2. Structure of the Curriculum (total amount of credits, study sections)

The study of nutritional sciences is divided into two study sections and comprises including the time for the preparation of the master thesis and the time for a professional practice in the second section (during semester breaks), a total study period of ten semesters.
The first section includes four semesters and comprises mainly the principles in natural sciences. The second section includes six semesters and comprises the advanced knowledge in scientific professional education. Each section is completed by an examination.

The first section (1.-4. semester) comprises a total of 120 credits; its objective is the science based education in the general subjects of the natural sciences and the development of the relevant principles of the general subjects in natural sciences and nutritional sciences as a basis for the compre-hension of the specialised subjects in the second section. The first section is completed with the first examination.

The second section (5.-10. semester) has the objective of the professional education in the specific subjects of nutritional sciences and in specialisation according to the students interests. The second section comprises a total of 300 credits, 78 credits of which are compulsory courses in the 5. and 6. semester. Besides the compulsory main subjects, one optional subject out of four (26 credits each) has to be chosen. Further courses to an extent of another 26 credits at the students free choice have to be attended. Beyond courses the free choice appropriate courses are recommended by the “study commission”, however, different courses from the available curriculum at the University of Vienna can be chosen by the candidate.
During the second section a work experience of three months has to be absolved (”Ferialpraktikum”) at university institutes or other institutions, bodies who are able to impart these professional preparatory activities (e.g. food industry, community catering, chemical and analytical laboratories, hospitals a.o.). This exercise may also be absolved in parts; a practicum report and a certification has to be delivered.
The arrangement of appropriate opportunities in university or non university institutions is handled by the Department of Nutritional Sciences of the University of Vienna. If no place for this practical could be arranged, the required opportunities will be guaranteed to the students within the facilities of the Institute of Nutritional Sciences of the University of Vienna.

A master thesis has to be prepared by the candidate on a topic in a subject associated with the study of nutritional sciences. The topic of the master thesis has to originate in one of the subjects of the curriculum of the study of nutritional sciences (compulsory main subject, optional subject, or on application from the compulsory courses of the second section, or in chemistry, biochemistry or microbiology/hygiene of the first section, resp.).

The second section is completed by the second (and final) examination (cf. 6. Examination Rules).

 Second section

• Chemical lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "basic chemistry ".
• Physical lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "physics "
• Botany lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "botany and basic biology"
• Biochemistry lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination of "chemistry lab course " and "principles of biochemistry"
• Lab course in human nutrition
  Prerequisite is the successful examination of “Introduction to human nutrition”
• Histology / cytology lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "anatomy and histology"
• Microbiology lab course
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "introduction to microbiology and hygiene"
• Lab course in food chemistry
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "food chemistry" and “food analysis”
• Lab course in physiology of nutrition
  Prerequisite is the successful examination in "physiology of nutrition ".

The study preparatory phase delivers an introduction to the study of nutritional sciences for beginners and, thus it comprises introductory and characteristic subjects for the study. This phase comprises a total of 22 credits in the following courses.

- General Chemistry, LEC 6
- Principles of Biochemistry,
LEC 5
- Principles of Human Physiology, LEC 4
- Ecological Principles of Agricultural Production, LEC
or
- Introduction to Biological Agriculture, LEC 3
- Introduction to Human Nutrition, LEC 5

• Chemistry
• Physics
• General biology
• Human biology
• Biochemistry
• Principles of human nutrition
• Principles of food science
• Microbiology and hygiene / food storage
• Biometry, statistics and computing
• Economy
  

Second Examination
The second section comprises according to the curriculum and in respect to the available education and research facilities the following examination subjects to an extent of 150 credits:

• Physiology of nutrition
• Methodology of nutritional science
• Special biochemistry / special physiology
• Food chemistry
• Food technology and quality
  

Examination in main subjects:
The compulsory main subject “special nutrition and dietetics” has to be absolved by all students and comprises the following examination subjects at an extent of 26 credits:

• Special nutrition and dietetics
  - Special human nutrition
• Principles of dietetics / clinical nutrition
• “Public Health”
  

• Food production and -technology
• Psychology of nutrition / nutrition education
• Nutrition and the environment
• Nutrition economy
  

The first part of the second examination comprises the course examinations of the courses given in point 4 (second section) of the compulsory program and the courses of the compulsory and voluntary main subjects and the courses of free choice.
Prerequisites for the course examinations have to be fulfilled according to the above given rules.

A master thesis has to be prepared by the independent processing of a topic in a subject related to the study of nutritional sciences. The topic of the master thesis has to originate in one of the subjects of the curriculum of the study of nutritional sciences (compulsory main subject, optional main subject, or on application from the compulsory courses of the second section, or in chemistry, biochemistry or microbiology/hygiene of the first section, resp.). The preparation of the thesis must not be started before the successful examination in the compulsory courses of the second section.

Prerequisite for the admission to the second part of the second examination is the completion of the professional practice and the approbation of the thesis.

The second part of the second examination is an oral examination and has to be absolved by an examination senate and comprises:

• the examination in the subject, which is the subject of the master thesis, and
• the examination in a subject eligible by the candidate, which comprises one of the main topics of the study.
  

Evaluation and grading of Examinations
The evaluation and grading of the first section is done by the first examination and for the second section by the second examination. Thus, the second examination is also the final examination of the study.

First examination:
Each course given in point 4 of the curriculum (first section) has to be graded for the successful pass as “very good” (1), “good” (2), “satisfactory” (3) or “sufficient” (4), for the unsuccessful pass as “insufficient” (5). The total grade for the first examination has to be given as “passed”, if each subject was graded positively, otherwise as “not passed”. The total evaluation for the first section has to be given as ”passed with distinction, if no single examination has been graded lower than “good” and at least the half of the examinations have been graded as “very good”.

Second Examination:
First part of the second examination: Each course given in point 4 of the curriculum (second section) including the courses of the compulsory and voluntary main subjects and the courses of free choice has to be graded for the successful pass as “very good” (1), “good” (2), “satisfactory” (3) or “sufficient” (4), for the unsuccessful pass as “insufficient” (5).

Second part of the second examination: The oral examination comprises one examination of the subject associated to the subject of the master thesis and one examination which is eligible by the candidate, where in any case one subject has to be originated in the compulsory main subject (special human nutrition,…). This examination has to be graded as passed when each subject has been graded as passed and has to be evaluated according to the average of the single subjects as “very good” (1), “good” (2), “satisfactory” (3) or “sufficient” (4), for the unsuccessful pass as “insufficient” (5).
The total grading for the second examination has to be given as “passed”, if every subject (compulsory courses, compulsory main subject, voluntary main subject, courses of free choice, master thesis, second part of the examination) was evaluated positively, otherwise as “not passed”. The total grading for the second examination has to be given as ”passed with distinction”, if no single examination has been graded lower than “good” and at least the half of the examinations have been marked as “very good”.