MSc Nutrition and Dietetics (pre-registration)

Qualification	Full time
MSc	2 years

About the course

Dietitians are experts in nutrition who can assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutrition-related problems.

This programme will give you the knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable you to be eligible to apply to be a dietitian through the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

You’ll gain an understanding of the science and composition of food and how nutrition and diet therapy can be used to prevent and treat chronic and acute diseases that can affect people throughout their lifespan.

Through practice-based learning, you’ll work with service users to develop your newly acquired knowledge, skills and professional behaviours alongside practicing dietitians in a range of different settings, from local NHS trusts to personal trainers running their own businesses.
If you want to be a dietitian and ordinarily resident in the UK, you can apply for a grant of £5,000 per year to study this course. This doesn’t need to be paid back.
This course is accredited by the British Dietetic Association.

Watch our webinar now to find out more about the course.

What you'll study

Our curriculum is designed to develop not only core dietetic and evidence-informed practice skills but also leadership and enterprise skills.

Practice-based learning is an essential part of training as a dietitian. You’ll spend 27 weeks over the two-year programme working hands-on with dietitians from our practice partners in different settings within the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership. These placement opportunities will give you a fantastic basis for starting your dietetic career, with many of the local NHS trusts offering financial and training incentives to graduate dietitians.

We have links with social media influencers and personal trainers (who are also qualified dietitians) in the region. Local dietitians and other health care professionals will provide hands on teaching methods across a broad range of topics, providing you with the most up-to-date practical knowledge and skills. Further extra-curricular opportunities are available within the city’s sporting sector courtesy of our well-established links with professional clubs such as Hull FC, Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull City.

You’ll complete this programme with your own research project, giving you the opportunity to apply for publication in a scientific journal and broaden the nutrition evidence base further.

Year 1

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

Clinical Dietetics 1: Lifespan, Lifestyle and Long-term Conditions

This is the first of two clinical dietetics modules. Learn about the aetiology and pathogenesis of diseases that can occur throughout the human lifespan and how nutrition and diet therapy can prevent, treat and manage these conditions.
The Composition of Food

This module will equip you with the knowledge and skills of ‘all things food related’ and how these are applied in practice in different settings; from hospitals to care homes to the international food industry. Understand how food manipulation impacts on health and develop your own cooking skills by working alongside professional chefs in our campus kitchen. Guest speakers, such as local artisan bakers, food scientists and nutritionists, will complement the training of this module, ensuring you acquire the relevant knowledge and skills to support your progression to a graduate dietitian.
Public Health and Health Promotion

This module will provide you with a critical understanding of public health nutrition and health promotion as well as the encompassing legislation. Advances in technology in healthcare will be studied, giving you the opportunity to produce your very own health promotion resource.
The Professional Dietitian

Develop your understanding and awareness of the principles and values underpinning professional behaviour in practice, from being a student dietitian and beyond. You will enhance your communication and behaviour change skills and have an opportunity to spend three weeks on your first practice placement to be able to start to put your newly developed knowledge and skills into practice.
Clinical Dietetics 2: Applied Nutritional Support

Using the technologies and facilities of the award-winning Allam Medical Building and the wealth of clinical experience from our module tutors, this module will enable you to develop your dietetic knowledge and skills to be able to assess, plan, justify and implement nutrition support strategies, including food fortification, tube feeding and intravenous nutrition, for a range of clinical conditions.
Evidence Informed Practice

This module offers a stimulating and practical insight into the dietetic evidence base. Develop your understanding and ability to conduct clinical research, audit and service evaluations in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

Year 2

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

Reflection & Consolidation of Practice

Including 24 weeks of practice-based learning, this module gives you the opportunity to reflect, develop and consolidate your dietetic knowledge, skills and behaviours that you will have learnt over the duration of the programme by working alongside the dietetic workforce in your final placements. Create your own professional portfolio and prepare yourself for a career as a practicing dietitian.
Research for Dietetic Practice

This module will enable you to advance your research skills to undertake a nutrition related systematic literature review which you will present in a conference-style format to potential regional employers. You will be primed to become an evidence-based autonomous practitioner and ready to practice in the dietetic workforce.

