Dietetics Master's Degree - MSc/PgD

Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics

Year One:

Term One (September - December)

• Principles of Dietetics
  The module aim is to critically assess the obesity epidemic and its dietetic treatment and general implications for health. The module will also analyse and explore the diet, lifestyle, and medical management of cardiovascular disorders. The module will investigate in depth nutritional assessment and support and appraise the diet, lifestyle, and medical management of Diabetes.
• Communication for Dietitians
  The module aims to critically assess, reflect, develop, and build on the core communication skills required of a dietitian including group education, planning and consultation skills.
• Specialist Dietetics for Dietitians
  This module aims to develop students’ understanding of specialist and more complex areas of dietetic practice, whilst building on knowledge of clinical science.

Term Two (January - March)

• Applied Research Methods and Design
  The aim of the module is to enable students to develop their research skills in order to apply principles of evidence-based practice, and design and carry out robust research projects.
• Professional and Interprofessional Development 1
  This module is designed to enable students to develop confidence in academic and collaborative competencies. It offers an opportunity to appreciate the contemporary issues affecting the working environment and understand the need for reflective learning and professional development as a basis for competency to practice safely in a chosen field. The module aims to provide the student with an opportunity to develop a holistic approach to their chosen course of study by gaining an insight into their own and other professional programmes.​
• Professional Body Module: Health and Wellbeing (covers Psychology and Sociology)

Term Three (May - July)

• Placement 1 Foundations of Dietetic Practice (6 weeks May/June)
  This module is designed to enable students to develop confidence in academic and collaborative competencies. It offers an opportunity to appreciate the contemporary issues affecting the working environment and understand the need for reflective learning and professional development as a basis for competency to practice safely in a chosen field. The module aims to provide the student with an opportunity to develop a holistic approach to their chosen course of study by gaining an insight into their own and other professional programmes.
• Specialist Dietetics
  This module aims to develop students’ understanding of specialist and more complex areas of dietetic practice, whilst building on knowledge of clinical science.

Year Two:

• Placement 2 Developing Dietetic Practice – (8 Weeks September/October)
  This placement aims to provide the student with opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills required to implement the Model and Process for Nutrition and Dietetic Practice with straightforward clients, groups or communities.
• Contemporary Nutrition in Dietetic Practice – (4 weeks November)
  The module aims to critically review the evidence base behind contemporary professional clinical dietetic practice and explore contemporary nutritional issues within a variety of settings within the UK and globally. The module supports the development of reflection skills based on placement experience and awareness of NHS structures, compassionate leadership, and roles.
• Placement 3: December to March 14 weeks
  This placement aims to provide the student with opportunities to demonstrate competency in implementing the Model and Process for Nutrition and Dietetic Practice with clients, groups and communities in a range of settings.​
• Contemporary Nutrition in Dietetic Practice
  The module aims to critically review the evidence base behind contemporary professional clinical dietetic practice and explore contemporary nutritional issues within a variety of settings within the UK and globally. The module supports the development of reflection skills based on placement experience and awareness of NHS structures, compassionate leadership, and roles​.
• Exit with Postgraduate Diploma at Exam Board in June

MSc Dietetics

• Project and Career planning
  The aim of this module is to enable students to design and develop an advanced specialist project in their discipline to enhance their own and/or others’ learning, work, or practice, and to evaluate their own knowledge, skills, interests and ambitions to create their own personal career development plan.
• Project
  The aim of this module is to enable students to work independently to investigate an area in their discipline relevant to their own learning, work, or practice, and to present and discuss their findings, demonstrating a systematic understanding and critical awareness of their discipline and area of professional practice. We offer a broad range of project types including empirical research projects, enterprise/innovation projects (e.g., business planning or consultancy), or product/intervention design​.

The taught element of the programme involves lectures, tutorials and practical work. Tutorials are mainly case study based where students apply the theoretical knowledge gained in lectures to problem solve case scenarios. Practical sessions are either food based, involve giving presentations or practice in consultation skills. The practicals take place in the specialist food facilities and the clinical simulation suite.

Contact hours for the course are high.

It is expected that students undertake independent reading and self-study; this is aided by the use of Moodle, the Virtual Learning Environment in use at the University.

In addition students undertake 3 periods of practical training in NHS Dietetics departments in Wales. Full preparation is given prior to the placements and students are supported and visited during the placements by Dietetic Academic staff.

We encourage you to meet with academic staff regularly throughout the programme to discuss feedback on assignments and the development of academic skills. You'll be allocated a Personal Tutor at the beginning of the programme, who you can work with to develop your academic skills and consider how you can integrate your learning experiences with your own professional development needs and aspirations.

All students will undertake modules with practical elements that are delivered in our kitchens and food production areas. In compliance with Food Manufacturing Regulations, no jewellery including exposed piercings are permitted in these areas. All jewellery including exposed piercings (but with the exception of a single, plain wedding ring, wedding wristband or medical alert jewellery) must be removed before entering these spaces.

Our programme and modules are designed to offer opportunities for formative tasks and feedback to help build confidence and develop your ability to evaluate your own progress. We use authentic assessment tasks which enable you to apply your knowledge and skills to scenarios, activities and settings commonly encountered in professional practice.

The programme includes a range of assessment methods, including:

• Written assignments
• Practicals
• Work-based placements
• Presentations​
• Examinations

All clinical training placements have to be successfully completed to proceed and graduate.

We carefully plan our assessment schedule to avoid excessive bunching of similar types of assessment, and realistic deadlines. Every assessment includes a detailed briefing and clearly defined marking criteria, which have been developed and tested in partnership with students.

