For students attending the Master's Programme in Nutrition Science (120 ECTS) Elective courses in nutrition science
Depending on the scope of the degree project, you can include up to 30 credits of elective courses. The purpose for this is to give you the opportunity to create your own specialisation in your education since nutrition science is a broad subject which spans many disciplines.
Nutrition science is a subject that spans many disciplines, from molecular research to epidemiology and public health efforts at the population level, which means that relevant courses can be found in many different fields.
So you can, based on your interest, explore a research or method area with relevance to the main field of study and/or expand into areas that improve your employability and continued career paths in nutrition-related fields. These courses may not overlap with other courses within the programme and can be taken at KI or at other Swedish or foreign universities. During year one of the programme, we will give you more information and individual guidance regarding this opportunity and how to apply. The different opportunities are the following:
- Apply for elective courses given by the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, see below.
- Apply for other courses at Karolinska Institutet, see below.
- Apply for courses at other universities. These courses can be in Sweden (see below) or abroad. You apply for these courses by yourself.
- Apply for exchange studies, see studying abroad.
- If you have taken courses in addition to your bachelor degree in a relevant area for the Master’s programme in nutrition science, these courses could possibly be included as elective courses.
The elective courses need to be approved by the programme director.
Elective courses offered by the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition
The elective courses that we currently offer as a part of the programme are presented below.
Note! All these courses are self-organised, which means that you must find a place for a project or traineeship yourself. We will of course give you guidance and help in this. However, there are no guaranteed places in areas of particular interest.
Traineeships cannot be done in a clinical setting. A traineeship in a clinical setting may in individual cases be possible only for students with a Swedish licence to work as a healthcare practitioner.
Project course in nutrition science, 15 credits
Syllabus Project course in nutrition science
This course consists of a smaller research project, similar to the degree project, but not as comprehensive. The purpose of this course is to give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a field of nutrition science by carrying out a scientific project under supervision. The project can consist of literature studies (a smaller systematic review) or empirical studies, corresponding to the scope of the course. For example, it may be molecular, physiological, clinical, epidemiological or public health-oriented. A plan for the project is made by the student together with the supervisor, which must be approved by the course teacher before the project starts. The results will be presented in the form of a written report (similar to the degree project) as well as an oral presentation.
Traineeship in nutrition science I and II (15 + 15 credits)
Syllabus Traineeship in nutrition science I
Syllabus Traineeship in nutrition science II
This traineeship course can take place at any working place outside academia, for example at a company, an authority, or a governmental organisation, in Sweden or in another country. The purpose of these courses is to give you the opportunity to gain experience of qualified work in nutrition-related areas and thereby strengthen your skills and employability. Before the traineeship, a plan is made by the student together with the supervisor, which must be approved by the course teacher before the internship starts. It is possible to take one or both of these courses.
Research traineeship in nutrition science I and II (15 + 15 credits)
Syllabus Research traineeship in nutrition science I
Syllabus Research traineeship in nutrition science II
This traineeship course can take place in a research group at Karolinska Institutet or another university, in Sweden or in another country. The purpose of these courses is to give you the opportunity to gain experience of research work in nutrition-related areas within academia. It can for example, comprise laboratory work, where you will get laboratory experience and learn more about methods used in the area of molecular nutrition. It can also comprise other type of data collection or research work. Before the traineeship, a plan is made by the student together with the supervisor, which must be approved by the course teacher before the internship starts. It is possible to take one or both of these courses.
Elective courses offered by other departments at Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship
Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (SSES) is organising free of charge courses, experiences and incubation for students and alumni of Stockholm’s top six universities: Karolinska Institutet (KI), the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack), the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), Stockholm University (SU) and the Royal College of Music (KMH).
If you find a course you are interested in taking, please contact the programme director and ask for information on how to apply.
Freestanding courses at KI
You can also apply to suitable Freestanding courses at KI. However, you need to check the credits and timing of the course, as well as see that you meet the requirements to take the course.
Elective courses at other universities in Sweden
You may look for possible courses directly on the websites of different universities. For example, Stockholm University (SU) and Södertörn University (SH) in Stockholm or Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Uppsala University (UU) in Uppsala (close to Stockholm).
You can also search for courses at universityadmissions.se. Note that you must check that you fulfil the requirements for the course.