Degrees Offered

• BSc Honours Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition (3 years) (UCAS Code: DB6K)
• BSc Honours Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition with Professional Studies (4-year sandwich) (UCAS Code: BDK6)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information
The School Manager
School of Biological Sciences
T: +44 (0)28 9097 5786
E: e.purdy@qub.ac.uk
http://www.qub.ac.uk/bb

Entrance Requirements

• A-level
  BBB including Biology or Chemistry (preferably both) or Double Award Applied Science + GCSE Biology and Chemistry or Double Award Science + GCSE Mathematics.
  
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate
  B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in Biology or Chemistry (preferably both) + if either Biology or Chemistry is not offered at Higher Level then it will be required at Ordinary Level grade C + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade C in Mathematics.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information on other acceptable English Language qualifications is available here

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including:
International Foundation in Engineering and Science

The Subject

With increasing concerns over food safety, greater health awareness and a growing knowledge of the effects of food production on the environment, the roles for the 'food' graduate have become ever more interesting and diverse. Our Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition degree programmes address the importance of the food sector in local industry and reflect increasing public concern with food quality. They have been specially designed for students who wish to combine their study in this area with a sound understanding of the nature and composition of fresh and processed foods and how the human body nourishes itself in health and disease.

Course Content

These teaching programmes have been developed in consultation with employers, industry and academics to offer students a curriculum designed to enhance employability and graduate skills, combining basic scientific knowledge with interpersonal, entrepreneurial, innovational thinking and management skills. Students must take the equivalent of six modules in each stage, including any compulsory modules:

Stage 1
Chemistry for the Biological Sciences
Composition of Foods
Food Molecules and Macromolecules
Fundamental Nutrition
Human Physiology
Introductory Skills for Biosciences
Micro-organisms

Stage 2
Diet and Health
Food Appearance and Texture
Food Commodities
Food Hygiene and Microbiology
Food Marketing
Food Policy
Food Processing and Packaging
Psychology of Consumer Behaviour
Work Placement (3-yr degree)
1-year Work Placement (4-yr degree)

Year out
Professional Studies (4-yr degree)

Stage 3
Advanced Food Testing Methods
Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Clinical Nutrition
Current Issues in Food Safety and Nutrition
Food Product Development
Food Quality and Safety
Health Promotion in Clinical Practice
Psychology of Food Choice
Project (3-yr degree)

Click here for more information on modules

Learning and Teaching

Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition with Professional Studies is about gaining the knowledge and understanding of each of these three key areas in relation to food production and consumption.  Food quality concerns the ‘fitness for purpose’ of our food in terms of appearance (including colour and surface qualities), texture, flavor and odour and how these can be changed; Food safety considers the physical, microbiological and chemical aspects of our food which may be deleterious to human health and how these can be minimised; Nutrition concerns the nutrient supply from foods necessary to support the human body in health and during ill-health throughout all life stages.

The degree emphasizes the interrelationship between these areas and their equal importance in food production.  As such the subjects studied are wide ranging and include: Food biochemistry, Human physiology, Food chemistry, Food microbiology, Food hygiene,  Fundamental nutrition, Food quality, Food processing, Food commodities, Food policy, Food marketing, , Food psychology,  Diet and Health,  Food product development, Business innovation and entrepreneurship and  Clinical nutrition.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential. On the BSc in Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition with Professional studies we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.   Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions and gain general feedback and advice on assessments. In many cases lecture notes are available prior to the lectures via Queen’s online [QOL].
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• Practicals:  where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles from the module to real-life or practical contexts.  In some cases you will design your own practicals and evaluate your success.  You will be expected to attend between 0 and 2 practicals per week for a module depending on the content.  For example Food hygiene and microbiology has 2 practical in a week, whereas Food marketing has no practicals.

• Learning technologies:   Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online [QOL] .  A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example:  interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics; interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with practicals, project- based work  and work placement.

