
Global Food Security and Nutrition (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev
Online
DURATION
1 up to 6 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
22 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
08 Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 19,100 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* estimated tuition for global food security and nutrition MSc | PgDip: GBP 12,735 | PgCert: GBP 6,370
Introduction
Food security is concerned with the availability, access, and utilisation of safe, nutritious and sustainable food for all, especially vulnerable groups within society.
The challenges related to food are not only the existence of approximately 795 million undernourished people in the world (Food and Agricultural Organization) but also:
- the increasing presence of diet-related, non-communicable diseases (e.g. diabetes and heart disease)
- the contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions
- land-use change
Understanding the interconnection of food, health and the environment, as well as their trade-offs, is vital to formulating policies that enable us to achieve food security sustainably.
What will I learn?
This programme recognises that food security concerns not only food policy and food production issues but also other aspects such as:
- land tenure
- immigration
- demographics
- diet and nutrition
- technology
- natural resources (e.g., pressures on water and soil)
- climate change
We offer expertise and research on these topics, and the team have good working relationships with international organisations that are at the cutting edge of addressing food security issues, such as:
- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- Organics International (IFOAM)
Awards
MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev.
Ideal Students
This programme would be suitable for students with a background in agriculture, development, food systems or other food-related studies, as well as professionals within a broad range of disciplines such as food production, distribution, policy, or international development.
Program Outcome
This programme aims to train you in the breadth of issues relating to food security and give you key skills to understand and critically assess problems across food systems.
At the end of the programme, you should have an understanding of the global context of food security and nutrition, and be able to identify and critically assess the main trade-offs between food security and nutrition and other goals in food systems.
The programme aims to give you the ability to:
- carry out independent research
- produce reports to a professional standard
- be competent in constructing logically sound arguments
By the end of the programme you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of, and critical evaluation and assessment of the main theories, principles and concepts related to agronomic, environmental, economic, nutritional, and socio-political factors that influence food security.
- Apply food security and nutrition practical methods to scientific information and methods in the analysis of complex problems in food systems.
- Develop critical analysis skills to review complex issues relating to food security and nutrition, formulate an original research problem and independently carry out the research needed to produce an appropriate solution in a range of scientific or policy contexts.
- Apply and enhance a range of communication, ICT and numeracy skills applicable to food security and nutrition problems.
- Work individually or as part of a group, and make informed judgements about the complex problems connected to global food security and nutrition.
Career Opportunities
This programme is designed to equip graduates with the skills to go on to careers in government and international non-governmental organisations working in a broad range of areas relating to food security.
There are increasing postgraduate research opportunities available in the food security arena, in the UK, EU and internationally.
Some positions in the private sector will be attractive to graduates such as retail, food supply management, or even commodity trading.
Curriculum
The degree programme is structured to allow sequential progression from individual courses to Certificate, Diploma and MSc phases. Students may also exit the programme on completion of each phase.
The programme is designed to be taken part-time over three years at 20 hours per week, with the option to complete in up to six years if required.
The completion times are as follows:
- PgCert: 1-2 years
- PgDip: 2-4 years
- MSc: 3-6 years
The programme is composed of:
- 90 credits of compulsory courses
- 30 credits of elective courses (chosen from a range of options such as food policy, food safety, global health, conservation, and development)
- 60-credit Master’s dissertation
It is designed to be taken part-time over three years (20 hours per week), with an option to complete the course in up to six years if required.
20 credit courses (elsewhere often called ‘modules’) are delivered in 2 blocks of 5 weeks of study plus 1 week of independent study and reflection time in between.
10 credit courses are delivered over 5 weeks. The majority of the lecture material is pre-recorded so that it can be watched at any time.
Each 10 credits represents 100 hours of study time and a time commitment of 20 hours per week.
Year 1
- Nutrition for Food Security
- Frameworks to Assess Food Security
- Sustainable Food Production
Year 2
- Interrelationships in Food Systems
- Food Policy
- Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems
- Research Methods and Data Analysis*
- Elective courses - a selection
*The Research Methods & Data Analysis course is core for progressing to MSc
A selection of elective courses are available which allow students to follow their interests. Electives can also be taken from within other programmes by arrangement.
Years 3 - 6
Students must complete the Dissertation Element in a single academic year by the end of Year 6 of study.
Global Food Security and Nutrition Dissertation
Course availability
Although all courses are offered, we will not be able to guarantee that all courses will be available to all students, each year. This will be dependent upon the number of students and availability of places on non-programme-owned courses.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.
Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:
- borrowing money
- taking out a loan
- family support
- taking out a loan
- family support
- personal savings
- income from work
- employer sponsorship
- scholarships
Program Tuition Fee
Program delivery
Online learning
The University of Edinburgh has been delivering online postgraduate programmes since 2005 and is the largest provider of online programmes in the prestigious Russell Group of universities.
Our online learning technology is fully interactive, and award-winning and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.
Our online students not only have access to Edinburgh's excellent resources but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.