Annual Transition Year Experience Programme - School of Food and Nutritional Sciences

The School of Food and Nutritional Sciences hosts an annual Transition Year Experience Programme in April, designed to promote an understanding and appreciation of Food and Nutritional Sciences while highlighting the wide range of career opportunities within these fields. The programme provides students with a unique opportunity to participate in a variety of 'hands-on' practical activities and laboratory experiences across our School. These include sessions in the School bakery, workshops in the meat processing hall and dairy processing facilities, and practical classes in Nutrition focusing on nutritional assessment techniques and performance nutrition. Students also engage with researchers from APC through an interactive workshop exploring the microbiome and health. In addition, participants learn about the sensory evaluation of foods through taste panel activities comparing different food products.

The following link will allow you to view the schedule of activities from  TY Week  2026 (13^th to 17^th  April, 2026) as an example of how the week is formatted. Please note that programme activities may vary from year to year as we continually update and enhance the experience to reflect emerging research, innovation, and developments within Food and Nutritional Sciences.TY Week Sample Schedule from 2026 

TY Week 2027

A provisional date, April 12^th to 16^th, has been set for TY Week 2027.  

Students attending our TY week must be available to attend all 5 days (9:30am to 4:00pm). Places on the programme are limited and in high demand.

Students who are interested in taking part may express their interest by contacting the course coordinator, Dr Therese Uniacke-Lowe (t.uniacke@ucc.ie or 021-4901385). In September, applicants will be invited to complete a short application form before the final selection process takes place.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any enquiries or requests for further clarification.

Scroll through our Spotlight Carousel below to read some feedback comments from TY students who attended our week of activities in 2025