This course provides an overview of fundamental knowledge in food and nutrition. Students will learn about nutrition standards and guidelines in Malaysia, nutrient requirements and function in humans, digestion and absorption of each nutrient in relation to the intake of a well-balanced and healthy diet, health risks of over consumption and deficiency of various nutrients.

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills to perform literature search, critical appraisial, and to deliever effective presentations on emerging topics in the field of nutrition. This course will utilize a combination of lectures, practical sessions on literature search and critical appraisal, and student presentations to facilitate learning. Students will be evaluated via individual or group presentations and written assignments based on their assigned or choosen nutrition-related topics. At the end of the course, students should be able to critically evaluate current scientific literature and demonstrate effective presentation skills in scholarly discussions.

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills to perform literature search, critical appraisal, and to prepare and deliver effective presentations on emerging topics in the field of nutrition to diverse audiences. This course will utilize a combination of lectures, practical sessions, and student presentations, with SULAM (Service Learning Malaysia–University for Society) embedded to strengthen community-engaged learning. Students will be evaluated via group projects, reflection, and supervisor assessment. At the end of the course, students should be able to critically evaluate current scientific literature and demonstrate effective presentation skills in scholarly discussions.

This course provides an overview of fundamental knowledge in food and nutrition. Students will learn about nutrition standards and guidelines in Malaysia, nutrient requirements and function in humans, digestion and absorption of each nutrient in relation to the intake of a well-balanced and healthy diet, health risks of over consumption and deficiency of various nutrients.

This course provides an overview of fundamental knowledge in food and nutrition. Students will learn about nutrition standards and guidelines in Malaysia, including nutrient requirements and functions in humans, the digestion and absorption of each nutrient in relation to the intake of a well-balanced and healthy diet, as well as the health risks associated with overconsumption and deficiency of various nutrients.

This course provides knowledge of human nutrition. This course will expose students with the knowledge of dietary guidelines. Methods Nutrition intake will be discussed via food diaries, food frequency questionnaires and available digital applications.

This course offers a comprehensive understanding of human nutrition, introducing students to essential concepts and guidelines. Through interactive sessions, students will explore dietary recommendations and learn how to apply them in their daily lives. Practical methods for assessing nutrition intake, including food diaries, food frequency questionnaires, and digital applications, will be discussed to enhance students' ability to monitor and improve their dietary habits. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with valuable knowledge and tools to make informed food choices and promote overall health and well-being through nutrition.

PROGRAMME: MASTER IN PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH)
MODULE NAME: NUTRITION
MODULE CODE: PH620103

Module coordinator: Dr Woon Fui Chee
Phone: 016-5262192
Email: fuichee@ums.edu.my

Deputy coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr Azizan Omar
Office: FPSK, Block E, Level 3
Phone: 019-6577740
Email: azizan.omar@ums.edu.my

Module Synopsis
The importance of nutrition in public health will be highlighted in this module whereby students will be exposed to the basic nutritional sciences, assessment of nutritional values in local and international food and drinks, body requirements of calories and its calculation, as well as the requirement of nutritional elements covering macronutrients, micronutrients, and trace elements. This module will also cover the link between nutrition, lifestyle, and diseases. It will feature methods of dietary assessment using data on food intake, biochemical indicator of diet, measurement of body size and composition, complex relationship between diet and major diseases. Poverty driven nutritional problems will also be highlighted.

Methods of Module Delivery
The module will be mainly delivered by lectures supported with several other activities which includes practical, project, written assignments, seminar sessions, and clinic visits.

Course Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of Public Health Nutrition at biological, social and policy levels .
2.Identify and asses the socio-cultural, economic, environment and institutional factors that contribute to the nutrition-related health problems.
3. Develop educational and intervention strategies to solve community-based nutrition-related health problems ranging from obesity and chronic diseases to malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutritional deficiencies.
4. Appraise the nutritional policies and programs for preventing nutritional health problems so as to improve nutritional status of the population.

Assessment
i) Continuous Assessment (40%)
• Project : 10%
• Assignment : 10%
• Seminar : 10%
• Visit presentation : 10%

ii) Final Assessment (60%)
• MCQ : 20% (30 questions)
• MEQ : 20% (12 questions)
• LEQ : 20% (3 questions)

* The passing mark for the module is set at 65% out of the total marks accumulated.

References:
1. Institute of Medicine. (2006). Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11537
2. Willett, W. (2013). Nutritional Epidemiology (Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics). 3rd Edition. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
3. Noland, D., Drisko, J. A., Wagner, L. (2020). Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy: Principles and Practices (Nutrition and Health). Germany: Springer International Publishing.
4. Vasquez, A. (2016). Textbook of Clinical Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Vol. 1: Essential Knowledge for Safe Action and Effective Treatment. United States: International College of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.
5. Katz, D. L. (2014). Nutrition in Clinical Practice. United States: Wolters Kluwer Health.
6. Ministry of Health Malaysia. (2017). RNI: Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysis. Malaysia: National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition (NCCFN).
7. Rosalind S. Gibson. (2005). Principles of Nutritional Assessment. 2nd Edition. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

This course introduces students to essential statistical concepts and techniques relevant to both psychology and social work. Students will develop practical skills in analyzing data and interpreting results within these fields. The course covers foundational topics such as the role of statistics in research, measurement scales, and data collection methods. Students will explore various data presentation techniques and delve into descriptive statistics, including measures of central tendency and variability. Key topics also include standard deviation, normal distribution, and probability. Statistical techniques, both parametric and non-parametric, are covered, such as correlation, linear regression, t-tests, ANOVA, and non-parametric tests like Chi-Square. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply these tools to solve research problems in psychology and social work.