• Seminars/tutorials:   Teaching is also carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students), which provides an invaluable  opportunity for you to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers.  You should expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.

• Self-directed study:  This is a significant part of learning as a Queen’s student, when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.  This learning activity forms the major time component of all modules.

• Work placements:  Students taking Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition undertake a compulsory work-placement of at least 16 weeks (560 hours) between Stage 2 and Stage 3 of their degree. This is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity. The placement is assessed and counts in your degree classification as a module at level 2.  You will be responsible for attaining your placement, supported by a careers officer and a programme of workshops. For many students this is the most important aspect of the degree. It enables you to experience the types of jobs which are available on graduation and through the preparation on Cv’s, interviews etc. ensures you are well prepared for the job market on graduation. See the section on Careers for example placement hosts.

• Work-Related learning/Field Trips/Study Tours:  In modules throughout the degree, external experts are invited to give lectures, workshops or tutorials to enhance the learning opportunities of students.  These guest speakers include representatives from Sainsbury’s, the Food Standards Agency and Campden BRI who bring a real life context to your studies and emphasise the current relevance of the degree.  Visits are also arranged to support theoretical learning, i.e. to the Sensory analysis unit at AFBI in Belfast and to make bread and ice cream in the food processing facilities at Loughry campus of CAFRE.

• Certificates/awards: All students undertake the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Level 3  Award in Food Safety Supervision for Manufacturing as part of the module in Food hygiene and microbiology and are considered for the City and Guilds Licentiateship Award  from the work placement.

• Supervised projects:  In final year, you will be expected to carry out either a significant piece of literature research [1.5 modules] or a practical investigation [2 modules] on a relevant topic.  You will receive support through a series of workshops and from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the report write up stage.

• Personal Tutor:  You will be allocated a Personal Tutor normally from the academic staff on your course, who will meet with you on several occasions during Stages 1 and 2 to support your academic development.  Further details are shown in the section on the Student Guidance Centre.

• Advisor of studies: You will be allocated an Advisor of studies who is responsible for monitoring and advising you on your academic progress throughout your degree.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module.  Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments.  Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. 

Careers

Overview

Studying for a Food Quality, Safety and Nutritionwith Professional studiesdegree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. There is a structured career development programme running throughout the degree, strongly linked to the compulsory work placement. 

Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) within the discipline area and demand for good food graduates exceeds supply within the UK.  In addition, over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, including Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition.  

Although the majority of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in the food industry or health promotion, some develop careers in a wide range of other sectors.  The following is a list of the major career sectors that have attracted our graduates in recent years:

The companies employing graduates are wide ranging – see section on work placement for examples. Salaries vary, but can be up to £32,000 per annum.

Employer Links

Consultations

We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including all those who provide work placement opportunities. These range from multinationals such as Moy Park and Sainsbury’s to local companies such as Irwins and Tayto.  Many companies provide support for the course and students through repeatedly offering 16 week work placements. A number of such placements lead to employment for the students when they graduate.

Yakult provide prizes for the best overall final year student and the best honours project in final year. Safe food also provide a prize for the best essay in the final year module Food Quality and Safety.

Placement Employers

Our past students have also gained work placement with organisations such as:

The Prospects websiteprovides further information concerning the types of jobs that attract Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition graduates.

Further study is also an option open to Food Quality, Safety and Nutritiongraduates. Past students have gone on to study in a wide range of Masters programmes including, Public Health,  Meat Science, Nutrition and Dietetics  as well as PGCE for Home Economics, Food technology and Chemistry. Each year some students also decide to continue their research studies through a PhD programme.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plusinitiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

Progression: graduates may progress to postgraduate study in the area of Dietetics and subsequently become State-Registered Dieticians.

Placement: Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition students must complete a compulsory full-time 16-week work placement period as an integral component of Stage 2 (Easter-September). Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition with Professional Studies students must undertake a compulsory 46-week period of work experience, on completion of Stage 2, which includes a project agreed between the student, the School and the employer.