Bachelor of Nutrition Science

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Nutrition Science
Deakin course code	H315
Faculty	Faculty of Health
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	No
Duration	3 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
CRICOS course code	095521M Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7

Course sub-headings

Course overview

More than 7% of total burden of disease in Australia is due to poor diet.^* Study Deakin's Bachelor of Nutrition Science and help tackle the challenges facing our society including disease prevention, lifespan nutrition, obesity, the spread of misinformation, and the social and physiological effects of food on our wellbeing. Modelled on commercial laboratories, our food preparation, food analysis and two sensory laboratories give students hands-on real-world laboratory experience preparing you for the workplace.

Gain at least 75 hours of workplace training through industry placement. These experiences ensure you have the practical skills to improve health through food and nutrition – skills that are increasingly in demand as society grapples with nutrition-related diseases and their impact on wellbeing. This course provides a pathway to the Master of Dietetics, which allocates ~60% of places to Deakin graduates.

Do you want to have a real impact on population health, and improve the wellbeing of communities?

In this course, you will study a broad range of subjects that unlock a variety of career opportunities across health and nutrition industries. Gain a comprehensive understanding of:

the role of food in disease prevention
nutrition education and research
food choice and intake
food regulation
nutritional physiology
lifespan nutrition
sustainable food systems
the science of food.

To add diversity to your degree and expand your career opportunities, you can choose elective units in complementary areas such as food innovation, health promotion, psychology, physical activity and health or exercise science.

Undertaking the major in food innovation will prepare you for a career in the food industry, where your knowledge of nutrition and food composition will facilitate the creation and marketing of food products that help to improve health. Other major sequences available include: disability and inclusion; exercise science; family, society and health; health promotion; physical activity and health or psychology.

Students can also choose to study the prerequisite subjects for further study in dietetics and apply for the Master of Dietetics upon completion of their bachelor degree.

Gain extensive practical experience through the Food and Nutrition Practicum unit in your final year. This allows you to build industry experience and connections while applying your skills alongside established nutritionists or food industry professionals.

You can also learn about nutrition perceptions and issues in different cultures by taking your studies abroad to gain an international perspective. International study provides invaluable experience that prepares you to transition from course to career within Australia and around the globe.

You will graduate with industry knowledge, hands-on experience, and an advanced understanding of the role of nutrition and diet in the health of individuals and the population, allowing you to work in a range of health-related roles ranging from quality assurance and consulting to marketing and education. Visit our nutrition careers page for more on the different pathways available to you.

Discover our food, nutrition and dietetics courses.

^*Australian Burden of Disease Study: Impact and causes of illness and death in Australia 2018

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Professional recognition

While studying, you are eligible to apply for student membership with the Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA). Graduates with a Bachelor of Nutrition Science can apply for ordinary membership of NSA or apply to become a registered Associate Nutritionist. Registration will ensure you are recognised as a qualified nutrition professional in the field.

Graduates are also eligible to apply to become a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the:

Additionally, if you have completed this degree with a major in food innovation, you may also seek membership into the Australian Institute of Food, Science and Technology (AIFST).

Career opportunities

With increasing community interest in food and nutrition, there’s strong demand for specialists across a range of sectors, such as healthcare, marketing, quality assurance and government. Meet the high demand for nutrition professionals; with a 15% increase in jobs expected in the next 5 years.^* As a nutritionist, you will have the knowledge and skills to confidently provide evidence-based advice to communities regarding food and its impact on our health. Graduates of the Bachelor of Nutrition Science will be well prepared for careers requiring knowledge surrounding:

nutrition
individual and population health
food analysis
food sustainability
food policy
nutrition for disease prevention
assessing and evaluating food intake.

You will gain the skills required to perform a range of roles across:

advocacy
nutrition promotion
nutrition media and marketing
quality assurance
self-employment and consulting.

