Nutrition courses

Nutrition is an interdisciplinary field that combines biology, biochemistry and dietetics.

A nutrition course will teach you how to help people forge better relationships with food. You’ll do this by studying food at a systems level, examining how it impacts the whole of the human body, and at a molecular level. For example, you might explore how certain fats affect the liver and liver disease.

Food and nutrition courses are critical in the digital age. Misinformation about health and diets is easily spread via social media and online outlets, so it’s more important than ever that there are individuals with the science-backed knowledge to set the record straight.

Studying nutrition helps you understand how food affects our bodies and health. It gives you the knowledge to make better food choices and helps others do the same. Nutrition plays a key role in managing health problems, improving fitness, and supporting overall wellbeing. If you are passionate about health, wellness, or helping others, nutrition is a great field to explore.

Unsure if nutrition is the right path for you? Other health related areas you might like to explore include public health, health management, aged care, and sports.

Studying nutrition online is a great way to break into a career in this exciting and dynamic field. Online study is flexible, which means you can choose how many subjects you take at once and fit your coursework around existing commitments like work and family.

Through Open Universities Australia, you can also study the only fully online undergraduate nutrition degree in Australia. The Bachelor of Food and Nutrition with La Trobe University is among the most popular courses on our marketplace, and qualifies you for further study in dietetics if your goal is to become a dietician. You don’t even need access to an industrial kitchen—you can complete all of the practical cooking tasks in the comfort of your own home.

The best course for you depends on your interests and career goals.

If you're just starting out, consider an undergraduate course like a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition, which will build your expertise across a range of topics, and set you up for further study in dietetics.

If you're already in a health-related job, you might like to take a short course to specialise further.

If you're unsure, a student advisor can help guide you to the right course for your needs.

In a nutrition course, you'll learn how food impacts health and how to make informed decisions about what we eat. You'll study areas like food science, nutrition principles, health promotion, and diet planning. You'll also learn about how good nutrition helps prevent and manage health issues, as well as how to support people in making healthier food choices.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide: 

If you study a degree in nutrition through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.   

A nutrition course usually requires you to have completed high school with a strong background in science and mathematics. Some courses might require a certain ATAR score or prerequisites in subjects like biology or chemistry.

Through Open Universities Australia, there are open access pathways to higher education for those who don’t meet the standard entry requirements. For example, successful completion of introductory subjects in nutrition may allow you entry into the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition through La Trobe University.

To find out more about this, book a free consultation with one of our friendly student advisors.

Once you’ve completed your nutrition course, you can look forward to a career in the following fields:

• Nutrition
• Food science
• Health promotion
• Nutrition policy or health marketing
• Nutrition community education
• Food regulation
• Research
• Food manufacturing

To become a dietician, you will need to complete further postgraduate study such as a Master of Dietetics.

Nutrition experts are employed in a wide range of settings. You might work in a private clinic as a nutritionist, advising patients on what diet would work best for their circumstances. You might work in local, state or federal government to develop food safety and access policies.

Some nutritionists work in labs to explore foods at the molecular level or in aged-care settings, supporting older people through food. Your strengths and interests are important when deciding which of the fascinating careers available to nutrition graduates is best for you.

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.