Human nutrition

The scope of human nutrition extends far beyond the classical study of the physiological and biochemical processes involved in nourishment, i.e. how substances in food are converted into energy and body tissues. Human nutrition has come to involve all the effects on humans of any component found in food; these include most chronic degenerative diseases (dental decay, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, some cancers, etc), which are now major targets of research activity. The scope of nutrition extends to the effects of food on human function, e.g. mental function, athletic performance, resistance to infection, and foetal health and development. The strong practical emphasis within our nutrition teaching includes laboratory classes, teaching clinics and placements.


Human nutrition is studied within selected specialised degrees only. Depending on your background, you may choose between an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree.

This course is designed to further knowledge of nutritional science and nutrition, to teach this as a scientific discipline and to produce scientists capable of working in and furthering this emerging discipline.

The BSc (Nutrition) will produce individuals who will get satisfaction from their attainments, who will be able to lead the dietetics profession, and maintain and advance its standards.

The course content is designed to cover all aspects of human nutrition with special emphasis on the skills needed by dietitians working in Australia. The Human Nutrition Unit is committed to quality improvement procedures in education. The success of the program is measured by the extent to which Sydney graduates maintain life-long, self-directed learning and the pursuit of evidence-based nutrition practice, initiating, leading and supporting advances in clinical and public health nutrition, research, education and community service.

Progression through the course requires a minimum credit average.

The objectives of the course are to produce:

• dietitians capable of improving the nutritional status of individuals, families and communities and responsive to their particular needs. The course philosophy encourages the enrolment of students from diverse backgrounds so all sectors of the community are served; and,
• high quality nutritional scientists who will undertake further research in nutrition (this is necessary to develop science, the scientific approach and thinking within the broader food and clinical nutrition community) or who may choose to apply their scientific skills in broader nutritional fields as well as clinical dietetics.

It is assumed that students wishing to study the Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) will have HSC 2 unit Biology, 2 unit Chemistry and Mathematics or Mathematics Extension 1 (or equivalent).

More about the Bachelor of Science (Nutrition)

Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) study guide)

The Master of Nutrition and Dietetics is for students who already have a degree from a recognised tertiary institution and have completed two semesters of study in Biochemistry and two semesters in Human Physiology. Offers of places are dependent upon the ranking of applicants and competition for places.

More about the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Following the DAA site visit on November 1-2, both the Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Honours in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics programs have received full 5-year accreditation. Please click here to view details on the DAA website.