Global Nutrition and Health 

About the Global Nutrition and Health study programme

• Structure and content

  • Language: The programme is taught in English 
  • See surveys and legal documents
  • Download the curriculum

  The overall aim is to work with health promotion on a local and global level. The focus is on nutrition and health in a practical perspective for example through sustainable health solutions and its consequences.

  A possible case to work on during the studies could be: “How does food production affect the environment and what can be done to make food production more sustainable?” another case could be: “How can school meals be improved in a more sustainable direction?”

  Another aspect of the programme is inequalities in health. Focus is both on differences between countries but also within specific countries. Issues in regard to malnutrition can be seen not just in developing countries but in developed countries as well.

  The aim is also to work holistically with health interventions both for individuals and groups. That means that project management and public health promotion are essential skills to be learned. Further skills in communication are important in order to understand individuals and the communities that they are influenced by. Therefore the programme includes psychological, educational and sociological theories.

  The students become qualified to

  • Initiate, implement and evaluate health education interventions and activities in various settings and target groups
  • Enhance and sustain public knowledge and awareness about healthy eating and informed dietary choices
  • Plan, develop, implement and/or evaluate effective public health nutrition projects and interventions targeting vulnerable population groups
  • Advocate sustainable food and health policies to promote equitable access to safe and healthy food on a national as well as international level
  • Initiate and facilitate lifestyle changes in individuals and groups
  • Educate individuals and groups within the field of nutrition, lifestyle diseases, smoking cessation and physical activity, with appropriate consideration for cultural diversity
  • Design and evaluate individual dietary plans

  Employment possibilities

  • Consultants or project workers at fugitive centers, at the health departments of municipalities, at different health/food organizations, at food companies
  • Teachers in vocational or production schools
  • Self-employed counsellors
  • Self-employed in the field of health promotion 

  More information

  Read a description of the seven semesters
  
  Get an overview of the programme (pdf)

  Please note: The programme is not identical to the Danish "VIA Ernæring og Sundhedsuddannelsen". “Global Nutrition & Health” does not provide a Danish license to work as a clinical dietician in Denmark.

  What is a professional Bachelor's degree?

• Enrolment

  NOTE! The Programme is not offered in the academic year 2021/22.

   

  Admission requirements 

  • Upper secondary school leaving certificate/high school exam

  Or

  • Relevant vocational education (e.g. chef and nutrition assistant)

  General admission requirements

  In addition to the admission requirements, all applicants must also meet these specific admission requirements:

  • Chemistry equivalent to Danish C-level (min. 75 hours*) or Biotechnology equivalent to Danish A-level (min. 325 hours*) and
  • English equivalent to a Danish B-level (min. 210 hours*) and one of the following:
  • Biology (min. 75 hours*) or Mathematics (min. 125 hours) or Social and Political Science (min. 75 hours) equivalent to a Danish C-level and
  • Motivational letter (no more than 1 page). This must be submitted no later than 15 March, 12 noon. Danish quota 1 applicants exempted.  

  * 1 hour = 60 minutes study hours during the final three years in upper secondary school.

  Applicants must have passed the above-mentioned subject with a minimum average weighted grade score of 02. If you are applying with a foreign exam, your grades will be converted into Danish grades. 

  Non-Danish applicants must include a copy of the original exam certificate and a transcript of records plus a state-authorised translation of the before mentioned documents in either Danish or English. 

  Individual competence evaluation

  If you do not fulfil the entry requirements, you can apply for admission with special permission. Read more here.

  Verification form

  Applicants who hold a non-Danish entry qualification must fill in the verification form in order to verify the hours of instruction of every needed subject during the final three years of upper secondary school as well as last received grade. This helps us convert your qualifications to Danish levels. The verification form must be stamped and signed by your previous school in order to be accepted. The form must be submitted with your application at: optagelse.dk

  • Download the verification form (pdf)

  You can visit the website of The Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science to find help or to have your qualification evaluated by the Ministry before applying.

  English proficiency certificates

  All applicants will have to document English equivalent to a Danish B-level with a minimum average weighted grade score of 3,0 (min. 210 hours, 1 hour = 60 min. during the final three years in upper secondary school). Use the verification form for this. The grades from the applicant’s High School Diploma will be converted into Danish grades.

  How to document your English proficiency level:

  • Your upper secondary school leaving certificate (remember to submit verification form as well – or
  • An IELTS score of at least 6.5, or
  • A TOEFL Internet based score of minimum 83, or
  • The following Cambridge English tests – minimum score 180 (C1-level)
    • C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
    • C2 Proficiency (formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

  Please be aware that your tests scores (IELTS, Cambridge Certificate and TOEFL) are only valid for 2 years after the test date. 

