Study Human Nutrition at Otago

Discover how food, nutrients and eating patterns impact growth and development, physical performance, and health and disease. Develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to enhance both individual and population health and wellbeing.

Why study Human Nutrition?

Public and media scrutiny of what we eat has never been greater. In this programme, you’ll delve into some of the challenges facing society and explore how nutrition influences all aspects of health and disease – including promoting healthy ageing, addressing obesity, and uncovering the powerful social and psychological effects of food on wellbeing.

Guided by world-leading experts and practising nutritionists, our graduates have the power to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities – impacting individuals and whānau and driving change on national and global scales.

Dive deep into topics like the biological foundations of nutrition, lifecycle nutrition, implications of diet in relation to chronic disease, and strategies to improve the health of diverse communities. You’ll also examine cultural and social influences on dietary habits and master the art of effective communication about nutrition and health.

Ever wondered how your own dietary habits impact your daily life? How much iron is in your blood? Or how much your body sweats during exercise? Through practical projects, you’ll get to explore these questions and monitor your body’s response to different foods, developing strong research and analytical skills along the way.

As a Human Nutrition student at Otago, you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your professional journey by applying for student membership with the Nutrition Society of New Zealand (NSNZ). After graduating, you can apply to become a Registered Associate Nutritionist – securing your status as a qualified, recognised nutrition professional in the field. Our graduates are also eligible to pursue postgraduate study in Dietetics at other New Zealand universities, as well as a range of accredited programmes in Australia.

Career opportunities

A world of opportunity awaits with a Human Nutrition degree. Our graduates pursue a range of fulfilling careers in:

• The health sector, e.g. public health
• Government organisations
• Research and teaching
• High-performance sport
• Private practice
• The food industry

You could also become a registered nutritionist, opening doors to exciting prospects in the fields of nutrition and health.

How you will learn

You'll be taught through lectures, practical labs and interactive tutorials. With access to state-of-the-art laboratories, a dedicated nutrition clinic, a fully equipped gym, a cutting-edge test kitchen, and even a food truck, you'll immerse yourself in hands-on experiences that prepare you for success in the workplace. Plus, our own on-site garden allows you to explore the journey from garden to plate – giving you a complete, real-world understanding of nutrition and deepening your knowledge of sustainable food practices.

You’ll develop hands-on skills in translating nutrition science into real-world applications and gain practical experience in our test kitchen preparing and analysing meals, as well as in our food truck where you’ll provide nutritious meals to other students and various community groups – experiencing first-hand how to put nutrition on a plate and make a tangible impact.

Unique to Otago, we’re also the only university to offer separate degrees in both Sports Nutrition and Sports Science, and a Sports Nutrition major. Our graduates from these programmes are highly regarded and many pursue successful careers working with high-performance sports teams.

Recommended high school subjects for undergraduate study

Year 12 biology, statistics, and English, and Year 13 chemistry are recommended. If you haven’t taken chemistry to Level 3, several bridging options are available. These will prepare you for CHEM 191 – a compulsory first-year paper for Human Nutrition.

Find out more about bridging options in Chemistry

You may also be interested in

• Sport and Exercise Nutrition
• Nutrition and Metabolism in Human Health

Choose a study option

Whether you're embarking on your academic journey with our comprehensive undergraduate programmes or aiming to reach new heights through our advanced postgraduate offerings, Otago is here to support your aspirations.

Undergraduate qualifications

For new and current students studying towards a Bachelor's or other first degree. Explore undergraduate qualifications at Otago, designed to build a strong foundation in your chosen field, preparing you for a successful career or further study.

Note: this subject can also be studied as a minor.

Bachelor of Science (BSc)

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A three-year degree offering flexibility to explore a major in Science along with other subjects

Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)

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Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Science, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects

Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc)

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Combine two majors, one in Commerce and one in Science, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects

Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr)

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A three-year degree that equips you to change the world as you create new products, services and ideas

Ready to apply?

Take the first step towards your future in this subject.

Start application

Further study opportunities

Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.

Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)

The Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad), requiring study of at least seven papers (at least four of which are at 300-level o...

Postgraduate study in Human Nutrition

Explore postgraduate study in Human Nutrition at Otago. Gain advanced knowledge, skills, and research opportunities in a...

A key skill in the field is being able to communicate nutrition knowledge in a way that makes sense to the chosen audience. When working with clients one-on-one, you need to be flexible and adaptable in your approach and take time to understand the person in front of you. I think empathy and curiosity are important personality traits to have when working in human nutrition.

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Sarah-Jane Hampton

Bachelor of Science (Human Nutrition), Bachelor of Arts (Major: Psychology, Minor: Education)

Related subject areas

Explore all subject areas

Health and biomedical sciences

Transform the world by learning from top researchers and shaping the future of healthcare, medicine, and the environment

Sport and wellbeing

Study exercise science and nutrition to enhance physical and mental well-being and improve community health outcomes

Award-winning staff, supportive learning, and industry networks

Human Nutrition is a dynamic field that explores how food and nutrients impact our health and wellbeing. Aspects of health and nutrition you might explore include:

• Understanding food and food products as sources of nutrients
• Supporting health and wellbeing across the lifespan
• Addressing international nutrition challenges in developing countries
• Fuelling sports performance with proper nutrition
• Treating and preventing disease through dietary interventions
• Providing personalised nutrition counselling for individuals and their whānau
• Assessing nutrient status in individuals and populations
• Exploring the digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients

Our programme is home to award-winning staff who are globally recognised for their excellence in teaching and mentorship. With national awards and prestigious teaching and supervision accolades – voted for by our students – our educators are not only leaders in their fields, but are dedicated to creating an engaging, supportive learning environment that will inspire you to thrive.

