Your degree in Food, Nutrition, and Health

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Food, Nutrition and Health, you’re learning about a broad spectrum of topics in the food and healthcare systems to focus on how you want to impact human health.

Applying scientific understanding, you’ll develop skills to deal with uncertainty and address real issues within the systems related to food, nutrition, and human well-being.

These skills may include:

• Demonstration of food systems literacy and systems thinking competencies when analyzing food system sustainability and food security issues
• Ability to describe the digestion, transport, absorption, and excretion of macronutrients and micronutrients and how these processes influence health
• Capability of distinguishing between beneficial, pathogenic, and spoilage microorganisms in food and how to manage their growth, survival, and control
• Application of food law, regulatory, quality control, and quality assurance principles
• Application of project management skills to the design and implementation of an interdisciplinary and community-based food systems project
• Ability to influence the transmission and control of physical, chemical, and biological food hazards
• Assessment of scientific literature and interpreting statistical data related to nutrition, food, and public health
• Writing food security, nutrition, and public health reports without perpetuating systematic bias
• Ability to apply scientific solutions to real-life nutritional and health situations within a community context, both locally and abroad

Career possibilities

Career opportunities in food, nutrition, and health vary across a range of fields including healthcare management, community outreach, education, health promotion and communication, extended care programs, mental health and wellness programs, urban food systems, non-profit organizations, student development, and others.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.

Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.

Make the most of your major

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify your understanding of your values and interests.

• Agora Eats Café
  Provide affordable, healthy food choices volunteering with this student-run café within the MacMillan building.
• Acadia Food Hub
  A community project at UBC supporting households with food and baby supplies.
• UBC Food Hub Market
  A student-led not-for-profit community space will that promotes social connection, cultural diversity, and access to affordable food basics at UBC Vancouver.
• UBC Food and Beverage Innovation Centre
  Check out this new facility built to foster innovation, enhance understanding, and drive the growth of the food industry through collaborative research and hands-on support.
• UBC Nutrikids
  Meet other UBC students to work together to provide nutrition education workshops for Lower Mainland elementary schools.
• UBC Food Science Club on Instagram
  Create educational Food Science events for students who share a passion for food.
• SuperChefs
  Empower and educate children on obesity using programs showcasing balanced nutrition, food preparation, and building positive lifelong habits for well-being.
• UBC Sprouts
  Volunteer your time with this student-run non-profit grocery store and café on campus.
• Summer Abroad for Faculty of Land and Food Systems
  Study overseas and immerse yourself in a new culture during the summer with a partnering university.
• UBC Farm
  Get involved with many different opportunities in teaching and research on this 24-hectare community farm on campus.
• UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre
  Access this state-of-the-art facility which provides opportunities for dairy research and education.
• UBC Wine Research Centre
  Connect with this centre that brings together researchers from the Vancouver and Kelowna campuses focused on technological advancement of the wine industry in British Columbia and Canada.
• Roots on the Roof
  Join this student-run club that manages community garden plots and hosts community events  on the roof of the Nest.
• Vegans of UBC
  Work with other vegans to build a more ethical and healthier UBC community.
• BC Children’s Hospital research
  Participate in an undergraduate research project related to child and family health.
• Fraser Health volunteer opportunities
  Gain volunteer experience with healthcare opportunities in local communities.
• Habitat for Humanity
  Volunteer and build homes for families in need of decent and affordable housing.
• World Health Organization
  Work with this international organization with a commitment to achieve better health for everyone.
• Vancouver Coastal Health volunteer opportunities
  Gain volunteer experience with healthcare opportunities in local communities. 
• NatureKids BC
  Engage BC children and their families to get outdoors to play and learn about nature.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

• BC Dairy Association
• BC Recreation and Parks Association
• British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association
• Canadian Association for Food Studies
• Community Food Centres Canada
• Canadian Food Innovation Network
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Canadian Nutrition Society
• Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health
• Canadian Public Health Association
• Canadian Society of Nutrition Management
• Health Employers Association of BC
• Health Sciences Association of BC
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
• Obesity Canada
• National Resources Defense Council
• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

Connect with alumni on LinkedIn

Find UBC Food, Nutrition and Health graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Land and Food Systems degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Land and Food Systems degree.