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Who this B.Sc. in Nutritional Science suits — and what you need to qualify
This 180 ECTS online Bachelor suits you if you want a science-based route into nutrition and food. Typical profiles include: professionals from health and social care who handle diet, prevention or patient support and now want an academic qualification; technicians or assistants from food production and quality aiming to move into product development or QA roles; educators in schools, childcare or community catering who plan and evaluate meals and want evidence-based competence. You study fully online, from anywhere, with exams also online.
Admission requirements
Formal entry routes are clearly defined. The programme is taught in German.
- With university entrance qualification: Allgemeine Hochschulreife, fachgebundene Hochschulreife or Fachhochschulreife; or an equivalent foreign higher education entrance qualification (international diplomas are recognised if they grant university access in the awarding country).
- Without Abitur (vocational route):
- Completed recognised advanced vocational training (e.g. Meister/in, Techniker/in, Betriebswirt/in, Fachwirt/in, Erzieher/in) grants general access.
- Completed vocational training plus relevant work experience: admission via university aptitude test for a related field, or by starting with a probationary study period as regulated in Baden-Württemberg.
- German language certificates (required for non-native speakers):
- DSH-2 (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang), or
- TestDaF with level 4 in all parts, or
- GER level C1 (e.g. Goethe-Zertifikat C1). A probationary study route may also be possible in individual cases.
- Recommended, not mandatory: English at B2 level (for literature), basic maths/statistics and human biology. Missing basics can be built up in propedeutic modules alongside your studies.
Personal requirements
Remote study demands consistent planning and self-management. Expect to organise your week, keep momentum through theory-heavy modules (biochemistry, physiology, food chemistry) and work accurately with data (nutrient calculation, quality management). Strong written German helps you master academic reading and exams; solid English is useful for sources.
- Time planning: 180 ECTS equals about 4,500–5,400 hours total. As a guide, Sprint (36 months) ≈ 30–35 hrs/week, Standard (48 months) ≈ 22–28 hrs/week, Stretch (72 months) ≈ 12–15 hrs/week.
- Self-discipline and perseverance for continuous online learning and assessments.
- Analytical thinking for evidence-based nutrition, plus curiosity for public health and food systems.
- Reliable tech setup for the digital campus and online exams.
If you can allocate a realistic weekly slot, stay organised and communicate clearly in German, you can complete this degree alongside work and build recognised competence in nutrition and food.
What will you study in the Nutritional Science (B.Sc.) at AKAD University?
This programme is taught in German. If you are not a native speaker, you typically need DSH-2, TestDaF level 4 or German C1 (CEFR) to enrol. You study as a Fernstudium – Germany’s term for distance learning – at a state-recognised private Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), earning 180 ECTS over six semesters including a project and a Bachelor’s thesis.
You start with the scientific foundations of nutrition and food. Typical modules include Bioscientific Fundamentals I & II, Scientific Fundamentals and Academic Working Methods for Nutrition and Natural Sciences. You then move into Food Science and Technology with Food Science, Food Chemistry and Food Law, and Food in Household, Craft and Industry.
Human biology and dietetics build next: Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Nutritional Planning and Nutrient Calculation, and Nutrition Therapy I & II with a case project. You learn to design, evaluate and document interventions (Nutrition Care) across different patient and client needs.
Social and communication perspectives complement the science. You cover Basics of Applied Psychology, Introduction to Communication Sciences, Nutritional Sociology and Methods of Social Research in Nutritional Sciences, plus Public Health. This prepares you to translate evidence into behaviour change and population-level measures.
Quality, business and management round off your profile: Food Quality, Project and Quality Management, Basics of Business Administration and Fundamentals of Marketing Management. A larger applied project lets you integrate methods, and you finish with your Bachelor’s thesis.
Electives allow you to specialise, for example in Early Life Nutrition (first 1,000 days), Family Nutrition, School or Day-care Nutrition, Nutrition & Consumption, Nutrition Start-up, Strategic Marketing in the Food Sector, Sustainable Management, Fitness and Sport Management, or Entry Competences for the Pharmaceutical Industry. The programme is approved for distance delivery in Germany (ZFU is the state authority for distance-learning approval); the degree itself is a standard German Bachelor of Science.
How does the Nutritional Science distance programme work?
The degree is designed for remote study from anywhere. You study via AKAD’s online campus with digital modules and take your exams online. There are no mandatory on-site phases in Germany, so you do not need a visa for studies conducted purely online from abroad.