This course offers in-depth coverage of individual exercise prescription, emphasizing the factors that influence exercise capacity in various contexts. Students will learn to assess and identify individuals at risk, with a focus on appropriate screening methods, exercise therapy interventions, or medical referrals for treatable conditions. Hands-on experiences are a core part of the curriculum, allowing students to assess, predict, and monitor exercise program outcomes. Students will refine skills in evaluating individual strengths and limitations, setting achievable goals, assessing progress, and making real-time adjustments to enhance program effectiveness. A key feature of this course is the integration of the Service Learning Malaysia–University for Society (SULAM) project, an experiential learning approach. Through SULAM, students apply theoretical knowledge and practical skills to tackle real-world health issues within communities, aligning their work with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). This initiative empowers students and community members alike to foster healthier, more sustainable lifestyles. Continuous assessment ensures students’ engagement with practical tasks, reinforcing their ability to translate theory into practice while strengthening critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

RT40402 critically explores Malaysia’s agri-food systems through four interconnected modules:
1. Land, Adat, and Colonial Conservation
2. Trade Injustice, Price Inequality, and Market Power
3. Climate Governance and False Solutions
4. Commons, Cooperatives, and Sovereignty
Students will engage with concepts such as agrarian political economy, legal pluralism, climate justice, food sovereignty, and commons-based stewardship. Emphasis is placed on comparative regionalism, recognising Sabah and Sarawak as legally and historically distinct from Peninsular Malaysia.

This course discusses the stratigraphy, structure and geological history of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. It also gives an introduction to the regional geology of the area, specifically the Southeast Asian region. The relationship between the earth’s economic resources (ores, industrial minerals, petroleum and gas) and the tectonics of the region is also covered. An understanding of the tectonic framework of Southeast Asia and the basic rock units/ formations and geological structures of Malaysia can aid in the better understanding of the geological evolution of Malaysia.

This course aims to :

Introduce economically important seaweed species and their biology.

Highlight the abundance of seaweed species in Malaysia and its potentials.

Teach some basic culture techniques, and an understanding of the challenges and problems in the seaweed industry.

Lectures will focus on the fundamentals of phycology and introduction of varieties of economically important seaweed species that are being cultivated around the world. An in-depth preview of seaweed diversity in Malaysia with emphasis on the availability of seaweed resources as a lucrative seaweed-based industry will be given. Selected topics on seaweed variety, distribution and the biological features of local seaweeds; seaweed culture practices and state-of-the-art protoplast generation techniques; harvesting, seaweed diseases and post-harvest practices; extraction of commercially important carrageenan and the problems faced in this industry will be discussed.

This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and project management. Topic discussed in the course includes EIA legislations, procedures and EIA project management in Malaysia. This course will emphasize on the environmental management aspect in a project cycle. Case study scenarios will be explored as part of the practical activities to enhance the understanding of the EIA as an environmental management tool. The students will be exposed to EIA concepts and methodologies that can assist identification of environmental impacts and designing suitable mitigation methods. Through this course, students will learn various skills and knowledge to prepare themselves to become environmental officers or consultants as topics related to monitoring, auditing, review and EIA project management will also be covered.

This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and project management. The topics discussed in the course include EIA legislation, procedures, and EIA project management in Malaysia. This course will emphasize the environmental management aspect of a project cycle. Case study scenarios will be explored as part of the practical activities to enhance the understanding of the EIA as an environmental management tool. The students will be exposed to EIA concepts and methodologies that can assist identification of environmental impacts and the design of suitable mitigation methods. Through this course, students will learn various skills and knowledge to prepare themselves to become environmental officers or consultants as topics related to monitoring, auditing, review, and EIA project management will also be covered.

This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and project management. The topics discussed in the course include EIA legislation, procedures, and EIA project management in Malaysia. This course will emphasize the environmental management aspect of a project cycle. Case study scenarios will be explored as part of the practical activities to enhance the understanding of the EIA as an environmental management tool. The students will be exposed to EIA concepts and methodologies that can assist identification of environmental impacts and the design of suitable mitigation methods. Through this course, students will learn various skills and knowledge to prepare themselves to become environmental officers or consultants, as topics related to monitoring, auditing, review, and EIA project management will also be covered.

This course is designed to provide the theoretical and practical aspects of the principles, mechanisms, strategy, and methodology in environmental monitoring and assessment. These include the application of environmental impact assessment (EIA), social impact assessment (SIA), health impact assessment (HIA), environmental strategic assessment (SEA), environmental risk assessment (ERA), environmental audit (AU), and biological monitoring. The air quality index (AQI) and water quality index (WQI) are introduced as part of the assessment approach.

This course explores the basic skills in the teaching of English language for Malaysian students. This course allows students to study different approaches, methods and techniques; and formulate interesting and effective language lessons. Students are encouraged to integrate the four skills for effective and communicative language teaching activities in the classrooms. Student-centred approaches comprise self-paced, self-access and self-directed elements. Topics include English language curriculum/syllabus analysis, lesson planning, aim and objective of teaching, assessment and evaluation, and school-based microteaching.

Basic skills in the teaching of English language to Malaysian students will be explored. This course allows students to study different approaches, methods and techniques; and formulate interesting and effective language lessons. Students are encouraged to integrate the four skills for effective and communicative language teaching activities in the classrooms. Student-centred approaches comprise self-paced, self-access and self-directed elements. Topics include English language curriculum/syllabus analysis, lesson planning, aim and objective of teaching, assessment and evaluation, and school-based microteaching.