Gain the knowledge, skills and professional attitude necessary to practise as a registered dietitian. Includes modules, practical placements and the MSc also includes a research project. On successful completion you can apply for registration as a dietitian with the HCPC.
KEY BENEFITS
- Successful completion of examinations and placements will make you eligible to apply for registration as a dietitian in the UK.
- A fully integrated campus and placement programme that features interprofessional learning with students from other health disciplines.
- Teaching by research-active dietitians and practitioners who are experts in their fields, with access to first-class research facilities.
- Located in the heart of London.
KEY FACTS
Student destinations
As public interest in food and health grows, career opportunities for qualified dietitians are expanding every year. The largest employer of our graduates is the NHS, either in hospital or community health services, but former students have also found employment throughout the world in a range of organisations including research institutes, consumer groups, food retailers, and government departments and agencies. Others have become successful food and health journalists or developed careers in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Programme leader/s
Annemarie Knight
Accreditation
Successful completion of examinations and placements will make you eligible to apply for registration by the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) as a dietitian.
Awarding Institution
King's College London
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent)
MSc UK 180/ECTS 90; PG Dip120/ECTS 60
Duration
MSc: 22 months FT, PG Dip: 17 months FT. Both programmes include clinical placements.
Location
Waterloo Campus; placements in London.
Year of entry 2013
Offered by
School of Medicine
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Closing date
21 January 2013. Please note that all decisions on applications from eligible candidates will be made after the deadline in order to make a comparative assessment.
Intake
14 FT.
Fees
FT Home: £Paid by NHS (see funding) (2012)
FT Overseas: £N/A
CONTACTS
Contact information
Postgraduate Admissions Centre at the Guy's Campus, tel 020 7848 8393.
Email
PURPOSE
To equip students with the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes required to practise as a Registered Dietitian. For applicants who already have a BSc or MSc in Nutrition.
DESCRIPTION
In addition to the taught modules detailed in the module list students will undertake three practical placements:Placement 1. Two weeks at the end of Semester 1
Placement 2. Twelve weeks between May and July in year 1
Placement 3. Fourteen weeks between October and December in year 2
MSc students will also complete a research project between February and May in year 2.
Successful completion of examinations and placements will make you eligible to apply for registration as a dietitian with the HCPC.
STRUCTURE OVERVIEW
Core programme content
Please see the module list for further information.
Indicative non-core content
Please see the module list for further information.
FORMAT AND ASSESSMENT
Core lectures; tutorials; interactive seminars; food service and diet therapy practicals; case study-based learning. Assessed by coursework, presentations, written examinations and portfolio- based placement assessment.
MODULES
More information on typical programme modules.
NB it cannot be guaranteed that all modules are offered in any particular academic year.
Module code: 7BBND103
Credit level: 7
The module aims to develop students' understanding of the management of more complex clinical conditions, and their knowledge of appropriate dietetic practice.
Following the college-based course and placement the student should understand the basis for medical and dietary management of patients with clinical problems affecting the GI tract, renal and hepato-biliary system, with multiple pathologies, those who have undergone surgery and trauma, those in special care conditions, and paediatric disorders. The students should also be able to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate nutritional care and dietetic advice for patients and clients with the above conditions.
Module code: 7BBND101
Credit level: 7
This module aims:
- To provide students with an insight into the practice of diet therapy and prepare them for clinical placement.
- To equip students with an understanding of the rationale behind the modification of dietary intake and how these modifications can be applied in the prevention, investigation and treatment of disease.
At the end of the course the student should:
- Understand the reasons for modifications of food and nutrient intake which may benecessary for the investigation, prevention and/or management of disease.
- Understand the principles of dietary assessment in a clinical context and be able to take a diet history.
- Be able to prepare simple nutrition care plans; to plan diets and modify menus and recipes to provide appropriate dietary advice for patients according to individual requirements and disease state.
- Be familiar with all routes of feeding including enteral and parenteral feeding methods.
- Be familiar with the range of special dietary products available including products for enteral and parenteral feeding and be able to integrate these into patient feeding plans.
Module code: 7BBND107
Credit level: 7
The module aims to equip the students with a knowledge of basic food preparation methods, meal planning and food service systems and the management procedures needed to ensure provision of safe, nutritious food.
After studying the course the student should:
- Understand the principles of catering management within the NHS.