Students completing the food innovation major will be prepared for careers requiring knowledge of:

consumer behaviour
education and research
the food industry
food policy and regulation
sensory analysis
product development
food quality and safety
food manufacturing.

Visit our nutrition careers page for more on the different pathways available to you.

Students can choose to study the prerequisite subjects for further study in Dietetics and apply for the Master of Dietetics on completion of their Bachelor degree. 60% of places in Deakin’s Master of Dietetics are allocated to Deakin graduates.

^*2023 Employment Projections - for the five years to 2028, Australian Government, Jobs and Skills Australia

Mandatory student checks

Working with Children Check

Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) for the relevant state prior to undertaking placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement unit.

Police Record Check

Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement unit.

Pathways

This course can be a pathway to:
Bachelor of Nutrition Science (Honours) (H418)
Graduate Certificate of Human Nutrition (H511)
Graduate Diploma of Human Nutrition (H616)
Master of Human Nutrition (H714)
Master of Dietetics (H718)
Master of Nutrition and Population Health (H748)

Articulated courses

Bachelor of Nutrition Science (Honours) (H418)

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply food and nutrition and health knowledge from a range of perspectives.
Communication	Select and use a variety of engaging communication modes to disseminate knowledge to individuals, groups, government and non-government organisations and health professionals.
Digital literacy	Select and use appropriate technologies to source, understand, evaluate, and communicate information to professional networks and communities.
Critical thinking	Source and critically analyse the food and nutrition literature to apply an evidence-based approach to the field.
Problem solving	Identify and apply practical solutions to a range of changing and complex food and nutrition and health issues.
Self-management	Employ self-directed, reflective work and learning practices in a responsible manner to professionally contribute to nutrition sciences.
Teamwork	Work collaboratively as part of interdisciplinary teams with a range of stakeholders to advance the field of nutrition sciences.
Global citizenship	Engage in professional and ethical practice that demonstrates awareness of, and adaptability to, diverse social, cultural and environmental contexts in nutrition sciences.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Nutrition Science students must pass 24 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
HSN010 Food and Nutrition Laboratory Safety (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
SLE010 Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0-credit-point compulsory unit) prior to your first laboratory based unit in this course
13 credit points of core units
5 credit points of HSN coded (nutrition and food) course electives
6 credit points of open electives which may form a major sequence
a maximum of 10 credit points at level 1
a minimum of 6 credit points at level 3

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.

Note:

Burwood students will need to enrol into the Burwood unit offerings.
Geelong students can choose 1 from the below 2 options:
- Online unit offering: Attend 2 x 2 day intensive practical classes (one day for HSN104 and 1 day for HSN106). These intensive practical sessions are typically conducted on a Saturday or Sunday at Burwood (Melbourne) Campus.
- Burwood unit offering: attend 4 practical classes at Burwood. Geelong students who choose to enrol into Burwood offering can only do so if there is capacity and via manual enrolment.

Majors

Please refer to the details of each major sequence for availability.

Major sequences:

Food Innovation (recommended major sequence)
Disability and Inclusion
Exercise Science
Family, Society and Health
Health Promotion
Physical Activity and Health
Psychology

You can choose to undertake a major sequence from another undergraduate course offered at Deakin instead, provided you can fit the major into your course structure (subject to unit and course rules). For example:

Bachelor of Health Sciences major sequences

Bachelor of Commerce major sequences

Bachelor of Arts major sequences

Bachelor of Science major sequences

Please ensure you discuss your request with a Student Adviser to ensure you are still meeting your course rules.

Note: Students who commenced H315 Bachelor of Nutrition Science in 2018 and received credits, please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central before you enrol into the Food Innovation major.

Minors

Refer to the details of each minor sequence for availability.

Course structure

Core units

Course structure applies for students who commenced in 2022 onwards. Students who commenced prior to 2022 should refer to previous online Handbooks or contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.

Please refer to the Course Map page for course map information.