Our faculty boasts extensive networks across high-performance sport, public health, and global nutrition. These strong connections with industry leaders, elite sports teams, public health organisations and international nutrition initiatives ensure that our students benefit from cutting-edge knowledge and real-world opportunities. Whether it's collaborating with top athletes, influencing public health policy, or contributing to global nutrition efforts – our faculty’s reach opens doors for our students and graduates to engage in meaningful, impactful work both locally and around the world.

Programme details

Compare programmes for this subject.

Bachelor of Science (BSc) majoring in Human Nutrition

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	BIOC 192 Foundations of Biochemistry	18
	CHEM 191 The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health	18
	HUBS 191 Human Body Systems 1, or PTWY 131 Introduction to the Human Body	18
	HUBS 192 Human Body Systems 2	18
	HUNT 141 Understanding Human Nutrition Note: PTWY 131 is only available to students enrolled in the Diploma in Science.	18
200-level	HUNT 241 Fundamentals of Nutrients and Health	18
	HUNT 242 Nutritional Assessment	18
	HUNT 243 Lifecycle Nutrition	18
300-level	HUNT 341 Nutrition and Behaviour Change Communication	18
	HUNT 342 Nutrition and Chronic Diseases	18
	HUNT 343 Community and Public Health Nutrition	18
	One of: HUNT 344 Food and Nutrition in Practice HUNT 345 Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition HUNT 346 International Nutrition and Health	18
Plus	144 further points; (POPH 192 recommended) Must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Science. Note: Cannot be taken by students majoring in Sport and Exercise Nutrition.	144
Total		360

Human Nutrition as a minor

A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.

Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.

You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.

Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	HUNT 141 Understanding Human Nutrition	18
200-level	Two of: HUNT 241 Fundamentals of Nutrients and Health HUNT 242 Nutritional Assessment HUNT 243 Lifecycle Nutrition HUNT 245 Sport and Exercise Nutrition HUNT 246 Applied Nutrition Note: Prerequisites for HUNT 241 are BIOC 192, CHEM 191 and ((HUBS 191 and HUBS 192) or (HUBS 192 and PTWY 131*) or (ANAT 101 and PHSL 101))	36
300-level	Two of: HUNT 341 Nutrition and Behaviour Change Communication HUNT 342 Nutrition and Chronic Diseases HUNT 343 Community and Public Health Nutrition HUNT 344 Food and Nutrition in Practice HUNT 346 International Nutrition and Health	36
	* PTWY 131 is only available to students enrolled in the Diploma in Science.
Total		90

Papers

View a list of all related papers below.

Papers

HUNT papers

Paper Code	Year	Title	Points	Teaching period
HUNT141	2026	Understanding Human Nutrition	18 points	Summer School, Semester 1, Semester 2
HUNT241	2026	Fundamentals of Nutrients and Health	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT242	2026	Nutritional Assessment	18 points	Semester 2
HUNT243	2026	Lifecycle Nutrition	18 points	Semester 2
HUNT245	2026	Sport and Exercise Nutrition	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT246	2026	Applied Nutrition	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT341	2026	Nutrition and Behaviour Change Communication	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT342	2026	Nutrition and Chronic Diseases	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT343	2026	Community and Public Health Nutrition	18 points	Semester 2
HUNT344	2026	Food and Nutrition in Practice	18 points	Semester 2
HUNT345	2026	Applied Sports Nutrition	18 points	Semester 2
HUNT346	2026	Global Nutrition and Health	18 points	Semester 1
HUNT441	2026	Research Methods	20 points	Not offered in 2026
HUNT442	2026	Applied Nutrition & Disease Management	20 points	Semester 1
HUNT443	2026	Practice in Public Health Nutrition	20 points	Semester 1
HUNT444	2026	Food - Systems, Services and Skills	20 points	Not offered in 2026
HUNT445	2026	Applications in Sport and Exercise Nutrition	20 points	Semester 2
HUNT452	2026	Nutrition and Human Health	20 points	Semester 2
HUNT454	2026	Nutritional Biostatistics	20 points	Semester 1
HUNT455	2026	Advanced Topics in Human Nutrition	20 points	Semester 1, Semester 2
HUNT485	2026	Research Project	20 points	Full Year
HUNT490	2026	Dissertation	60 points	Full Year, 1st Non standard period (13 July 2026 - 11 June 2027)
HUNT495	2026	Master's Thesis Preparation	40 points	Full Year, 1st Non standard period (13 July 2026 - 14 June 2027)
NUTN401	2026	Principles of Human Nutrition	30 points	Semester 1
NUTN402	2026	Nutrition and Health Promotion	30 points	Semester 1
NUTN404	2026	Nutrition and Chronic Disease	30 points	Semester 2
NUTN407	2026	Advanced Sports Nutrition	30 points	Semester 2
NUTN590	2026	Dissertation	60 points	Semester 1, Semester 2, Full Year, 1st Non standard period (13 July 2026 - 11 June 2027)

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