UAEU Students Take on a Global Perspective in Nutrition

As the world continues to shift towards healthier lifestyles, the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is keeping up with the trends; in Fall 2020, it launched the first Master’s (MSc) program in in Human Nutrition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) – United Kingdom. This two-year degree program comprises of 32-credits incorporating specialisation courses and research thesis, thus advancing the students’ knowledge and skills in the field of human nutrition.

Professor Juma Al Kaabi, Acting Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) at the UAEU, said This Master s programme is well aligned with the fourth of the UAE s 10 guiding principles for the next 50 years of national development, considering human capital as the main driver for future growth. This program will attract talent, and open excellent opportunities for professional development of aspiring Emiratis as well as international candidates.

According to Dr Amita Attlee, Assistant Professor and the Programme Coordinator at the UAEU s Department of Nutrition and Health, CMHS, Being the first Master s program in the UAE, it provides an exceptional platform for the undergraduate students to pursue their graduate-level studies in the field of nutrition. The program aims to provide evidence-based learning, where the students conduct original research on current nutrition topics that enhances their analytical thinking. This graduate program is deemed timely and important for responding effectively to the dynamic market need.

The MSc program maintains a global perspective preparing its graduates to be absorbed in the local job market, competing at national, regional, and international levels. The UAEU collaboration with the UCL entails a full semester study devoted to this premium university; wherein, students advance their knowledge and skills, gaining an international campus experience in London. Ranked eighth according to QS World University Rankings 2022, the UCL is expected to bring enormous value to the program, exposing the students to world-class faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. The UCL faculty also contribute to the students research thesis as co-supervisors with the UAEU faculty on pertinent research topics encompassing global nutritional trends in health and disease with a focus on local priorities.

With Non-Communicable Diseases increasingly taking a toll on people s quality of life, we empower our graduates to employ evidence-based practice; contribute as health professionals to improve the nutritional health situation in the UAE and the region they serve, Dr Attlee adds.

Within the context of overall health, nutrition plays a crucial role, with most aspects being preventable and managed. Today, having an evidence-based professional career in the field of human nutrition is considered a worthy investment for the country s development and improvement of society s health. As such, the two affiliated universities complement each other through expertise in courses focusing on advanced clinical nutrition, metabolism, nutritional assessment, research methodology and design, community nutrition, exercise and sports nutrition, as well as current topics in nutrition, in which the students are provided with the opportunity to analyse the national health and nutritional priorities with a global perspective.

The MSc program in Human Nutrition is offered on a full-time basis and provides attractive flexibility to those who wish to pursue their higher education while staying in employment.