c8b4 - Psychology and Nutrition and BSc
Psychology and Nutrition BSc Joint Honours
UCAS Code: C8B4 (full time: 3 Years)
Course Overview
This professionally accredited degree explores the psychological factors that can impact on our perception of nutrition, as well as the link between diet and health.
At a Glance
UCAS Code
C8B4
UCAS Institution Name and Code
NEWC, N21
Degree Awarded
BSc Joint Honours
Course Duration
3 Years
Entry Requirements
A Level: AAA-AAB
IB: 35 points
Opportunities
There is an opportunity to take either a professional psychology or nutritional placement.
In psychology, you will explore why humans and animals think and behave as they do, with topics including:
- social and developmental psychology
- eating and weight disorders
In nutrition, you study a range of topics relating to human nutrition and health, such as:
- nutrition and food science
- biochemistry for biologists
There is also the option to gain a nutritional accreditation.
You will work in newly refurbished laboratories and taste-testing facilities, providing practical skills for your chosen career.
Quality and ranking
Our nutrition and food degrees at Newcastle rank highly:
- 8th in the UK – the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 (Food Science category)
- 9th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2020 (Food Science category)
Psychology is also highly regarded, ranking:
- top 20 in the UK – The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and The Complete University Guide 2020
- top 150 – Psychology category – QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019
Professional accreditation*
This degree is professionally accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
This gives you the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (providing you achieve the minimum standard of a lower second-class Honours).
Having Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership means you can join the BPS and will be eligible to go on to further training and, if successful, to practise as a professional psychologist.
For information on the benefits of studying an accredited course, visit the BPS website.
*All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.
Work placement (optional)
You have the option to carry out a professional psychology or nutritional placement in the food industry between Stages 2 and 3.
This is an excellent opportunity to apply your knowledge in a work setting and gain valuable work experience and life skills that will help to set you apart from other food graduates in the marketplace.
There are placement opportunities in the UK and abroad. Past placements have included:
- Marks and Spencer
- Nutricia
- Tesco
- NHS
- Northumbria Police
- Institute of Neuroscience
- the MRC Human Research Unit, Cambridge
Each year a few students work on a research project at Newcastle University for their placement.
If you choose a nutrition placement, you collate evidence of your work experience and skills development as a portfolio. This will be submitted for the award of a Licentiateship of the City and Guilds Institute, London (equivalent to NVQ Level 4).
Facilities and support
The School of Psychology is the administrative home of the Joint Honours degree in Psychology and Nutrition.
Our facilities include well-equipped modern laboratories for teaching and research.
You'll be supported by a personal tutor throughout your degree – an academic member of staff who can help with academic and personal issues.
You'll also have access to a peer mentor in your first year – a fellow student who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have.
Modules for 2019 entry
Please note
The module and/or programme information below is for 2019 entry. Our teaching is informed by research and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, student feedback, or insufficient numbers of students interested (in an optional module). To find out more read our terms and conditions.
Module/programme information for 2020 entry will be published here as soon as it is available (end of May 2020).
Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts for an academic year and you need to complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each Stage. Further information, including the credit value of the module, is available in each of the module descriptions below.
Stage 1
Compulsory modules
- NUT1003 Practical Skills in Nutrition 1
- PSY1012 Introduction to Psychology for Joint Honours Students
- NUT1002 Introduction to Human Nutrition
- ACE1041 Investigating Agri-Food Systems from Farm to Folk
- SES1002 Bioenergetics
- PSY1004 Cognitive Psychology
- PSY1005 Sensation and Perception
- PSY1006 Instinct, Learning and Motivation
- PSY1011 Research Methods and Skills 2
Stage 2
Compulsory modules
- NUT2001 Principles of Nutrition
- NUT2002 Applied and Experimental Nutrition
- NUT2003 Food Science and Technology
- PSY2009 Methods in Psychology 2A
- PSY2010 Statistics for Experimental Psychology
- PSY2003 Social Psychology
- PSY2004 Individual Differences
- PSY2007 Biological Psychology: Sex, Drugs, Rhythms and Blues
- PSY2001 Developmental Psychology
Work Placement (optional)
You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months between Stages 2 and 3 on an optional work placement in the UK or abroad. You can apply to spend your placement year with any organisation and will receive University support to do so. It will extend your degree by a year and is subject to availability. It isn't available if you're spending a year studying abroad. Find out more on about Work Placements.