Teaching language and certificates
The teaching language is German. Non-native speakers are expected to present recognised proof such as DSH-2, TestDaF 4 or C1 (CEFR). Many readings in nutrition science include English sources, so B2 English is helpful for literature.
Learning format and study materials
You study 100% online (Fernstudium) using multimedia course materials, interactive learning units and the AKAD Campus for communication with lecturers and peers. Self-paced modules are combined with recommended study paths; you can integrate learning with work and family life.
Exams and taking them from outside Germany
Examinations can be taken fully online from your location, typically via the AKAD Campus with online proctoring. Written assignments, case studies and the Bachelor’s thesis are submitted digitally. This makes the programme accessible internationally without travel.
On-site sessions in Germany
There are no compulsory on-campus seminars or labs indicated. Practical learning is organised through applied projects and case work online. If voluntary events are offered, they are optional.
Time models, workload and live sessions
You choose one of three study paces: Sprint (36 months), Standard (48 months) or Stretch (72 months). Learning is primarily asynchronous; any optional live webinars or consultations are scheduled in German time (CET/CEST). Your weekly workload depends on the chosen pace and prior knowledge.
What does the Nutritional Science (B.Sc.) cost?
Tuition is paid in monthly instalments. Over the full standard duration, typical totals are as follows, excluding any credit from prior learning. A one-time examination fee of €960 applies in addition to tuition.
- Sprint model (36 months): €337 per month → €12,132 tuition in total + €960 exam fee = approx. €13,092 overall.
- Standard model (48 months): €285 per month → €13,680 tuition in total + €960 exam fee = approx. €14,640 overall.
- Stretch model (72 months): €203 per month → €14,616 tuition in total + €960 exam fee = approx. €15,576 overall.
Each model includes a free extension window (up to 12 months in Sprint, 9 months in Standard, 3 months in Stretch). If you receive recognition of prior learning, your duration and total cost can be reduced. International students typically pay the same fees; monthly billing provides predictable cash flow when studying alongside work.
What careers and recognition does the Nutritional Science (B.Sc.) offer?
You earn a 180 ECTS Bachelor of Science under the Bologna framework. AKAD University is state-recognised in Germany; the programme is accredited for the period 1 September 2023 to 30 August 2031. ECTS credits are widely understood across the European Higher Education Area, supporting access to relevant Master’s degrees and international mobility.
As a graduate you bring together nutrition science, dietetics, food law and communication. Typical roles include:
- Product development or quality roles in the food industry (reformulation, labelling compliance, nutrition claims).
- Menu planning and quality assurance in community catering (schools, day-care, senior care, hospitals).
- Public health and prevention projects (nutrition communication, policy implementation, workplace health).
- Nutrition consultancy in organisations, NGOs or corporate wellness, including evidence-based counselling.
- Project and quality management in food supply chains or healthcare nutrition services.
Important for international applicants: this academic degree does not on its own confer a protected clinical credential abroad (for example “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist” in the US or state-registered Dietitian in the UK). Where nutrition is a regulated profession, you may need additional accredited clinical training and national registration.
Who is the Nutritional Science (B.Sc.) right for – and who not?
This programme suits people who want a scientifically grounded, practice-oriented distance degree in nutrition and food, while working. The online format and three time models make it realistic to study from outside Germany if you are proficient in German.
- You want a German state-recognised Bachelor (180 ECTS) you can complete 100% online from abroad.
- You work in food production, retail, healthcare, social care or education and want to add nutrition expertise.
- You value modules that link nutrition science, public health, food law and communication.
- You prefer flexible pacing (36/48/72 months) with online exams and no mandatory campus attendance.
- You seek specialisations such as early-life nutrition, community nutrition, food marketing or sustainable management.
There are also clear cases where this degree is not the right fit. Language and professional regulation are the main exclusion points for international candidates.
- You do not have the required German language proficiency (typically DSH-2, TestDaF 4 or C1 CEFR). The programme, exams and materials are in German.
- You need a qualification that leads directly to a protected clinical licence abroad (e.g. Registered Dietitian in the US/UK). This academic B.Sc. does not provide that licence by itself.
- You are looking for a lab-heavy, on-campus experience. This is a distance programme with online projects rather than laboratory practicums.
- You require fixed-time cohorts and daily live classes. Learning here is largely self-paced with optional live elements in CET/CEST.
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