  Assessment of your application

  You can apply for the Global Nutrition and Health programme via quota 1 or quota 2. Global Nutrition and Health enrolls 50 percent from quota 2 and 50 percent from quota 1. 

  Quota 1

  In quota 1, your application will be evaluated solely on the background of your grade point average on the entry exam you are using for admission.

  • Learn more about applying via quota 1

  Quota 2

  In quota 2 your application will be evaluated based on your total qualifications in a specific individual evaluation.

  • Learn more about applying via quota 2

  Credit transfer 

  Students who have completed relevant study activities at an institution of higher education may be allowed to transfer their credits to VIA, which may exempt the student from exams/courses of a study programme.

  Read more about credit transfer at VIA University College. 

  NB: We reserve the right not to create classes in the event of too few applicants.

• How to apply

  The programme is not open for application

• Fees and tuition

  Whether you need to pay tuition fee or not depends on several criterias. For further information, go to the Tuition Fees page.

  Payment schedule and Terms of Payment for Global Nutrition and Health (pdf)   

  Terms and agreements

  Terms and agreement between partners and VIA University College can be seen in the different contracts under:

  • Code of Conduct (pdf)

• Internship

  The students finds possible internship places in cooperation with the programme. This means that you will play a role in finding a place that matches your interests. However, it is important that your internship is approved before you leave.

  Previous students have had internships at:

  • Nutritional Rehabilitation Home and Nutrition Promotion and Consultancy Service Nepal
  • World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in Malaysia
  • Organic Certification Centre of the Philippines (OCCP)
  • Health and Fitness Centre in Reykjavik
  • Yamsaard School in Thailand
  • Melbourne Farmers Markets in Australia 
  • Health cafes in Aarhus 
  • Elite Sport Academy Aarhus
  • Danish Food Administration

• Career guidance

  The aim for students is to become qualified to independently prepare health promoting, illness-preventing and motivational tasks of a guidance, educational, communication and/or management nature aimed at individuals for the purpose of lasting improvement of dietary habits, physical activity, weight regulation and other lifestyle factors relevant to health.

  The students will also become qualified to independently prepare health-promoting educational, communication and management strategies for the implementation of food and nutrition policies in various sectors (e.g. schools, workplaces or institutions).

  After successfully completing their studies, students will among others be able to work at:

  • Public Health Centres as health consultants
  • Large enterprises as promoters of workplace health
  • The food or retail industry as communicators or course managers
  • Sport associations as company advisors/health consultants
  • Weight loss centres, or as independent weight loss consultants
  • Food and catering industries as health promotion consultants
  • Leisure industries as product developers
  • Health Centres as developers of health promotion programmes
  • Educational institutions as nutritional consultants
  • National authorities as food consultants
  • NGOs as project managers

  Further education

  As a bachelor in Global Nutrition and Health, you will have many possibilities for further education at the diploma, master's and PhD level. Contact the specific educational institution for information and admissions requirements.

  You can apply for admission at the master's degree level from the following programmes:

  • Food Innovation and Health
  • Physical Education and Health
  • Public Health
  • Integrated Food Studies

• International opportunities

  Internships abroad

  As a student, you have the option of going abroad in one or more of your internships.

  At present we have a training partner in Bangkok, Thailand, and we continue to look for more partners.

  We find and contact possible internship places in cooperation with students. This means we will help you choose an internship and location that matches your interests, as long as it is approved before you leave.

  Some of our previous students have trained in:

  • Thailand
  • New Zealand
  • South Africa
  • Australia.

  Studies abroad

  You also have the option to go abroad as an exchange student.

  Our current agreements include:

  • Hochschule Fulda, Germany
  • Hogeschool van Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Deakin University, Australia
  • The University of Hull, Great Britain
  • University of Granada, Spain
  • University of Agder, Norway
  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany
  • University of Uppsala, Sverige.

  For more details, please contact the international coordinator at es@via.dk

• Contact

  Contact student counselling 

  Contact the guidance counsellors:

  Guidance counsellor
  Martina Blunck Terp
  T: +45 87 55 26 03
  E: mabl@via.dk

  Student guidance counsellor:
  Helle Saaby Kvist
  E: nh.counsel@via.dk

  In-person meetings by appointment only.

  Contact VIA

  VIA Global Nutrition & Health 
  Campus Aarhus N 
  Hedeager 2 
  DK - 8200 Aarhus N 
  E: es@via.dk

  Find us on Google Maps.

  Read about Campus Aarhus N.