MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health

University of Bristol

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.