Learn about the science of nutrition and how to promote healthy diet behaviours to improve the nutritional status of populations. This science-based course provides you with high-level communication and teamwork skills. Your first year will be interprofessional and taken with other health sciences students. Your second year builds on this foundation and you will study sciences such as biochemistry and physiology in order to understand how the human body uses nutrients from foods to sustain life. Off-campus field trips will also help you experience food and nutrition issues in real life settings. In the second year of the course you will choose between two streams: Nutrition and Food Science. The Nutrition stream further develops your understanding of the evidence of associations between diet and health outcomes, and you will explore the social and cultural influences that impact dietary decisions within the population. You will also conduct a nutrition research project. Graduate nutritionists typically undertake further study to specialise in a professional area, including dietetics, research, food science and technology, health promotion or teaching. In the Food Science stream you will focus on the nature and chemical composition of foods, ingredient behaviour under different processing conditions, and the application of this knowledge of food science to improve the safety and quality of food. Nutrition and food scientists are also involved in the research and development of new food products and new technologies in the processing of foods. You will undertake a work placement with an external organisation which may be a government, research or food industry organisation. Why study Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food Science) Classes in this course are kept small to allow close liaison between students and staff, who bring practical and academic experience to their teaching. This science-based course provides you with high-level communication and teamwork skills. This course is the only undergraduate course in Western Australia offering a stream in food science. Course outcomes from the Nutrition stream meet entry requirements for Curtin’s Master of Dietetics course. Professional recognition Graduates of the Food Science stream will be eligible to apply for professional membership of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. Graduates from the Nutrition stream will be eligible to apply for membership to the Public Health Association of Australia and as an Associate Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of Australia. Career information Home Economist You will have a variety of interesting career opportunities in government agencies and private industry, both in Australia and overseas. Government organisations and the food industry create a high demand for graduates in a range of areas, including public health, nutrition education and advice, research related to food and nutrition in health and disease, and the development of new food products. Potential employers include health departments, community and public health centres, welfare organisations and non-government organisations, food suppliers and manufacturers, teaching institutions, and federal and state research laboratories. Nutritionist Food Technologist Food Scientist Dietitian