General provisions

The course is a core course within the Master's Programme in Social Sciences with a specialisation in Food Science and Nutrition. The course is also given as a freestanding course for second-cycle studies. The course is given as half-time studies during the first part of the semester.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor of Science in Dietetics or a profession status qualification as a dietician, or a Bachelor's degree with Food Science and Nutrition as the main field of study

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• describe and explain established scientific terminology, methodology and evidence grading system that is used within dietetic and nutrition research.
• identify and solve problems that can arise at diet interventions, design of a study diet and within surveys of dietary and nutrition intake.
• interpret basic statistical analyses that are used in the field of diet and nutrition research.
• search, critically review, evaluate and in English present scientific publications within the field of diet and the nutrition.
• reflect on and give examples of how evidence-based nutrition, diet/nutrition recommendations and health claims can be linked and applied in the daily work as a dietitians and/or other professions in the area of food.
• on the bases of a research plan formulate an application to the Ethical Review Board and individual reflect about ethical issues.

Content

The course gives the preconditions to develop knowledge and skills that help you to interpret, review and carry out scientific studies about dietetic and nutrition. Different types of study design and set-ups of diet interventions are processed. Guidelines and procedures for evidence-based diet/nutrition recommendations, evidence-based decisions in medical nutrition therapy and health claims on foods are deepened and discussed. Nutrition epidemiology with interpretation of applied statistics and different ethical research issues are processed.

Instruction

The teaching is based on single-handed active learning included several exercise, written assignments and seminar that is assisted by lectures.

Assessment

Oral and written assignments individually and in groups, practical and theoretical tests and reports. For each written examination a regular examination and a retake is organised within the scope of the course. Furthermore, there is one occasion for so called summary up examination. After that, there is an examination opportunity first at following regular examination. The grades used is passed with distinction, passed and failed. To pass, it is required that all assignments have been assessed as passed and that the student has participated actively in all accountings and seminars. To pass with distinction, it is required that the student shows particularly good ability to problematise from different perspectives, analyses, identify relationships and be able to discuss about different issues.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University’s disability coordinator.