All Professional Placement students will take one of the following compulsory modules:
All Careers Placement students will take the following compulsory module:
Stage 3
Compulsory modules
- NUT3001 Nutrition in Health and Disease
- NUT3003 Advanced Nutrient Metabolism and Requirements
- PSY3033 Eating and Weight Disorders
- PSY3029 Psychological Enquiry 3 – Psychological Literacy and Professional Skills
- PSY3097 Empirical Project
Optional modules
You take 20 credits from the following list:
- PSY3001 Evolution and Behaviour
- PSY3006 Consumer Psychology
- PSY3008 Art, Mind and Brain
- PSY3009 Cooperation
- PSY3018 The Damaged Brain: Case Studies in Neuropsychology
- PSY3030 Foundations in Forensic Psychology
- PSY3034 Perception
- PSY3039 Clinical Sport and Exercise Psychology
- PSY3040 Psychobiology of Drug Addiction
- PSY3041 Sensation and Perception in Atypical Development
- PSY3042 Sex Differences and the Brain
- PSY3043 Making Sense of Scents: Investigating Olfactory Perception
- PSY3044 Cultural and technical intelligence: developmental and comparative perspectives
- PSY3045 The neurobiology of learning and memory processes
- PSY3046 Psychology for Sport Performance
- NUT3004 Selected Topics in Food and Human Nutrition
- ACE2073 New Food Product Development
- ACE3202 Communication and Behaviour Change
All candidates are considered on an individual basis.
If your qualifications are not listed here, please see our additional entry requirements web pages to find out which other qualifications are considered.
The entrance requirements below apply to 2020 entry.
Careers
Psychology and Nutrition Careers
In our experience employers look favourable on students who can demonstrate their abilities in more than one field. Newcastle graduates will have acquired the ability to research, evaluate and communicate information, alongside developing specialist subject knowledge, practical and technical skills.
As a successful joint honours graduate you will have:
- acquired the ability to research, evaluate and communicate information
- developed specialist knowledge, and practical and technical skills in two subject areas
- demonstrated your ability to study intellectually rigorous subjects and manage your workload effectively
These are all attractive traits to graduate employers and are a strong foundation for range of educational and career opportunities. Your employability will be enhanced if you have taken advantage of work/placement opportunities at University.
Some graduates enter careers or advanced training related to one or both of their subject specialisms such as further study in psychology. Those graduates who enter employment outside their discipline find a flexible degree of this nature is highly valued in professions such as management, commerce and the civil service, as well as various roles in healthcare.
What our graduates go on to do: employment and further study choices
See what our recent graduates went on to do and view graduate destinations statistics. These statistics are based on what graduates were doing on a specific date, approximately six months after graduation. The most recent data available is for graduates who completed their course in 2014/15.
The destination data is available in varying levels, beginning with the University and moving through Faculty and School down to individual course reports. This final level may give you some useful ideas about possible options after your course or a course you are considering.
Careers and employability at Newcastle
Newcastle University consistently has one of the best records for graduate employment in the UK.
94% of our 2014/15 UK/EU graduates progressed to employment or further study within six months of graduating.
Of our graduates who entered employment 85% were in a professional or managerial position.
We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through an initiative called ncl+. This enables you to develop personal, employability and enterprise skills and to give you the edge in the employment market after you graduate.
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers.
Applying to Newcastle University through UCAS
To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
UCAS codes for Newcastle University
- institution name - NEWC
- institution code - N21
UCAS buzzword
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All UK schools and colleges and a small number of EU and international establishments are registered with UCAS.
If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.
Making your application
On the UCAS website you can also find out more about:
- application deadlines and other important dates
- offers and tracking your application
Application decisions and enquiries
Find out more about our admissions process and who to contact if you need help with your application.