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Dietetics MSc

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The Dietetics study programme aims to equip graduates who already have a BSc or MSc in Nutrition with the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes required to practice as a Registered Dietitian.


Key benefits

  • We are Europe's largest centre for medical and professional healthcare education.

  • You will be taught by leading researchers in the field of nutrition and dietetics. 

  • You will undertake 28 weeks of practice placements in a variety of settings.

  • Unique opportunities to attend meetings at the Royal Society of Medicine Forum on Food and Health, and a thriving Nutrition Society.

  • King’s College London is ranked 17th in the world for Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health (Times Higher Education 2020 subject ranking).

  • You will be eligible to apply for Registration in Dietetics with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Key information

Application status Open

Duration 2 years FT. Includes practice placements.

Study mode Full-time

Credit value 285 credits

Programme accreditations Accredited by the British Dietetic Association and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council. Graduates may apply for Registration as Dietitians.

Course intake 16 FT.

Course leaders Annemarie Knight

Further details

Course contact for further information

http://apply.kcl.ac.uk

Course contact form Postgraduate admissions

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Department Department of Nutrition and Dietetics School of Life Course Sciences

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Course detail

Description

Registered dietitians are qualified health professionals who assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems in society. They translate public health and scientific research on food, health and disease into practical guidance enabling people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

The MSc pathway is a two-year course that requires modules totalling 285 credits. Part of the course is spent in clinical practice through placements and will provide you with unique opportunities to develop your clinical skills and improve your employability.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

We use different teaching strategies: lectures, seminars, food service and diet therapy practicals, case study-based learning, observed structured clinical examinations and group tutorials, to deliver the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. 

The course involves approximately 850 hours of self-directed learning plus 600 hours of project work. 

Assessment

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations.  Forms of assessment may typically include coursework and examinations.  Coursework contributes approximately 40% and examinations approximately 60% to your final mark. 

Location

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment. 

This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select. You will also learn in a variety of placement settings offering diverse experiences. Students undertake placements in NHS and public health settings predominantly in south, east and west London.

Course accreditation

Accredited by the British Dietetic Association and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council. Graduates may apply for Registration as Dietitians. 

Regulating body

King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.

Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 285 credits.

Required Modules

Dietetics MSc Pathway

You are required to take:

  • Diet Therapy (30 credits)

  • Health Promotion & Communication Studies (15 credits)

  • Advanced Diet Therapy & Medicine (15 credits)

  • Public Health and Healthcare Systems (15 credits)

  • Professional Practice for Dieticians (15 credits)

  • Principles of Clinical Science and Therapeutics (15 credits)

  • Food Service & Catering Management (15 credits)

  • Dietetics Practice Placement 1 (15 credits) 

  • Dietetics Practice Placement 2 (45 credits) 

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest that you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Optional Modules
There are no optional modules for Year 1.

Year 2

Required Modules

You are required to take:

  • MSc Dietetics Project (60 credits) 

  • Advanced Diet Therapy & Medicine (15 credits) 

  • Dietetics Practice Placement 3 (45 credits) 
Optional Modules
There are no optional modules for Year 2.

Entry requirements & how to apply

Entry requirements
Minimum requirements  

BSc in Nutrition (minimum of 2:1 or equivalent) or MSc in Nutrition (minimum of merit, 60%, or equivalent).

The BSc Nutrition or MSc Nutrition should include a considerable component of nutrition, in particular nutritional sciences, and should be in a broad range of aspects (e.g. not mostly public health nutrition or mostly sports nutrition). In addition, for those entering with a BSc Nutrition this should include considerable biological sciences (e.g. biochemistry and physiology) and for those entering with an MSc Nutrition there should be considerable biological sciences from previous academic qualifications (e.g. BSc Biochemistry, BSc Physiology, BSc Biomedical Sciences or similar).

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International requirements   Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements.
English Language requirements Band B Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements.

 

Eligibility:

Applicants must be eligible for home / EU fees status. Enrolment is dependent on satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (enhanced criminal conviction check) clearance and an Occupational Health check. 

NHS values:

As well as being a scientific and practical discipline, dietetics is a caring profession that requires important key values. These are best described using the six NHS values contained within the NHS Constitution. The six NHS values have been developed by patients, the public and NHS staff and are as follows:

  • Working together for patients

  • Respect and dignity

  • Commitment to quality of care

  • Compassion

  • Improving lives

  • Everyone counts

All students studying dietetics at King’s are expected to demonstrate these values and this will be assessed during the admissions process.

Further details of the NHS values and the NHS constitution can be found here: www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/nhscoreprinciples.aspx

Application procedure

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £70 applies.

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 and selection will be undertaken by a range of academic staff, dietitians from practice and service users (e.g. patients).  

The interviews will review your understanding of nutritional sciences, public health nutrition, research methods, your interests and motivations in dietetics and in particular your values as a potential health professional.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Document checklist
Personal Statement Yes 

A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages).  Please 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.
Previous Academic Study Yes A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References Yes Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
Other Optional You may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application.

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 or attend an Open Day.

For applicants outside of London, some Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics outside of London may be happy for you to contact them directly to arrange a visit or they may also organise open days. For applicants in the London area, in view of 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. 

Once you have undertaken a visit or attended an Open Day, you may be provided with a certificate of attendance and if not you should ask the dietitian to complete this “shadowing form ”. Copies of certificate of attendance or signed shadowing forms should be submitted with your application or submitted afterwards or at your interview.

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible. Our final application deadline is 12th January 2021.

This programme is not open to Overseas fee status applicants.

 

 

Help and support

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

Preparation courses

Fees and funding

  • Full time Home fees: MSc - £9,250 per year (2021/22)
  • Full time overseas fees: N/A
  • Part time Home fees: N/A
  • Part time overseas fees: N/A

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

  • If you receive an offer on or before 31st March, payment is due by 30th April 2021.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st April and 30th June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st July and 31st July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer on or after 1st August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer from late August onwards, payment is due within 2 days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Additional costs/expenses

In addition to your tuition fees, you can also expect to pay for: 

 
Item Description 
 Disclosure and Barring certificates/clearance  Students have to pay for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Clearance check. This is payable on induction and an annual update is available. Estimated cost: £50.
 Health checks/immunisations/ vaccinations  Students will be required to arrange and pay for the necessary vaccinations prior to commencing clinical placements. Multiple vaccinations may be required. Indicative cost: £10-30 per vaccination.
 Travel and accommodation for clinical placement  

Students will need to pay for travel and accommodation for clinical placements over the duration of the course. A Learning Support Fund is available to eligible students to help cover these costs.

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for: 

  • Alternative venue examination fees 

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies 

  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions 

  • Library fees and fines 

  • Personal photocopies 

  • Printing course handouts 

  • Society membership fees 

  • Stationery 

  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

  • Graduation costs

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Financial help and support

Visit the fees and funding webpages to find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans and other financial help available at King's.

Career prospects

Most of our graduates go on to work within the NHS, either in hospital or community health services. Former graduates have also found employment 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.

 

Testimonials

Louise Timbers

Louise Timbers

Having 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.

Blue box with King's College London rankings. Starting with, 7th in the UK for research quality. Followed by, 6th in the UK for research power. Concluding with, 4th among multi-faculty universities for research Impact. The source is research excellence framework 2014

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