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Last modified: 30 Apr 2026 12:16
This course will give you a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of the methods used to assess nutritional status, including dietary intake, assessment of body composition and energy expenditure applied in the context of energy balance. Theory will be put into practice through a series of practical workshop and laboratory sessions (virtual or on-campus) to give you ‘hands-on’ experience of using a range of assessment techniques using state-of-the-art equipment routinely employed by nutritional scientists.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This course will give you a detailed understanding of the methods used to assess nutritional status, including dietary intake, assessment of body composition and energy expenditure applied in the context of energy balance. The assignments for this course are designed to apply this knowledge to critically evaluate the most appropriate method to use in assessing body composition, dietary intake and energy expenditure, and also how to interpret the data generated from these assessments.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 18 | Feedback Weeks | 21 | |
| Feedback |
Students are asked to provide short answers to questions based on specific scenarios. There is no time limit for the course work. Students have one week to submit their answers from the time the details of the assessment are made available to them. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Evaluate and critically appraise the methods used to assess body composition, the principles, application of principles and assumptions relating to methods of assessing nutritional status. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Assess and critically appraise the methods used to measure energy expenditure, including indirect calorimetry for resting metabolic rate and how to estimate RMR. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 14 | Feedback Weeks | 17 | |
| Feedback |
Duration: 5 minutes Dietary Assessment video presentation. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Analyse | Describe and critically appraise the composition and nutritional analysis of food and diets. |
| Assessment Type | Formative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
The resit does not cover individual assignments but will assess student’s understanding of the learning outcomes of the course. The method of resit for this course is an oral examination lasting approximately 30 minutes with the Programme co-ordinator and Course co-ordinator. The resits for this course will take place as soon as possible after the assessment board and students will be given at least two weeks’ notice of the date of the resit assessment. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Analyse | Describe and critically appraise the composition and nutritional analysis of food and diets. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Assess and critically appraise the methods used to measure energy expenditure, including indirect calorimetry for resting metabolic rate and how to estimate RMR. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Evaluate and critically appraise the methods used to assess body composition, the principles, application of principles and assumptions relating to methods of assessing nutritional status. |
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