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Postgraduate events

Where you'll study

Hull Campus

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Fees and funding

Home£9,250

Since 2018, UK postgraduate pre-registration students have had access to standard student loans and are now in line with undergraduate pre-registration courses. This includes both tuition fee loans and maintenance loans. Find out more from the Student Loans Company.

In addition, postgraduate healthcare students can also apply for a Training Grant through the Learning Support Fund. This is a non-income assessed, non-repayable allowance of £5,000 per academic year for students studying full time. Find out more about the Training Grant and the other elements of supplementary funding available.

International £14,000

International applicants may need to pay a tuition fee deposit before the start of the course. Visit our tuition fee deposit page for more information.

On courses where a part-time study option is available, fees are charged pro-rata to the full-time fee, according to the number of credits being studied.

International applicants may need to pay a tuition fee deposit before the start of the course. Visit our tuition fee deposit page for more information.

All fees are applied per year.

Additional costs

You will be required to join the British Dietetic Association (BDA) as a student member as this forms your indemnity insurance. This is currently free for the first year of subscription and £39* for the second year. See BDA website for up-to-date costs.
You will also need to purchase a BDA ‘PENG pocket guide’ (currently £43). This will support your career as a dietitian as well as your time as a student.
All students on this course will also need to self-fund their Level 2 Food Safety training. The course is available online for £30. If you are already compliant with this, it will not be required.
Students who are in financial hardship and require additional support to meet these additional costs will be directed towards the university’s financial support information, available here.
Learners will be required to fund their travel and accommodation costs for the practice-based learning elements of the programme. However, funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund is available for qualifying students and includes reimbursement of excess costs incurred on practice placement for travel and temporary accommodation.
More information available here.

Scholarships and Bursaries

The University offers a range of scholarships to help you with your studies.

For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Bursaries page.

International Scholarships and Bursaries

For a list of all scholarships and bursaries for international students, please visit the International Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Entry requirements

You’ll need a first degree (or international equivalent), normally at level 2:1 or above, in a relevant science subject such as biological or health sciences, nutrition or sport and exercise science. Human physiology and biochemistry should be studied to level 5 or equivalent in your first degree and experience of research or knowledge of research methods will be important. GCSE English and Maths C (Grade 4) or equivalent required.

Please see our additional information on prior learning requirements or contact us for a chat about your specific circumstances.

The course is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and an Occupational Health check.
Offers are subject to satisfactory references.
Places on the course are limited and shortlisted candidates will be required to attend an interview.

Supporting statement information

To support your application to our programme, we ask that you include a personal statement, which can be up to 1000 words (rather than 500 as stated on the application form), to demonstrate that your values are aligned with the NHS Constitution and your behaviours support the Values Based Recruitment approach.

Your personal statement must detail:

Why you want to become a dietitian and your commitment to the profession
An awareness of the varied roles and duties of a dietitian in different settings, and any experiences you have had of working alongside (or shadowing) dietitians
An interest in food, including ingredients, recipes and cooking skills and an enjoyment of food in our diverse society
Evidence of working independently and within a team, including any challenges that were faced and how you overcame them

Please ensure that your application is supported by two references, one being academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.

Candidates who meet our short-listing criteria will then be invited for an interview, which will take place virtually. You will be invited to an initial 5-10 minute virtual screening call, and if successful you will then be invited to a virtual interview. You will be asked questions which will help us to understand your values and behaviours around themes such as professionalism, teamwork, quality care and compassion.

Interviews will be held in February and May and may continue throughout summer, depending on when applications are submitted and student spaces available.

In order to ensure our students have a rich learning and student experience, most of our programmes have a mix of domestic and international students. We reserve the right to close applications early to either group, if application volumes suggest that this blend cannot be achieved. In addition, existing undergraduate students at the University of Hull have a guaranteed ‘Fast Track’ route to any postgraduate programme, subject to meeting the entry criteria (excluding Social Work).

International students

If you require a student visa to study or if your first language is not English you will be required to provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

This course requires academic IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in each skill. See other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by this University.

If your English currently does not reach the University's required standard for this programme, you may be interested in one of our English language courses.

Visit your country page to find out more about our entry requirements.

Future prospects

The current employment market for graduates in dietetics is strong, with excellent career paths available in not only the NHS and healthcare, but also in sports nutrition, private practice, education, academia and research, and the medical nutrition and the food and drink industry.