Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health

Entry requirements

You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any subject.

If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.

We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.

We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.

If your achieved grade is lower than our entry requirements, your application may be more likely to receive an offer if you have additional relevant work experience or qualifications. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing:

• evidence of significant, relevant work experience (minimum of 18 months paid or unpaid work) in the following sectors/areas: Dietician, Nurse, Doctor, Rehabilitation Therapist, Food Scientist, Public Health Clinician, Commissioner of Public Health Services, Policy Maker, Researcher or Analyst in relevant field, Wellbeing Advisor, Yoga Instructor, Physical Activity/Sports Coach.
• a postgraduate qualification in any discipline.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This MSc was one of the first to recognise the need for specialisation in the three intertwined disciplines of nutrition, physical activity, and public health to tackle non-communicable diseases. This programme focuses on developing your skills in research, policy, and practice in these connected fields. The development of these skills is vital in addressing genuine issues of concern to policymakers and practitioners nationally and globally.

You will be taught by academics who are at the forefront of real-world research and whose knowledge is grounded in applied situations. Recent collaborations have seen research undertaken with the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Obesity Federation, the National Health Service (Meals on Wheels) and national governments in the West Pacific Region.

You will learn to address questions such as:

• What is the policy implication?
• What research design will answer this question?
• What intervention needs to happen?
• How will it be evaluated?

This will be invaluable in roles where you may be required to pitch your future projects to policymakers, commissioners, and funders. Skills gained in critical thinking, report writing, and evaluation of research and interventions will also be transferable to your future career.

The programme will help you critically examine key interactions at the interface of epidemiology, behaviour change and policy-relevant research in these connected fields and will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the evidence around the role of nutrition and physical activity in public health; the factors that influence people's physical activity and eating behaviours; and how to develop and evaluate nutrition and physical activity interventions.

It will suit graduates or professionals (with or without directly relevant experience or qualifications) who are interested in pursuing a career in nutrition, physical activity, public health or relevant fields. The complex and inter-disciplinary nature of these issues mean the skills developed during this programme are useful in a wide range of career paths.

The programme is delivered over one year, allowing you to return to work, progress your career and start to bring your knowledge into practice in a short period of time. We also have a part-time option set over 2 years.

This programme is available as an intercalated degree for current undergraduate medicine, dentistry or veterinary students from the University of Bristol or other universities. Find out more about our intercalated degrees and eligibility criteria.

Learn more about our pioneering research with the World Health Organisation to tackle all forms of malnutrition in China.

Information for international students

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website

Fees and funding

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.