- Be aware of the differing methods of food service and implications for the nutritional quality and safety of food.
- Be aware of nutritional standards for catering services and how they are developed, implemented and monitored.
- Be aware of the provision in the UK for feeding the elderly and school children.
- Understand the principles of menu planning for different situations and groups of people and be aware of the cost implications of food/ingredient choices.
- Be in possession of the Basic Food Hygiene Certificate of the CIEH.
and be competent in:
- Basic cooking skills
- Choice of foods for meals UK style and for ethnic groups
- Choice of foods re healthy eating policies
- Portion size estimation
- Nutrient content estimation.
Module code: 7BBND102
Credit level: 7
The module aims:
- To provide students with an insight into theoretical framework of effective communication
- To facilitate the development of practical skills in communicating with individuals, groups and other health professionals
- To enable students to integrate ideas from educational theory and the study of communication techniques into the specific context of health promotion.
At the end of the course the students will:
- Have an understanding of the nature and importance of communication skills in health care practice, including inter-professional communication.
- Develop practical skills in communication for use in their dietetic practice; including oral communication with groups; written communication appropriate to different situations including medical notes.
- Be able to identify barriers to communication and ways in which these can be overcome.
- Begin to assess their own effectiveness as communicators and develop strategies to facilitate personal development in this area.
- Be aware of educational theories and models of health behaviour related to patient learning and the development of health promotion strategies.
- Be aware of the range of visual aids available and demonstrate the ability to select the most appropriate for a particular situation.
- Be aware of the organisation of health education and health promotion services in the UK.
- Be able to prepare material for use in a health education context.
- Be able to plan and give a short presentation on a nutritional topic designed for a lay audience.
Module code: 7BBND106
Credit level: 7
This unit will enable students to develop an understanding of how disease is caused, investigated and managed, and show how dietary treatment is integrated into all forms of management.
At the end of the course students should:
- Have an understanding of the health/disease continuum and the difference between aetiology and risk factors.
- Have an understanding of the pathological processes leading to common conditions and appreciate the different methods of disease classification and their uses.
- Understand the ways in which patients are investigated to achieve a diagnosis and be able to critically review the underlying scientific evidence for diagnostic tests.
- Develop a detailed knowledge of diseases which routinely require dietary management.
- Be familiar with medical abbreviations and terminology.
- Understand how drugs can be used in the treatment of disease.
- Know the functions and contraindications of drugs used in the treatment of conditions which also require dietary management.
- Understand how drugs used in the management of conditions requiring dietary
- Modification can modify the activity of various body systems and how this can give side effects.
- Have an understanding of the framework of medical care and the role of therapeutic dietetics to enable effective interaction with other members of the medical team.
Module code: 7BBND105
Credit level: 7
Professional Practice aims to introduce students to the attitudes, skills and behaviour required of healthcare professionals in relation to patients, the public and fellow professionals.
This involves both lectures and three clinical placements (A, B and C).
In addition to discipline specific material, this course will include Inter-Professional Education (IPE) with post-graduate students from other disciplines (medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy). IPE aims to:
- Give an overview of the role and impact of communication between health professionals and patients and relatives
- Introduce the key ethical concepts of confidentiality, truth telling and autonomy
- Demonstrate the explicit link between ethical practice and effective communication
- Outline some of the problems in communication between healthcare professionals, patients and relatives
- Outline how communications between health professionals and patients effect patient outcomes.
At the end of this course the student will:
- Understand the meaning of professional behaviour in a healthcare context - including the requirements of the Health Professions Council (HPC) Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
- Be aware of the different roles of Registered Dietitians.
- Be aware of the importance of evidence-based practice in dietetics
- Understand the principles and purpose of research, audit, evaluation and systematic reviews in clinical nutrition and dietetic practice.
- Have the knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of dietetics in acute and community settings.
- Be competent to practice as a dietitian having achieved the Standards of Proficiency for Dietitians as described by the Health Professions Council.
Module code: 7BBND104
Credit level: 7
The module aims:- To promote an understanding of the social factors that shape an individual's lifestyle, the health and social policy issues which relate to these and the administrative implications of specific policy options.
- To introduce students to management theories and the organisation and management of the National Health Service.
