Human Nutrition & Metabolism Intercalated BSc

Course detail Description

Nutrition is concerned with the modification of diet and lifestyle from conception through to old age, with the aim of disease prevention and management.

Based in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, the Human Nutrition & Metabolism Intercalated BSc course will give you access to world-class laboratory research facilities, including mass spectrometry, stable isotope techniques and a state-of-the-art genomic centre.

The Human Nutrition & Metabolism Intercalated iBSc degree is a one-year study course that comprises modules totalling 120 credits, and which includes the unique opportunity to run your human intervention study using our specially designed Metabolic Research Unit. Patient studies are also carried out in the new Clinical Research Facility located at St Thomas’ Hospital.

You can focus on the most important aspects of nutrition including:

• Biochemical basis of vitamin action

• How different lipids affect both cell membranes or whole arteries and their function

• What iron intake or deficiency does to cells

• How the gut absorbs nutrients/metabolites and interacts with its ‘microbiome’, what nutrients affect absorption

• Whether and how foods or alcohol turn particular genes and their products on or off, or how best to feed sick patients

The research projects are an essential component of the course and take the form of a clinical, experimental, data analysis or questionnaire project supervised by a member of staff from the Department of Nutritional Sciences. A wide choice of potential research projects is available reflecting the groups within the faculty, including Diet and Cardiovascular Health, Diet and Gastrointestinal Health and Mineral Metabolism.

Some of the research projects go on to be presented at national and international conferences or contribute to research papers. Recently, a student on this course won the prestigious national 'Student of the Year' award for her project on the impact of folate status on gene expression and also won first prize at a European meeting.

Examples of research project topics:

• The effect of dietary nitrates on renal sodium elimination and peripheral vascular resistance in subjects of low renin compared to normal renin; human intervention study

• Acute effects of a high-fat meal on platelet function; human intervention study

• PPAR gamma gene PPARG: tests of association of Pro12Ala genotype with markers of obesity and insulin sensitivity; laboratory project

• The acute effects of isoflavones on glucose tolerance and arterial function; human intervention study

• An investigation into the relationship between body composition and disease severity in patients with liver disease; data analysis project from clinical data

• Dietary intake in patients with active Crohn’s disease: a case-control study

• The effects of acute high fructose and glucose feeding on glycaemia in men of black West African and white European origin; human intervention study

• Intervening with dietary nitrate as 'beetroot shots' vs placebo on vascular function in T2 diabetes; human intervention study

Teaching

The following table gives an indication of the contact and self-study time allocation you might expect from a typical academic year:

Module

Lectures

Seminars & Tutorials

Practicals/ Lab Work

Private Study

Other

Nutrition Research Project

12 hours

6 hours

-

-

432 hours

Applied Nutrition

51 hours

8 hours

15 hours

226 hours

-

Clinical Nutrition

16 hours

3 hours

4 hours

127 hours

-

Principles of Nutrition

56 hours

9 hours

15 hours

220 hours

-

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work. You will study 120 credits during the academic year, which equates to 1,200 theoretical hours of learning.

Assessment

The primary methods of assessment for this course are assessed essays, coursework, oral presentations, examinations and a dissertation.

Module

Examinations

Essays/Reports/

Dissertations

Presentations/

Orals/ Vivas

Posters

Other In-Course Assessment

Nutrition Research Project

-

70%

-

20%

10%

Applied Nutrition

70%

30%

-

-

Clinical Nutrition

85%

-

-

-

15%

Principles of Nutrition

70%

30%

-

-

-

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Regulating body

King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.

Location

This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Guy’s and Waterloo Campuses. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

See our full list of intercalated courses here.

Read more

Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

Required Modules

• Nutrition Research Project (45 credits)

• Applied Nutrition (30 credits)

• Clinical Nutrition (15 credits)

• Principles of Nutrition (30 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest that you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Optional Modules There are no optional modules on this course.