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The University of Western Australia (UWA)

  • 22% international / 78% domestic

Biochemistry of Nutrition (Extended Major)

  • Non-Award

Are you interested in how nutrition saves lives, reduces morbidity and improves health? This extended major will prepare you for a career as a nutritional consultant, food technologist, dietician, biochemist or healthcare professional.

Key details

Degree Type
Non-Award
Duration
3 - 4 years full-time
Course Code
MJD-BCNDM
Study Mode
In person

About this course

Do you love science and food? Or are you interested in the role of nutrition in saving lives, reducing morbidity, and improving health. Then this degree may be for you. Nutritional biochemistry takes a scientific approach to nutrition. It focuses on nutrient chemical components, and how they function metabolically, physiologically, biochemically as well as their impact on disease. Nutritional science is an applied subject that draws information from many biological areas, with much of the science coming from biochemical studies. Knowledge generated from this field of study forms the foundation upon which nutrition-based public health interventions are designed and implemented.

Entry requirements

Admission requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you're interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.

Minimum entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements

Below you'll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) - Pass of 65
  • 79
Monash University Foundation Year
  • 270
South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 330
Trinity College Foundation
  • 300
University of Western Australia College (UWAC) Foundation Program
  • 66
Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 60
Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 80
Below you'll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) - Pass of 65
  • 79
Monash University Foundation Year
  • 270
South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 330
Trinity College Foundation
  • 300
University of Western Australia College (UWAC) Foundation Program
  • 66
Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 60
Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 80
Admission requirements
For applicants with recent secondary education, information on admission criteria is available on our entry requirements page or on the UWA Handbook for course specific requirements and prerequisites.
Admission requirements
Prerequisites

This major requires:

  • Mathematics Methods ATAR; OR
  • Mathematics Applications ATAR with a mathematics unit taken in the first year; OR
  • Students without ATAR mathematics to take two mathematics units in their first year.

  • Chemistry ATAR or an additional chemistry unit taken in the first year.

Prerequisites
ADMISSION REQUIREMENT
English competency

English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT
English competency

Study locations

Albany

Perth

Career pathways

Careers and further study

This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career opportunities.

Career Pathways

A bachelor's degree in Biochemistry of Nutrition from UWA may provide career opportunities including biotechnology, food technology and quality control, nutritional consultancy and dietetics. Nutritional biochemists find jobs in diagnostics, toxicology and allied health fields. Opportunities beyond the laboratory include education, patent law and policy-making, as well as in sales and marketing for medical, research and pharmaceutical industries. With their specialist knowledge of living systems, nutritional biochemists find work as journalists and science communicators. A degree in the Biochemistry of Nutrition is also an ideal entry point for specialised postgraduate courses in biomedical sciences or human physiology. Finally, many careers in biochemistry and human physiology benefit from expertise gained through a higher degree by research, so that graduates can reach more senior positions in research and development, whether in academia or in industry.



Some international, Australian and WA-based companies and institutions
that seek nutritional biochemists include:

* Pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Pfizer, CSL, Abbvie, GlaxoSmithKline, EvansPetersen Healthcare)
* Food technology and quality assurance (e.g. D'Orsogna, Ecolab)
* Biotechnology companies (e.g. Dimerix, PYC Therapeutics, Orthocell, Novozyme, Life Cykel, Qiagen, Roche, Merck)
* Molecular diagnostics laboratories (e.g. Pathwest, Safe Work Laboratories)
* Provisioners of scientific instrumentation (e.g. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Westlab, LabGear Australia)
* Research Centres (e.g. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Telethon Kids Institute, Ingham Institute, Garvan Institute for Medical Research)
* Top-ranked universities around the world





Career Pathways

A bachelor's degree in Biochemistry of Nutrition from UWA may provide career opportunities including biotechnology, food technology and quality control, nutritional consultancy and dietetics. Nutritional biochemists find jobs in diagnostics, toxicology and allied health fields. Opportunities beyond the laboratory include education, patent law and policy-making, as well as in sales and marketing for medical, research and pharmaceutical industries. With their specialist knowledge of living systems, nutritional biochemists find work as journalists and science communicators. A degree in the Biochemistry of Nutrition is also an ideal entry point for specialised postgraduate courses in biomedical sciences or human physiology. Finally, many careers in biochemistry and human physiology benefit from expertise gained through a higher degree by research, so that graduates can reach more senior positions in research and development, whether in academia or in industry.



Some international, Australian and WA-based companies and institutions
that seek nutritional biochemists include:

* Pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Pfizer, CSL, Abbvie, GlaxoSmithKline, EvansPetersen Healthcare)
* Food technology and quality assurance (e.g. D'Orsogna, Ecolab)
* Biotechnology companies (e.g. Dimerix, PYC Therapeutics, Orthocell, Novozyme, Life Cykel, Qiagen, Roche, Merck)
* Molecular diagnostics laboratories (e.g. Pathwest, Safe Work Laboratories)
* Provisioners of scientific instrumentation (e.g. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Westlab, LabGear Australia)
* Research Centres (e.g. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Telethon Kids Institute, Ingham Institute, Garvan Institute for Medical Research)
* Top-ranked universities around the world





Course structure

Level 1
Core

Take all units (24 points):

Core

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points from this group:

Bridging

Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study. Students without Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher take MATH1721. Students without Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher take MATH1720 and MATH1721. Students without Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher take CHEM1003.

Level 2

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