Bachelor of Human Movement, Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Sciences

This is a four-year double degree that pairs the science of human movement with the science of food and nutrition. You study how the body responds to exercise, how food is produced and analysed, and how the two together shape health across a person's life. At Adelaide University the two halves are taught together rather than bolted on, so you graduate with a foot in both the exercise science and nutrition worlds.

What you actually study

The human movement side covers anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, motor control and exercise prescription, how muscles, joints and the cardiovascular system respond to training, and how to test and measure that. The nutrition and food sciences side covers human nutrition, food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing and food safety, plus the biochemistry that sits underneath. Across four years you build both a laboratory and a practical skill set: running fitness assessments, analysing food composition, interpreting dietary intake data, and reading the research behind the advice.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are built from units of study, each carrying a set number of credit points, and you need a set total to graduate. This double degree runs four years full-time, normally across two semesters a year, with some institutions using trimesters. You complete core units in both disciplines, then choose electives or a major to shape the back end of the degree. Most double degrees finish with a capstone unit or research project in the final year, where you pull the two fields together on a real question. Honours is a separate extra year on top if you want the research pathway.

Work-integrated learning is common in this field. Nutrition and food science students often do laboratory or industry placements in food companies, community health settings or research labs, and human movement students typically get practical experience in exercise or health settings. Exact placement arrangements vary, so check the official course page.

Who it suits

You'll do well here if you like science but want it pointed at people, if you're interested in why some bodies adapt to training and others don't, or how what we eat gets from a farm to a plate and what it does once it's there. It suits school leavers with a science background, and also people coming back to study who want a qualification that opens doors in health, food and fitness. Note that this double degree does not, on its own, make you an accredited dietitian, that requires a separate accredited dietetics qualification. Ask the university what each pathway leads to.

English proficiency is required for international applicants. The university publishes its own accepted tests and scores, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying in Australia on a student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Confirm all details, including the current course structure and entry requirements, on the official page.

• Exercise scientist or health promotion officer, working in community health, fitness and chronic disease prevention programmes.
• Nutrition assistant or food science technician, supporting dietitians, food manufacturers and research teams.
• Food technologist or quality assurance officer, in food processing, product development and food safety roles.
• Sports science support, assisting with athlete testing, monitoring and training programmes.
• Health and wellbeing coordinator, in workplaces, local government and community organisations.
• Further study, a master's in dietetics, public health, clinical exercise physiology or research, leading to accredited practice or research careers.

Employers include hospitals and health services, food manufacturers, sports institutes, community health organisations, government health departments and universities.