Bachelor of Food and Nutrition

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Apply well developed literacy and communication skills across a variety of settings, including demonstration of digital literacy, to effectively communicate your knowledge, skills and ideas to others.
2. Critically appraise research evidence to enable knowledge translation for ethically informed and evidence-based nutrition practice incorporating health data, nutrition epidemiology methods and biostatistics.
3. Critically analyse problems and provide innovative and practical solutions that consider the sociocultural factors that influence food intake and impact food security in changing and complex food, health environmental and economic systems.
4. Integrate and apply knowledge and strategies that support health and wellbeing among individuals and communities to provide specialist advice when working collaboratively with key stakeholders.
5. Engage in personal and professional development through reflective practice and self-directed learning.
6. Integrate and apply specialist knowledge and practical skills to understand the role of diet in health maintenance and illness prevention and promote health in diverse settings.
7. Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate accountability and ethical responsibility in decision-making in a range of food, nutrition and health related contexts.

Gain the skills to make a difference in people's lives through food and nutrition. La Trobe's Bachelor of Food and Nutrition will equip you with the skills and knowledge to work with people, communities and organisations to prevent many chronic diseases.

Designed by leading nutrition experts and in collaboration with industry, you'll get a practical hands-on experience while exploring a range of topics such as environmental sustainability of our food system, sustainable diets, food product development, culture and food, and nutrition and disease. You'll have the opportunity to study in modern science labs and commercial kitchens.

By completing La Trobe's Bachelor of Food and Nutrition, you will:

• build expertise in chemistry and nutrition science, analysis, physiology and biochemistry, epidemiology, and research and communication
• have the flexibility to study online or on campus, or even choose an accelerated option to finish your degree in 2.5 years
• prepare for your career at every stage of the degree, with the option to exit early via the Diploma or Associate Degree in Food and Nutrition
• graduate ready to apply for membership with the Nutrition Society of Australia, or pursue postgraduate studies through the Master of Dietetics or our Honours research program.

Note: Completion of this course is subject to core participation requirements, essential requirements, and additional costs. Please see the Entry requirements and pathways & Fees and scholarships tabs for more information.

Recommended study pattern

This degree is structured to allow students to complete 2 subjects per study period and this is the strongly recommended study load from La Trobe University. If you enrol in more than 2 subjects per study period, this may limit your options for enrolment in later study periods and thus careful planning and assessment of required prerequisites is needed. 

Please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook  to review the full structure.

Students who are studying and want to take a break (minimum one study period) must submit a leave of absence covering the relevant dates.

Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first study period as a CSP student:

LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module

ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education

Award requirements

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Food and Nutrition, students must complete 24 subjects (360 credit points) as follows:

• 20 core subjects
• 4 elective subjects

Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first study period as a CSP student:

LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module

ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education

Exit points

Upon completion of Level one 8 subjects (120 credit points), students have the option to exit with a Diploma in Food and Nutrition (HDFN).*

Upon completion of Level one and Level two 16 subjects (240 credit points), students have the option to exit with an Associate Degree in Food and Nutrition (HA005).*

*Please note that if you are a past La Trobe student who has discontinued study, or if you have been absent without leave, you are not eligible to apply for an alternative exit retrospectively. 

Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.

This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.

• Level one core subjects

• Level two core subjects

• Level three core subjects

• Level three elective subjects

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $26,844

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

The third university established in Victoria, La Trobe University has a diverse community of more than 38,000 students and staff. Its commitment to excellence in teaching and research prepares students to make a bold and positive impact in today's global community. La Trobe provides Open Universities Australia with its core tenets, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Learn more about La Trobe University.

Explore La Trobe courses.

QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

17

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

15

Successful completion of HBS101 Introduction to Human Physiology, and one of the following Open Access Pathway subjects:

• DTN101 Introduction to Nutrition
• CHM101 Essentials of Chemistry
• PHE1UHW Understanding Health and Wellbeing

Important to Note: Students who successfully complete two from these four open enrolment subjects may apply under the Academic Eligibility category for admission to the restricted Bachelor of Food and Nutrition. You must be enrolled in the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition to be eligible to enrol in all other non-open access subjects offered in the degree.

Demonstrate proficiency equivalent to Year 12 prerequisites.

Satisfy the academic requirements by completing the STAT multiple choice if you:

• are not currently studying an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent)
• have no prior secondary school (Year 12), VET studies, HE studies or relevant work experience that can be considered for entry, or
• do not meet the minimum academic requirements for the program.

Refer to the La Trobe University STAT page for further information.

La Trobe University will consider applications for advanced standing, or credit for prior study. Credit may be applied to a current degree if you have undertaken previous tertiary study and completed and passed subjects similar in content and standard to those offered at La Trobe, from either another recognised tertiary institution or a different La Trobe course.

Note: Applications for credit will not be considered until you have successfully been admitted to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) in a La Trobe course offered through OUA.

Assessing whether you should apply for credit for subjects in your course:

Credit may be granted for relevant subjects. The following steps will help you to decide which subjects you wish to apply for:

1. Identify subjects within your course that you think align with subjects you have already studied and have completed within 8 years of your La Trobe University course commencement year.

2. Provide subject outlines with detailed information for each subject that you wish to submit for assessment for credit, identifying which subject within your course that you have identified as a match. Include subject learning

outcomes/objectives and subject content for each subject.

3. Provide your academic transcript for your previous studies.

*Note that a subject studied can only be used once for credit

In this course you will be required to complete cooking and food science practicals/assessment tasks in your own kitchen or one you arrange to access. You will need to purchase ingredients and have access to standard kitchen equipment including a digital thermometer and digital scales. Cooking or handling foods from across all food groups (including red meat, eggs and milk) is part of the required coursework. Sensory analysis requiring the tasting of food, is at your discretion to accommodate special dietary requirements. Students should direct any questions to the course coordinators prior to enrolment.

For intensive classes (HBS301, DTN310) students are required to purchase their own safety equipment. Students will also incur the cost of travel and any associated costs with attending the intensive block study period on campus.

The subjects below are electives only and not compulsory to complete the degree:

• HBS301 Food and Nutrition Practical Skills requires attendance at an external provider in Melbourne in an intensive block study period
• DTN310 Advanced Food Skills requires attendance at an external provider in Melbourne in an intensive block study period.