Dietitians normally begin their career in the National Health Service where they progress to the main clinical grades. The opportunity exists for specialisation in various aspects of dietetics by means of post-registration education. In addition there are opportunities for dietitians to be involved in health education/promotion, education, research and journalism.

MSc Dietetics: In the Project & Career Planning module, you will engage in reflective self-evaluation of your knowledge, skills, and experiences, benchmarking these against relevant disciplinary standards/competency frameworks. We’ll support you to evaluate your current strengths and prioritise areas for improvement relevant to your own career goals and ambitions.

For your Project, you can select one of the types of projects (e.g. empirical research, consultancy, enterprise/innovation, or product/intervention design project) and complete it in a work-based setting, working in partnership with an employer or other organisation. This could be your own organisation or workplace – a common approach taken by part-time students investigating a project aligned to their own professional practice.

For the PG Diploma in Dietetics:

Applicants should have an honours degree (1st class or 2:1) in human nutrition, or a degree that includes nutrition in the awards title, with sufficient emphasis on physiology and biochemistry (40 credits in total required, with at least 20 credits in human physiology and 20 credits in human biochemistry). It is also preferable for candidates to have 10 credits in sociology and 10 credits in psychology, however this can be taken alongside other modules on the programme if successful.

Students should have completed their degree not more than five years before their proposed entry to this PG Diploma. Applicants who have a first or upper second-class honours degree in nutrition, which does not contain either sufficient biochemistry or physiology (but not both), can undertake further relevant modules at undergraduate level, prior to applying for the programme. Applicants who do not have a degree award in nutrition (1st or 2:1) but meet the requirements for biochemistry and physiology, will need to undertake a further relevant taught course of study to at least to postgraduate diploma level prior to applying for the course.

Gaining experience within a relevant setting is strongly advised due to the high calibre and volume of applications submitted each year. To enhance your application we recommend gaining as much experience as possible, for example, working as a Dietetic Support Worker, volunteering/working within a dietetic department, volunteering for related charities, or working as a Healthcare Assistant.

Health Boards in Wales are currently working together to provide Experience Days for prospective students who frequently enquire about work experience days. As this is a requirement in applying for the BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics and MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics programmes, Experience Days have been set up to accommodate this.

You will not need to attend an Experience Day in Wales if you have already received Dietetic experience elsewhere as the same information will be covered. The Health Boards aim to provide two/three every year.​​

For the MSc Dietetics:

Eligibility for the course is having obtained a PgDip in Dietetics qualification and also current registration with the HCPC. If your PgDip wasn't undertaken at Cardiff Met, you will need to submit an RPL form, so you can transfer your PgDip credits.

Selection Procedure for PgDip Dietetics:

Applications are scored on the basis of the personal statement, work experience, references and credits. Successful applications are invited to an interview. Please be aware that there are limited places and you may be placed on a waiting list if all available places have been already allocated.

We only offer conditional places. The following conditions need to be met before Induction Week, in September:

• Provide copy of your official final transcript from your undergraduate course.
• Obtain a clear enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. Please find more details here.
• Undergo an Occupational Health Screening, arranged by the University.

Please note: Applications remain open until the course reaches maximum capacity. Applicants who submit an application, but who don't provide all compulsory documents, will not be considered.

Selection Procedure for MSc Dietetics:

Successful applicants will be required to obtain a clear enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. Please find more details here. Applicants who have obtained their PgDip out of Cardiff Met will need to submit an RPL request to transfer the credits prior to enrolment.

Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an academic IELTS 7.0 standard with no sub-score lower than 6.5 or equivalent, which is a requirement for the Health & Care Professions Council​. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the International pages on the website.

Due to the nature of the programme, we are not able to consider international applicants onto either the PG Dip Dietetics or the MSc Dietetics. We welcome applicants from the Republic of Ireland, as they are considered as Home applicants for fee purposes. Please check our Fee Status Assessment here for further information.

How to Apply:

Please visit our How to Apply pages for further information, as well as our Compulsory Documents.

If you are interesting in using credit from another institution or that obtained from qualifications or experience to study for a course at Cardiff Met, you can find further information on this as well as information on how to apply on the RPL page.

Health Boards in Wales are currently working together to provide Experience Days for prospective students who frequently enquire about work experience days. As this is a requirement in applying for the BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics and MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics programmes, Experience Days have been set up to accommodate this.

You will not need to attend an Experience Day in Wales if you have already received Dietetic experience elsewhere as the same information will be covered. The Health Boards aim to provide two/three every year.

Dietetics Experience Days occur throughout the year, to register your interest in attending, and see upcoming events, please click here​.

Please only book a place if you definitely intend to attend. If you book a place but cannot attend please let us know as soon as possible so that we can give your place to someone else. A list of those who do not attend without cancelling their place will be provided to the Programme Director to be considered in the allocation of places on the programme.

Please note, these are not University open days. Details on open days run by the University which cover course and university information can be found on our Open Day pages.

All healthcare students, including those who have not subscribed to NHS Wales Bursary which provides financial support for tuition fees and for some aspects of maintenance in return for their commitment to work in Wales after graduation, are eligible for support from NHS Wales in the form of reimbursement of clinical placement travel and subsistence expenses which may be claimed through the Cardiff Metropolitan University Student Services Placements Office. For further information on reclaiming placement expenses please contact cpt@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

Please contact moneyadvice@cardiffmet.ac.uk​ if you have any queries about funding, including student finance and NHS bursary. For further information about the NHS Bursary Scheme, please click here.

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries relating to the PgD, please contact the programme director, Donna Van Zyl DVanZyl@cardiffmet.ac.uk and for the MSc, please contact the programme director Sophie Davies SEDavies3@cardiffmet.ac.uk