Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Hons) with Foundation Year

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars and e-learning. Throughout the Course, you benefit from an integration of both innovative and traditional teaching methods. Large group lectures and cutting-edge research seminars delivered by academics as well as external speakers will complement your studies. Lectures may contain students from a variety of different courses for which the lecture content is also relevant.

A variety of stimulating, cutting-edge resources are also available to support your learning. Your learning will be supported by the University’s virtual learning environment. You will have individual access to electronic journals, content-rich study guides, and interactive online learning materials covering various science disciplines, formative online assessments and group discussion forums.

In tutor-led seminar groups of 8-12 students you will investigate key concepts and systems that includes case studies. These small group sessions will also develop your critical thinking, problem design and solving, teamwork, presentation and lifelong learning skills which are essential for your career development.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course. Throughout your degree you will have the opportunity to apply your developing knowledge and build on the depth of your understanding.

Contact time

A typical week in year 1 (level 3) is likely to be a minimum of 12 hours per week. Typically contact time will be structured around:

• 2 hours of interactive workshops
• 2 hours of (large group) lectures
• 6 hours of seminars in groups of around 12 students
• 2 hours of personal development.

In a typical week from year 2 onwards, you have approximately 10-18 contact hours of teaching and precise contact hours will vary depending on level of study and when you are completing the Practice Education modules.

Typically, contact time whilst on campus will comprise around 36 hours of contact time for a 15 credit module and 72 hours for a 30 credit module.

Examples of contact in a typical module and the types of activities are:

• 15 credit module:
  • 12 x 3 hours: 2 hour lecture, 1 hour seminar or 1 hour supervised lab practical or 1 hour interactive workshop
• 30 credit module:
  • 24 x 3 hours: 2 hour lecture, 1 hour seminar or 1 hour supervised lab practical or 1 hour interactive workshop

Across the three years, you will also complete over 1000 hours of practice learning, working alongside experienced clinicians in a range of areas, locations and specialities. These hours will be delivered via Practice Education modules at all levels and clinical simulation within some taught modules.

You will have a placement at every level of the course, with practice Education modules delivered in four blocks

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions during the year. You are also encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team, and the wide range of services (e.g. academic writing, student support services) available to you within the University.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 25 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

The course is full time and will be delivered over 4 years. There is a placement requirement in Years 2, 3 and 4 but no placement in year 1.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.

Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, presentations.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.

Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, supervisors report, presentations and a final year independent studies project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1 (Foundation Year)

• 1 learning development plan
• 2 essays
• 1 reflective portfolio
• 1 presentation
• 1 seen exam

See the Nutrition and Dietetics BSc course page for details of the assessment pattern in the remaining three years of the course.

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.