approach to learning and teaching
Different people learn in different ways
and so we have a range of teaching
methods. As well as traditional lectures
and seminars, you’ll learn by working on
group and individual projects, practical
classes, web-based material and
communication/IT workshops. You’ll be
assessed through written assignments,
individual and group presentations,
laboratory and project reports, short
tests and oral examinations. Overall,
assessment is less exam-based in later
years. As a graduate, you will need a
professional development portfolio. We
support you in building your portfolio by
integrating this into course assessment.
Practical learning is central to our health
sciences courses. For example, visiting
practitioners and service users help to
bring the real-world learning experience
into the classroom for students on the
BSc (Hons) Physical Activity, Health and
Wellbeing. Practical hands-on experience
is a core element of preparation for
placements.
We use the campus sports centre, and
indoor and outdoor practical classes to
emulate settings in which you may find
employment during and after your
studies.
In the later years of these health science
courses, less time will be spent in
lectures and more on student-centred
and student-driven approaches. You will
also move from using textbooks as
course materials to a more significant
use of primary research, journal articles
and government legislation and guideline
documents.
Research
You will be taught by lecturers and PhD
students who are actively engaged with
research and who publish in high impact
academic and professional journals. Our
aim is to ensure that our research
findings link with your learning to keep
this as up to date as possible.
Understanding research helps to develop
and enhance your critical thinking and
clinical questioning, essential skills in the
challenging health and social care
practice of today.
101
All students studying on our health
sciences courses have the opportunity to
engage with the wide range of research
being undertaken in several ways: eg as
novice researchers during project work,
being trial participants or attending
keynote lectures and seminars. Clinical
research can only be undertaken in
collaboration with frontline health and
social care providers, and we have
numerous collaborations with NHS
boards in Scotland, private and social
services, and internationally in Europe
and further afield.
Career prospects
As a Physical Activity, Health and
Wellbeing graduate you can build a
rewarding career in voluntary
organisations, the NHS, charities, local
authorities and the sports and leisure
industries.
Our Nutrition degree can be a stepping
stone to a future in public health
nutrition, health promotion, health media,
the food industry, nutrition therapy and in
fitness and leisure.
You may also want to develop your
expertise via a higher degree (MSc,
MPhil or PhD).