Level 1 - Trimester 1

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points)

SLE010

Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0 credit points)

HSN101

Foundations of Food, Nutrition and Health

HBS109

Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

HSN105

Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems

SLE133

Chemistry in Our World

Level 1 - Trimester 2

HSN010

Food and Nutrition Laboratory Safety (0 credit points)

HSN104

The Science of Food

HSN106

Food Fundamentals

plus two elective units (recommended at Level 1)

Level 2 - Trimester 1

HSN211

Nutritional Physiology

plus 2 HSN-coded units

plus 1 elective unit (recommended at Level 1 or Level 2)

Level 2 - Trimester 2

HSN202

Lifespan Nutrition

plus 1 HSN-coded unit

plus two elective units (recommended at Level 2)

Level 3 - Trimester 1

HSN301

Diet and Disease

HSN309

Food Policy and Regulation

plus 2 HSN-coded units

Level 3 - Trimester 2

HSN302

Population Nutrition

HSN305

Assessing Food Intake and Activity

HSN311

Food and Nutrition Practicum

plus 1 elective unit

Students who want to complete H718 Master of Dietetics pre-requisites must enrol in ALL the following elective units. You can find detailed information on the course entry requirements and frequently asked questions relating to the Master of Dietetics.

HSN107

Physiology of Human Growth and Development

HSE208

Integrated Human Physiology

SLE155

Chemistry for the Professional Sciences

SLE212

Biochemistry

SLE222

Biochemical Metabolism

If an exercise physiology unit has been completed at level 2 (e.g. HSE201 Exercise Physiology, it must be combined with one of these units to meet H718 Master of Dietetics pre-requisites:

SLE211

Principles of Physiology

SLE221

Systems Physiology

Elective units

Electives are offered subject to availability of resources and quotas where applicable.

Trimester 1

HSN206

Food Analysis and Quality Assurance

HSN223

Sensory Evaluation of Food

HSN307

Sports Nutrition: Theory and Practice

HSN315

Food Manufacturing and Process Innovation

HSN319

Consumer and Sensory Innovation of Food

Trimester 2

HSN204

Food Safety

HSN210

Nutrition and Food Promotion

HSN308

Food, Nutrition and Society

HSN320

Trends in Product Development

HSN360

International Perspectives in Food and Nutrition

Work experience

Work Integrated Learning

You will enhance your employment prospects by consolidating your knowledge and skills through realistic field experience, you are encouraged to consider undertaking an industry placement or volunteering experience in HSN311 Food and Nutrition Practicum in your final year.

Details of major sequences

Food Innovation

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne)

Unit set code

MJ-H000036

Overview

By completing the Food Innovation major you can also establish a career in the food industry, where your knowledge of nutrition and food composition facilitate the creation and marketing of food products that help to improve health.

You may also gain employment in food regulation, food safety and Quality, food product development and sensory analysis.

Units

Note: Students who commenced H315 Bachelor of Nutrition Science in 2018 and received credits, please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central before you enrol into this major.

HSN204

Food Safety

HSN206

Food Analysis and Quality Assurance

HSN223

Sensory Evaluation of Food

HSN315

Food Manufacturing and Process Innovation

HSN319

Consumer and Sensory Innovation of Food

HSN320

Trends in Product Development

Psychology

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Unit set code

MJ-H000008

Overview

This sequence develops students’ understanding of a range of topics in psychology, which is the science concerned with unravelling questions about human behaviour and mental processes.

This six unit major is not intended for the purpose of registration as a psychologist.

Units

To obtain the six unit major students must complete HPS111 and HPS121 plus:

any two level 2 units from the psychology units list below.
any two level 3 units from the psychology units list below.

