Studies & Degrees in Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition and Metabolism Study Programs
Nutrition and metabolism is the study of what the body does with food: how it digests and absorbs nutrients, turns them into energy and tissue, stores them and disposes of what is left. The subject joins biochemistry and physiology with dietetics. Students learn what happens to carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals inside the cell, and how diet relates to health and to disease.
Programmes combine basic science with applied subjects such as food science, clinical nutrition, public health and research methods. The Spanish rules for dietitian-nutritionist degrees show the usual mix: they require a basic module of 60 ECTS credits on the chemical, biochemical and biological foundations of human nutrition and on the structure and function of the human body, from the molecular level to the whole organism.
Qualifications and levels
Nutrition and metabolism is taught at every university level, and the name of the degree changes from country to country.
- Bachelor's degrees. In Spain the bachelor's degree (grado) that leads to the profession of dietitian-nutritionist has 240 ECTS credits, which is four years at 60 credits per year. Dietitian-nutritionist is a regulated profession in Spain and requires this official degree. In Canada, the School of Human Nutrition of McGill University offers two undergraduate majors, Dietetics and Nutrition. Its Dietetics Major lasts 3.5 years (115 credits) and includes 40 weeks of internship.
- Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Inter-University Master's Degree in Nutrition and Metabolism is taught jointly by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Universitat de Barcelona. It has 60 ECTS credits, is taught face-to-face in Spanish (91%) and English (9%), and offers three specialities: Clinical Nutrition, Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, and Research. The listed fee is €1,308 for students from the EU or resident in Spain (price for the 2025-26 academic year) and €2,913 for other students. McGill offers an MSc (Applied) and an MSc (Thesis).
- Doctorates. Research-oriented master's tracks lead on to a PhD. The research speciality of the Catalan master's is designed to help graduates start a doctoral programme, and McGill's School of Human Nutrition also awards the PhD.
Graduate programmes usually expect a first degree with a scientific base. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, they usually require a bachelor's degree that includes coursework in sciences such as anatomy, biology and physiology.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for nutrition and metabolism. Spain, the United Kingdom and Brazil have two each; Australia, Canada, the United States, Ukraine, Russia, Mexico and Portugal have one each. The list includes the Universitat de Barcelona and IUSC in Barcelona, The University of Sheffield and Liverpool Hope University in England, the Universidade Federal de Viçosa and the Universidad de São Paulo in Brazil, McGill University in Montreal, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico and the Egas Moniz School of Health and Science in Portugal.
Most programmes are taught in the language of the country. The master's of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Universitat de Barcelona is taught mainly in Spanish, with a small part in English. At McGill, the placement sites of the dietetics programme require at least a working knowledge of both English and French. Check the language of instruction, and of any clinical placement, before applying.
Careers
Graduates work in clinical nutrition in hospitals and clinics, in public health, in food service, in the food industry (for example in the design of functional foods) and in research. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that dietitians and nutritionists work in many settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, cafeterias and state and local governments. It projects employment of dietitians and nutritionists in the United States to grow 8 percent from 2025 to 2035.
The right to practise is regulated in many countries, and the rules differ. In Spain the profession of dietitian-nutritionist requires the official bachelor's degree. In the United Kingdom the title dietitian is protected by law and requires registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). In the United States many states require dietitians and nutritionists to be licensed. Students who plan to work in another country should ask the school what recognition its qualification has there.
Frequently asked questions
Is nutrition and metabolism the same as dietetics?
Not exactly. Dietetics is the applied, often regulated, profession of planning diets for people and patients. Nutrition and metabolism also covers the underlying science of how the body processes nutrients, and many programmes lead to research or to the food industry instead of clinical practice.
How long does it take to study nutrition?
It depends on the country and level. In Spain the bachelor's degree for dietitian-nutritionists has 240 ECTS credits, at 60 credits per year, and the Master's Degree in Nutrition and Metabolism of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Universitat de Barcelona has 60 ECTS credits. The Dietetics Major at McGill University takes 3.5 years.
Do I need a licence to work as a dietitian?
Often, yes. Dietitian-nutritionist is a regulated profession in Spain, the title dietitian is protected by law in the United Kingdom, and many US states require a licence.
Can I study nutrition and metabolism in English?
Yes, at the listed universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States. In Spain the Master's Degree in Nutrition and Metabolism is taught 91% in Spanish and 9% in English.