Why Study Nutrition?
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” Hippocrates
Please note that January enrolment will not go ahead due to lack of interest. However, you can book an interview for the September 22 intake now.
If you do not have any science background you may be interested in our Online Taster Science Course which will give you a head start for the Biochemistry module.
Our BSc programme is designed to offer you a career in nutrition and lifestyle medicine that will enable you to become an innovator and change lives. The BSc will also provide you with a strong foundation in the application of evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, incorporating comprehensive clinical training based on a functional medicine model.
Our excellent lecturers will make your learning interesting and enjoyable. Here are a few comments from our students:
- “Dr Carol Grainger’s lecture on cancer on Saturday 22nd May was one of the best I’ve had. She has taken a complicated disease and explained it clearly. Slides are full of information and very interesting. I’ll refer to this for years, I’m sure”
- “Shania’s genetics lecture was one of the most enjoyable and informative I’ve had. She was very engaging and the content was incredibly interesting. I will definitely reach out to her when I qualify”
- “BCNH lectures were excellent; very good choice of lecturers for their expertise. Thank you!”
- “I thought the whole module was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the lectures on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibramyalgia. The slides were very thorough and comprehensive and the delivery by Claire Sehinson from OHC was fantastic. She went into some really good detail on lab testing and supplements which I found useful”.
- “Lorraine was excellent as usual. Very good content and always happy to be Interactive and answer questions. I really enjoy her lectures and look forward to her new book”
Completion of our BSc programme will ensure that you have the confidence and skills to become a safe and effective nutrition practitioner who is able to communicate successfully with the medical profession.
If you wish to study a degree in nutrition at BCNH, you can download our Application Form here.
Why Choose this Course?
- 4.5 years part-time course - qualifies for student finance
- Delivered online via active blended learning (ABL)
- Validated by the University of Northampton – awarded Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
- Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC) accredited
- Contemporary and cutting-edge curriculum, delivered by a range of expert guest lecturers.
- Comprehensive clinical training, with approximately 112 clinical contact hours and the opportunity to complete 35 case studies.
- A ‘super supportive’ student experience
- Students and graduates are eligible for membership of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT).
Our Curriculum
The course has been carefully designed to enable students from a variety of different backgrounds to succeed, including individuals from a non-scientific background and those who may not possess traditional academic qualifications.
Level 4 (first year) consists of core modules which are designed to give you a solid grounding in topics fundamental to nutrition science, as well as the key academic skills you will need in your future studies.
Level 5 modules are designed to give you the necessary skills to analyse nutrition research and to interpret statistical research data to inform evidence-based practice. You will also cover core nutrition topics such as environmental pollution and the aetiology, pathophysiology and nutritional management (based on Functional Medicine) of health conditions commonly encountered in clinical practice.
Level 6 modules prepare you for your future career by providing you with the opportunity to develop consultation skills in a safe, supportive environment. You will gain experience from consulting with FOUR real clients, each of whom have TWO health concerns. You will see each client four times (over a period of few months) to monitor their progress and to help you hone various clinical skills. You will also learn how to run your own successful business, and complete a research project relating to a specific aspect of nutrition and lifestyle in which you might like to specialise.
Across all Levels, a typical week will consist of around 20 hours of study time. This includes watching pre-recorded and live lectures, and undertaking seminars, tutorials, and webinars. In Level 6 you will also undertake client reports preparation, interpretation of functional and biochemical tests, and live case study consultations. All Levels will require a commitment to independent study.
Details of each module in the course can be found here.
In order to ensure that employability underpins the curriculum, the course is designed to prepare you for the delivery of one-to-one nutrition consultations. You can read more about our Clinical Training here.
A video sample of a BCNH lecture (Autism)
Take Control of Your Learning
- As most of our students are mature students, with a variety of professional and family commitments, ABL offers a degree of flexibility that is not provided by traditional face-to-face provision.
- We offer a flexible approach to learning, with all teaching and materials available online, including real-time teaching and support sessions.
- All teaching material is recorded for students who are unable to join live and is made available to access throughout the programme of study.
- Online teaching sessions are scheduled for weekends and weekday evenings, designed to fit outside traditional working hours.
Live, real-time teaching sessions are combined with online activities which can be undertaken at any time and place – allowing you to take control of your learning, wherever you are based.
Your Commitment to Learning
- The course is designed to fit around work / family commitments, nevertheless you will be completing 80 credits per academic year (compared to 120 credits on a full-time degree course).
- In order to succeed on the course, you will therefore need to dedicate approximately 20 hours a week to your studies.
- We expect you to engage regularly with course materials, actively participate in live teaching sessions where possible and behave responsibly and professionally when interacting with fellow students and BCNH staff members.
- You will be expected to produce assignments to a hgih standard and meet the deadlines provided. We recognise, however, that there may be times when unexpected circumstances may impact on your ability to meet deadlines. In these situations, you may apply for a short deadline extension. For issues that may impact your studies long-term, you may apply for Mitigating Circumstances, or for an extended study period/Study Break.
- Whilst you can work alongside your studies at BCNH, we do recommend a 4-day-a-week work schedule to accommodate the 20 hours per week required to complete the programme. The topics we teach on the course are fascinating and well worth the time investment if you are passionate about nutrition.
Assessment Strategy
A broad range of assessment methods are used throughout the course to support learning.
Formative exercises include clinical seminar exercises (based around the discussion of fictional case studies), quizzes, peer presentations, role-play and supervised consultations.
Summative assessments include time-constrained written assignments and essays, presentations, and case studies (both fictional and with live clients – see BCNH Clinical Training). You will also complete a dissertation at Level 6 for which you will conduct a literature review on a chosen topic of interest.
You will also be expected to develop and maintain a Personal & Professional Development Portfolio (PPDP) throughout the course. This is essential in order to demonstrate that you have met the clinical requirements of the course (clinical competencies, clinical hours, minimum number of case studies) and to show evidence of becoming a reflective, independent learner and practitioner.
The Student Voice
We care very much about the student experience on the course and continuously seek and respond to informal feedback from students – this feedback has been the driver of many improvements to our training over the years. We will also provide you with formal opportunities for feedback, including evaluation of individual modules and the appointment of a Student Representative for each cohort.
Student Representatives are invited to attend bi-annual Student-Staff-Committee meetings and Academic Board meetings, where they have the opportunity to raise any issues of concern for discussion and to contribute to college and course development.
Future Career Opportunities
Aside from one-to-one clinical practice, you will also be able to apply your skills to a variety of business and teaching opportunities, such as:
- corporate wellbeing
- health retreats
- product and recipe development
- technical support for testing or supplement companies
- media opportunities / writing articles or books
- educating various population groups, including lecturing in higher education
The academic content of the course, including a significant focus on evidence-based practice and the production of a dissertation at Level 6, will provide you with a strong foundation should you wish to pursue postgraduate studies in nutritional health or a related field.
To read more about how our graduates are using their qualification, please see Graduate Success Stories.
We Look Forward To Hearing From You!
Alternatively, you can call our friendly admin team for further information or an informal chat.