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Human Nutrition

Empower people to make healthier food choices

Nutrition is a science with real-life applications, providing a range of transferable skills and leading to a variety of careers.

This area of health involves the study of nutrients in food, how the body absorbs and uses these nutrients for growth and maintenance, and the relationship between diet, health and disease.

Nutrition is increasingly relevant in today’s society due to its impact on the health of individuals, communities and populations. Studying human nutrition will provide you with expertise in nutrition and an awareness of what influences the nutrition of individuals and groups in New Zealand and globally.

As people take more responsibility for their own health to prevent illness, they’re faced with a confusing range of often conflicting nutritional information. By becoming a nutritionist, you can identify good sources of information in an ever-changing enviornment and empower individuals and communities to make healthier food choices.

Within our three year (full time) degree programme you’ll study theory and develop the practical skills needed for working in the area of human nutrition.

Some of the areas covered within the degree include: metabolic processes and how nutrients in food affect the human body; application of nutrition science to enhance the health of community groups; effects of major nutrition-related factors on non-communicable diseases that impact on the health of developed nations; identification of reliable sources of up-to-date nutritional information; communication of nutrition principles in a range of contexts using awareness of psychological, cultural and environmental influences on eating behaviour; genetics, physiology, culture, environment and social issues that assist in the management of body composition and nutrition choices; work placements with nutrition education programmes, health promotion organisations (governmental and non-governmental), nutrition consultancies, community initiatives, workplace wellbeing programmes and school holiday programmes.