Master in Food, Nutrition and Health at University of Padua

About the programme

Food, Nutrition and Health (Food-H) is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in class LM-61-R (human nutrition sciences), taught in English. It is a joint master's coordinated by the University of Padua with Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, the University of Granada and the University of Agriculture in Krakow, with the University of British Columbia as associated partner. The first year is at the School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Legnaro, near Padua.

The programme explores how nutrition, food science and technology interact with human health in a global context. It prepares graduates to deal with nutritional challenges, food trends, sustainability and regulatory constraints. Places are limited: the department admits at most 30 students a year, and for 2027/28 there are 15 places for non-EU candidates living outside Italy.

What you will study

The first year in Padua builds shared knowledge of the agrifood sector, from sustainability and consumer behaviour to food law. In the third semester you follow one of three paths: Food and Neurosciences at Lyon 1, Food and Dietetics at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, or Food and Nutrition at Granada. First-year units include:

• Human Nutrition: Sustainability and Multidisciplinary Perspective
• Genomics of Nutrition
• Research methods in economics and consumer decision making
• Ecology of Foodborne Pathogens, Food Toxicology and Antimicrobial Resistance
• Mechanisms of Tissue Diseases and Environmental Effects on Organ Function
• Sustainable Resource-Efficient Food Production and Processing
• International Regulations for Food Safety, Certification and Trading
• Metab-Contam-AI Laboratory

How the programme is taught

The second year is spent with a partner university. The Lyon path covers neural bases of cognition, psychophysiology of perception and sensory analysis; the Krakow path covers clinical pathophysiology, nutrition consulting and immunodietetics; the Granada path offers ten electives from fourteen, such as nutritional epidemiology, functional foods and the Mediterranean diet. The fourth semester is an internship plus thesis, supervised through the University of British Columbia (food science) or Lyon 1 (microbiology).

Career paths

The department lists roles in government and non-governmental organisations, the food industry, trading, catering and health services, and research or doctoral study. Profiles include:

• Experts in food quality, dietetics and nutrition
• Specialists in new product development, quality control and sensory analysis
• Nutrition and dietetics advisors for the food industry
• Professionals in public health and international organisations
• Food regulation and labelling experts
• Consultants for NGOs, charities or research projects

Fees and scholarships

This programme does not follow the university's standard fixed fee. The admissions portal quotes €6,000 a year for 2027/28 and notes that the amount may change under the upcoming consortium agreement; the department page gives €6,000 for non-EU and €4,000 for EU candidates. Eligible students can still apply for the regional scholarship that the University of Padua runs for Veneto, but the fee call does not say how its exemption applies to this fee, so ask the admissions office.

How to apply from outside the EU

Non-EU candidates living outside Italy apply on apply.unipd.it from 7 January to 7 March 2027 for one of 15 places, paying a €60 application fee. You need a relevant bachelor's degree and C1 English, or a bachelor's taught in English; the non-EU call sets the selection details.

Admitted students pay a €208 non-refundable deposit, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and apply for a type D study visa. Studies start on 1 October 2027.

How ApplyAZ helps

If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.