Public Health Nutrition MSc
Climate change, economic instability, and global health crises are redefining the way we live and eat. By connecting science, policy, and practice, you’ll be poised to address diet-related illness and assist with nutrition equity on a global scale.
Overview
| Course length: | 1 year full-time 2 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2026 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University |
| Example offers: | 2:2 or above (or equivalent) in a relevant subject View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Nutrition, Food and Health |
| Faculty: | Health, Social Care and Medicine |
| Department: | Medical School |
What we eat shapes not only our health, but the future of our world. Do we slash saturated fats to rescue our hearts? Is the addition of folic acid to foods the key to better maternal health? Can we enjoy the foods we love and fight climate change? These are the kinds of real-world problems you’ll tackle on our MSc in Public Health Nutrition.
Here, science meets purpose. You’ll develop advanced knowledge and hands-on skills to address the nutritional challenges of the 21st century, from tackling diet-related diseases to creating more sustainable food systems. With access to our professional food science laboratory and specialist kitchen, you’ll turn theory into practice and innovation into impact.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the course offers both full-time and part-time study options, so you can fit your learning around your life and career.
As a graduate, not only will you understand global nutrition, you’ll define it. Whether you’re shaping policy, leading research, or catalysing change across communities worldwide, you’ll be poised to have a tangible influence on how the world eats, lives, and thrives.
An Accredited Degree
Our programme is accredited by the Association for Nutrition, indicating that it has achieved the high standards demanded by the profession, and qualifies you to join the voluntary register as an Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) upon completion of the programme.
Course features
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International students can apply
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Professional accreditation
What you'll study
Step into the world of Public Health Nutrition and discover how science can transform lives.
On this programme, you’ll explore the science behind dietary recommendations, nutrient requirements, and strategies to improve population health. You’ll delve into how nutrients interact with the body to prevent disease, uncover the psychological factors that shape food choices, examine pressing global challenges from maternal and child nutrition to sustainable food production and food insecurity, and evaluate how epidemiology and evaluation is crucial for population-based health.
You’ll understand and explore the complete research process, introducing you to a variety of research methodologies and helping you design a project from your own interests or desired career path. With guidance from the industry’s best professionals, you’ll gain practical experience studying real nutritional issues in the field, poised to inform policy, drive innovation, and make actual community impact globally.
How you'll study
The programme incorporates a variety of teaching and learning strategies including lectures, workshops, student-led seminars, practical activities and case studies. This varied approach is designed to meet a range of learning needs, encourage problem-solving skills and foster peer discussion and communication. Teaching will usually be delivered during the daytime.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment methods are varied and include a combination of exams, essays, case studies and presentations.
Who will be teaching you
You will be taught by specialists in the fields of nutrition, health, physiology, biochemistry and psychology. The programme team are actively engaged in nutrition-related research and consultancy with organisations such as the British Dietetic Association and British Association for Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation. Staff research interests include maternal nutrition, cardiovascular health, obesity, nutrition and sustainability, food science and metabolism, and behavioural psychology. This expertise and knowledge is used to directly inform teaching activities ensuring a real-world learning experience.
Entry criteria
You should have a degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject such as nutrition, dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, sport science, health, food science or biology.
Applicants with a third class honours degree and/or relevant work experience would need to demonstrate a good level of knowledge in biosciences and will be considered on an individual basis.
English language requirements
International students require IELTS 6.5, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
How to apply
There is an online application process for this course.
Please choose the application form for your preferred intake date and mode of study.
Apply for September 2026 Full-Time
Apply for September 2026 Part-Time
Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
Book an open day
Facilities
The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.
The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces. A professional food science laboratory and kitchen space enables Nutrition students to undertake a variety of practical work with foods in a purpose-built environment.
This dedicated space and the University’s modern Biosciences laboratories are used to test how certain foods are manufactured and produced, investigate the physical properties of food, and conduct sensory evaluations. You will also have opportunities to participate in enterprise initiatives and research activity using the Nutrition facilities.
Learning resources
Learning resources for Nutrition students include sphygmomanometers for measuring resting blood pressure to indicate cardio vascular risk, bariatric and geriatric suits to experience physical and mobility restrictions, wrist-based global positioning systems (garmin devices) that measure exercise duration, energy expenditure and heart rate, and actigraphs which estimate exercise intensity and track sleep quality and duration.
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,250
for the course
UK Part-Time
£51 per credit
for 180 credits
International
£17,000
for the course
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students joining postgraduate courses at Edge Hill University.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
TBC
for the course
International
£18,000
for the course
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Your future career
Our MSc Public Health Nutrition prepares you for nutrition related roles in many public and private sector organisations. These include local authorities, charitable organisations, the NHS, health promotion organisations, the leisure industry and the private sector. Job roles include:
- Nutritionist for food retailer
- Scientific officer
- Policy and communication officer
- Nutrition and health adviser
- Healthy lifestyle specialists
Alternatively, you might choose to progress to PhD study where you could focus on a specialist area of nutrition.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
