Degree project in nutrition science, 60 credits

At least grade pass for the courses "Diet and health - scientific evidence, recommendations and sustainability" (4NT000, 4NT021), "Molecular and genetic mechanisms in nutrition science (4NT001, 4NT022)", "Diet, physical activity and fitness - assessment and evaluation" (4NT002, 4NT023) and "Diet, physical activity and disease prevention - interventions, mHealth and eHealth" (4NT003, 4NT024) within the Master's Programme in Nutrition Science.

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Formulate a clear and limited goal for a nutrition science research project, which is motivated and based on scientific literature.
• Plan, carry out and document a research project that corresponds to 60 credits, i.e., 40 weeks of work, within given time frames and with given resources.
• Implement the project according to Karolinska Institutet's guidelines for ethically correct research.
• Select, motivate and discuss study design and methodology to answer the research question.
• Analyse and interpret the obtained data and critically discuss results and conclusions as well as their generalizability.
• Search, read, review, compile and critically interpret relevant scientific literature in relation to all parts of the project.
• Write a scientific report that corresponds to the scope of the degree project.
• Discuss societal and ethical aspects of the research project and make relevant evaluations.
• Orally present, explain and discuss research results in dialogue with others.
• Critically and objectively assess other people's scientific work and provide relevant feedback.
• Show a professional approach in terms of planning the tasks within the chosen project, time planning and collegial collaboration.
• Write a popular science summary of the work.

The course consists of a project work that can be in the form of a literature study or an empirical study. A study plan is written by the supervisor together with the student. The project work can be performed at other universities (other than Karolinska Institutet), government agencies, or private companies. The work can be conducted individually or with another student. The oral presentation and assessment of the fulfilment of the course's learning outcomes is done individually.

The project work is done under supervision, but with a certain degree of independence. Depending on where the project is taking place, participation in seminars, meetings and other similar activities may be included. A compulsory seminar in research ethics is included as well a compulsory half-time follow-up.

The examination consists of a written project plan, a written report and oral presentation and discussion of the report as well as oral evaluation and feedback of another student's report. The examiner sets the grade after consultation with the supervisor and the grading teacher, based on the student's work performance and final presentation.

If submission of the report occurs later than the set deadline the student loses the opportunity to obtain the grade of pass with distinction for the course. 

Students who have not passed the course after their first presentation (written or oral) are entitled to rework their report and/or presentation and participate in five more presentations within a two-year period from the end of the course.

Compulsory participation:
In order to begin the work, the student, in collaboration with the supervisor, must write and submit a project plan for the proposed project (a pm), that must be approved by the examiner before the project can be started. A seminar in research ethics, the mid-term follow-up and the presentation of the degree project are compulsory.Group work and some seminars are compulsory. The examiner assesses if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence according with the examiner's instructions, the student's study results cannot be finalized. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate absence until the next time the course is given.

If, at or after half of the first semester, it becomes evident that the student has deviated significantly from his/her work commitments in agreement with the supervisor, which seriously complicates the project and the supervision, the examiner can in advance decide to give a grade of fail for the student.

It there are special reasons, or need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of completion or exemption from compulsory educational elements, etc. Content and learning objectives as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

The course language is English.

This course replaces the course Degree project in nutrition science, 60 credits (4NT008) and cannot be included in a degree together with the latter course.