After studying the course the students should:
- Be familiar with the trends related to the demographic, social and economic aspects of life in Britain, particularly those aspects which impinge directly on health.
- Be familiar with the current system of provision for health care, education and social services (including funding, organisation and entitlement).
- Have considered critically alternative options for provision of services with specific reference to systems used in other member states of the EC.
- Understand the functions of management.
- Be aware of techniques of effective management, personal and institutional.
- Have some insight into the organisation of the National Health Service and its management procedures in relation to business planning, tendering and contracting, quality, standards, audit and clinical governance.
Module code: BND108
Credit level: 7
This comprises a major piece of research. The aim is to introduce students to the design, execution and analysis of individual research. The project is presented as a written research report. Research usually begins in January of the second year (after the written exams), and the report is submitted in July.
ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
General entry advice
BSc in Nutrition, minimum of 2:1 or equivalent, or MSc in Nutrition, minimum of merit (60 per cent) or equivalent. Applicants must be eligible for home / EU fees status. Enrolment is dependent on satisfactory criminal records bureau (CRB) clearance at the enhanced level and an Occupational Health check. For more information regarding entry requirements; select the Further information tab and click on the hyperlink titled Dietetics FAQs.
APPLYING TO KING'S
To apply for graduate study at King's you will need to complete our graduate online application form. Applying online makes applying easier and quicker for you, and means we can receive your application faster and more securely.
King's does not normally accept paper copies of the graduate application form as applications must be made online. However, if you are unable to access the online graduate application form, please contact the relevant admissions/School Office at King's for advice.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please apply to either the PG Dip or the MSc programme. Your application will be assessed and those ranked highest will be invited to a combined interview and Open Day. Interviews will be undertaken by two members of staff within the Department and will review your understanding of nutritional sciences, public health nutrition, research methods, food habits and in particular your interests and motivations in dietetics. College-wide Postgraduate open evenings are also run at the Waterloo Campus in Decemeber and are an opportunity to ask the Admissions Tutor any questions before applying.
PERSONAL STATEMENT & SUPPORTING INFORMATION
A personal statement and full transcripts for all degrees you have undertaken are required. The transcript for each degree should list all modules taken and the grades achieved on each. Applicants who are still enrolled on a course should supply partial transcripts of the modules taken and grades achieved so far and should also supply a list of the modules that are currently being taken. Indicate whether you have observed dietitians at work or visited a Department of Nutrition and Dietetics within a hospital or community setting or have any relevant experience in a food-related or caring context.
We strongly recommend that all applicants for the PG Dip/MSc in Dietetics have visited a Department of Nutrition and Dietetics within a hospital or community setting. Applicants in the London area: due to current constraints on NHS resources within London, those applicants wishing to visit a department should not make direct contact with them. Rather, they should attend one of a number of Careers in Dietetics open days organised by local dietitians. For further details of these Careers in Dietetics open days please visit the website or email: dietetics@kcl.ac.uk
Once you have attended such an open day you will be provided with a certificate of attendance. If you are invited for interview at King's College London then you must bring a copy of this certificate with you to your interview. Departments outside London: some Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics outside the London area may be happy for you to contact them directly to arrange a visit or they may also organise open days.
If you are visiting a department outside of the London area then please ask the supervising dietitian to complete the following form at the end of your visit http://www.kcl.ac.uk/medicine/study/ug/Record-of-shadowing-a-dietitian.pdf. If you are invited to interview at King's College London then you should bring a copy of this signed and stamped form with you to your interview.
FUNDING
The NHS pays the tuition fees of successful UK and EU applicants. UK students are also eligible to apply for means-tested bursaries to contribute to living costs
Related programme student profile
Dietetics MSc, PG DipHaving completed my undergraduate degree in Food and Human Nutrition I chose to pursue a career in Dietetics, combining my interest in nutrition, science and working with people.
I found the learning experience at King's excellent. Having lectures delivered by specialist Dietitians helped to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring my knowledge was adequate to practise as a Dietitian whilst on clinical placements.
I really enjoyed undertaking my MSc project and it gave me the opportunity to develop valuable research skills and pursue an area of Dietetics in which I have a keen interest.
Throughout the course I was given support and guidance by the lecturers and provided with opportunities to attend external lectures and BDA meetings.
Since completing the course I hope to work as a Dietitian in the acute setting and in the future pursue my interest in research.