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Nutrition Sciences

1. Introduction and Objectives

Nutrition and food sciences are areas with increasing impact on human health. The diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates in the Western world, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, among others, are oftentimes related to a poor diet with little nutritional value. On the other hand, food biotechnology has been given an (increasing) economic boost with the objective of obtaining an increase in the productivity and nutritional quality of foods.

The Nutrition Sciences degree, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education of July 31, 2008, aims to train professionals in the field of health by using the most recent information on human nutrition, diet formulation and obesity prevention, with vast mastery over the technology involved and focus on the quality and safety of food. The undergraduate degree in Nutrition Sciences aims to give students a solid and comprehensive education in the areas of chemistry and biology, as well as more specific areas such as nutrition and food, food biotechnology and its social/psychological impact on the population, ultimately placing the student in a position whereby they can practice their acquired skills through internships in real work environments and reinforce their professional skills.

Acquired Skills

The Nutrition Sciences degree provides students with the necessary skills in the field of food sciences, as well as other related scientific areas. Training in the field of nutrition and food sciences as prescribed by the presented curricular plan enables the degree holder to enter the workforce in the field of nutrition or proceed to a second cycle of study, backed by the theoretical knowledge provided by the degree, which serves as an excellent preparation for careers related to nutrition research, an area which is intended to be developed in our country.

2. Employment Options

Some of the possible employment options for an undergraduate degree holder in Nutrition and Food Sciences from ISCSN are:

1. Consultations for nutritional advice and diet formulation for the general population and/or specified professions (example: athletes and sportsmen), in clinics, hospitals and/or medical offices.
2. Food companies and industries, as well as food quality and control laboratories.
3. Professional activity and provision of assistance in the restaurant industry.
4. Social nutrition in social institutions, nurseries, day-care centres, schools, colleges, public health networks and home health networks.
5. Involvement in technical consultation teams on food, quality control and marketing.
6. Municipal and government agencies responsible for food control and inspection.
7. Applied research in food biotechnology.
8. Academic and medical research in the field of nutrition and food sciences.
9. Involvement in education at higher education institutions.

3. Conditions of Access

• Number of course openings: 50
• MUDAR LINK: Procedures and Special Invitations for Application
• The (fixed) minimum score for admission to this course is 95 points (on a scale of 0 to 200)
• National exams required: Biology and Geology, or Physics and Chemistry, or Mathematics

4. Additional Information

• MUDAR LINK: Study Plans – Diário da República (PDF w/ 219KB)
• MUDAR LINK: Summary of tuition fees for 2008/09 (PDF w/ 29KB)

5. Coordinators

Course Coordinator: Prof. / Dr. Odília Queirós
Tel./Fax: +351-224 157 100 / +351-224 157 102
E-mail: dir.nutricao@iscsn.cespu.pt