Objectives and competences

The master's degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Nutrition, Chronic Diseases and Healthy Ageing of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, is designed and taught by professionals with experience in healthcare and by experts in business innovation. It covers the most innovative aspects of the relationship between nutrition and lifestyles, the most common chronic diseases, and healthy ageing. In addition, it promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in the food sector.

Worldwide, there is growing concern about all nutrition and health-related topics. In the coming years, more expert professionals are likely be needed to care for patients in aspects related to nutrition and lifestyle. There is also a need for skills based on the research and development of health and non-health products, and to establish professionals in companies to market these products.

Students must successfully complete 120 ECTS credits: 56 compulsory credits, 34 credits selected from twenty optional subjects, 15 credits for placements at the Hospital Clínic or in an agrifood company and 15 credits for the master's degree final project.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolMedicine Training and Research Section (Clínic)
Branch of knowledge
  • Medicine and dentistry
  • Physiotherapy, podiatry, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy, optics and optometry, and speech therapy
Mode of delivery
  • Blended learning
Credits120
Number of places available40
Length of course2 academic years
Approximate price per credit27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2023-2024
CoordinationRAMON ESTRUCH RIBA
E-mailcrosell15@ub.edu
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentNo
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Bridging coursesNo

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The aim of the master's degree is to train students in the most innovative aspects of nutrition and lifestyles, on the most common chronic diseases, and on healthy ageing. The degree develops broad knowledge of healthy nutrition, diseases and disorders related to diet and nutrition and their treatment, food and nutrition of hospitalised patients, and the impact of certain diseases. It includes training on personalised diets, allergies and food intolerances, components of diets and functional foods, cooking techniques, public health, ecology and sustainability. The degree also looks at the implementation of recommendations for society through education in schools, catering, medical communities and nursing.

The sections on innovation and entrepreneurship add value to the qualification in topics relating to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the potential for economic growth associated with new innovations. Innovation and entrepreneurship are of utmost importance to develop new business initiatives in the sector of healthy food and nutrition, which has a broad market and increasing demand. Thus, students will learn about the processes of identifying business opportunities, creating business models and plans, and drawing up a business project.

Competences

General competences

  • Capacity to evaluate and develop quality research, according to the design of clinical trials and the potential of the study variables in professional practice.
  • Capacity to design and draw up a clinical-biological research project.
  • Ability to write and present scientific studies.
  • Capacity to design actions so that research results can be used in the clinical context.
  • Capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams, collaborate with other researchers, act independently and with initiative, and interact with and advise other medical specialists.
  • Capacity to identify potential technological advances, and learn the procedures and mechanisms required to transfer these advances to medicine, dietetics and companies.


Specific competences

  • Capacity to explore knowledge of physiopathological advances in the treatment of diseases and healthy ageing.
  • Understanding of advances in the effects of different diets, foods and nutrients, as well as other factors that are essential to health, for application in clinical practice.
  • Understanding of the latest knowledge on diseases related with eating disorders (anorexia and obesity), and the relationship between nutrition, vascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease and cancer; and the ability to use appropriate methods to prevent or treat these diseases.
  • Understanding of advances in personalised diets relating to various health issues (diseases that require special diets, age, food intolerances and allergies); geographic and social factors (country of origin and religion); vascular risk factors (phenotypic factors) and genetic polymorphisms (genotypic characteristics).
  • Understanding of the effects (healthy or harmful) of foods depending on their composition, source (organic foods), storage, processing and preparation (cooking techniques). Understanding of microbiological and parasitological analysis of foods and the role of intestinal microflora, and the capacity to use them in professional practice.
  • Understanding of advances related to bioethical and legal aspects of food, markets and the food economy.
  • Capacity to design new foods (technology for analysing foods and industrial development) and assessment of their use in practice.
  • Capacity to draw up a business plan for developing new products, services or companies.
  • Understanding of the statistical analysis of nutritional studies, case-control studies, cohorts, intervention, meta-analysis and systematic reviews.
  • Understanding of public health, ecology and sustainability. Knowledge of how to recognise the main population factors related to health, disease, dietary patterns, foods and nutrients.
  • Understanding of the relationship between the population and the environment in which we live (ecology), and of the maintenance of biological systems in the environment over time.
  • Capacity to use ICT methods in relation to nutrition, chronic diseases and ageing, and in relationships between individuals.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Candidates must hold a diploma, a pre-EHEA degree or a bachelor's degree, and have prior knowledge of medicine and nutrition. Those who hold a diploma, pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biology, psychology, veterinary science or nutrition and dietetics do not need to meet any additional requirements. Applicants who have a background in food technology or other pre-EHEA degrees such as engineering, chemistry or economics cannot validate the subject of human nutrition and physiology, which provides the required clinical knowledge.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
Official degrees granting direct access:
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Medicine
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Pharmacy
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Nursing
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Veterinary Science
  • Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering
  • Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering
  • Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering
  • Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology
  • Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Psychology
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Chemistry
  • Pre-EHEA degree or bachelor's degree in Economics

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

- First period: 30 March − 30 May 203.

- Second period: 5 June - 31 August 2023.

Notes:

  • Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
  • Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

Selection criteria

In addition to the official degrees that grant direct access to the course, the following aspects shall be considered:
  • Previous skills and knowledge acquired, assessed on the basis of the curriculum vitae and certificates stating the average grade on the academic record (20%), courses, conferences and publications (20%) in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, chronic diseases and ageing (total: 40%).
  • Proof of at least one year's clinical practice or higher research in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, chronic diseases and ageing (25%).
  • Knowledge of English: level B1, First Certificate in English from the University of Cambridge, minimum score of 80 on TOEFL, or a higher level certificate (25%).
  • Interview to assess the candidate's attitude (10%).

Notification

The Coordination Committee will evaluate each application and select students on the basis of the established admission criteria. Successful candidates will be notified from 15 September.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 54
Optional 36
Compulsory placements 15
Compulsory final project 15
TOTAL 120

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Nutrition, Chronic Diseases and Healthy Ageing
Business Plan Compulsory 1st semester 6
Composició, Anàlisi i Metabolisme dels Aliments Compulsory 1st semester 6
Final Project Compulsory 2nd semester 15
Hospital Nutrition and Diet for Specific Diseases Compulsory 1st semester 6
Implementation and Transfer of Nutritional Recommendations Optional 2nd semester 3
Institutional or Company Placement Compulsory 2nd semester 15
Marketing and Strategy for Start-ups Compulsory 1st semester 6
Personalized Diets Optional 2nd semester 3

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 750 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

1. Healthcare
- Training in nutrition, disease and ageing to complement healthcare work.
- Work in departments specialised in nutrition in clinical practice, in primary and hospital care.
- Consultations on obesity and nutrition.
- Development of personalised diets.

2. Research area
- Research in nutrition, chronic diseases and ageing.
- Incorporation of new techniques for assessing the effects of foods on health and diseases.
- Entry into a doctoral programme to prepare a doctoral thesis.

3. Industry
- Advice and consultancy services for agrifood companies.
- Research and development of new healthy foods.
- Creation of new companies in the food sector.

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