Core units

HPS111

Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour

HPS121

Introduction to Psychology: Individual and Social Development

Plus two units from the list below:

HPS201

Psychology Research Methods (Introductory)

HPS202

Developmental Psychology (Child and Adolescent)

HPS203

Cognitive Psychology

HPS204

Social Psychology

HPS206

Forensic Psychology

Plus two units from the list below:

HPS301

Psychology Research Methods (Intermediate)

HPS302

Developmental Psychology (Adult)

HPS304

Social Psychology (Advanced)

HPS307

Personality Psychology

HPS308

Psychopathology

HPS310

Biological Psychology (Brain and Behaviour)

HPS395

Biological Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience)

Details of minor sequences

Disability and Inclusion

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000025

Overview

Completion of this minor will equip students with skills to be an inclusion professional, working to overcome the social and structural barriers that contribute to disability.

Units

HDS101

Communication and Diversity *+

HDS106

Diversity, Disability and Social Inclusion *+

HDS209

Inclusive Services *

HDS210

Diversity At Work +

HDS301

The Inclusive Practitioner +

HDS310

Human Rights and Advocacy *

*Units required for Minor sequence focusing on inclusive services and advocacy

+Units required for Minor sequence focusing on inclusion practice in diverse professions

Exercise Science

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Note: Online offering has on campus intensive workshops of 2-4 days for HSE201, HSE202 and HSE301.

Unit set code

MN-H000016

Overview

This minor provides students with a sound understanding of the core sciences underpinning both competitive sport and recreational physical activity. A variety of learning approaches is adopted, allowing students to integrate their sporting interests with their studies, as well as to match these with their employment objectives.

Units

HBS109

Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

HSE201

Exercise Physiology

HSE202

Biomechanics

HSE301

Exercise Prescription for Fitness and Health

Family, Society and Health

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000002

Overview

This minor focuses on the household and family as a setting for public health. It explores the issues facing households and families, such as the link between healthy human development and healthy households, economic wellbeing and health, and the need for supportive environments.

Units

HSH105

Understanding Families and Health

HSH206

Human Development and Healthy Families

HSH207

Socio-Economic Status and Health

HSH306

People, Health and Place

Health, Nature and Sustainability

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000043

Overview

This minor will explore the inextricable links between human health and the health of the planet. Sustainability issues such as climate change, ecological footprints, sustainable food systems and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be explored.

Units

HSH112

Local and Global Environments for Health

HSW235

Community Development: Social Work Theory and Practice D

HSH202

Creating Sustainable Futures

HSH306

People, Health and Place

Health Promotion

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000004

Overview

This minor will equip students with a sound knowledge of the causes of health and illness and of effective strategies for prevention of the latter, as well as practical skills in health education and communication, health planning and management.

Units

HSH102

Disease Prevention and Control

HSH208

Health Communication

HSH212

Professional Practice

and one of

HSH302

Politics, Policy and Health

HSH313

Contemporary Health Issues

Medical Biotechnology

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)

Unit set code

MN-H000032

Overview

Medical Biotechnology uses cells and cell materials to produce pharmaceutical and diagnostic products that help treat and prevent human diseases. This minor provides students with an understanding of the core sciences underpinning biotechnology for medical advancement.

Units

HMM101

Introduction to Medical Biotechnology

HMM102

Principles of Gene and Genomic Technology

HMM201

Medical Nanotechnology

HMM305

Cell and Tissue Engineering

Physical Activity and Health

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000023

Overview

This minor provides students with an understanding of how behaviour influences health, with a particular emphasis on the relationships between physical activity and health.

Units

HSE111

Physical Activity and Exercise for Health

HSE212

Physical Activity Promotion and Evaluation

HSE213

Children's Physical Activity and Sport

HSE316

Physical Activity and Population Health

Psychology for Allied Health

Campus

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Unit set code

MN-H000035

Overview

This sequence prepares students for work in complementary professional fields upon graduation.

Units

HBS110

Health Psychology (Behaviour Change)

HPS226

Health Psychology (Chronic Illness)

and either

HPS202

Developmental Psychology (Child and Adolescent)

HPS302

Developmental Psychology (Adult)

HPS207

Unit description is currently unavailable

HPS328

Psychology At Work (Internship)

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.