Our programme is commissioned by the North West NHS Executive in response to the increasing demand for dietitians within the clinical setting.
Why study Nutrition and Dietetics at Chester?
This exciting programme is based within the Department of Clinical Sciences, located in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. The University of Chester offers you an attractive and friendly environment in which to study, within 10 minutes' walk of the city centre. Students have access to programme-specific facilities and laboratories, and benefit from the Faculty's links with expertise from the pharmaceutical and food industries, British Dietetic Association specialist groups and local dietetic departments. This is the only programme in the North West of England leading to registration as a dietitian. Fees are not applied to students accepted onto the programme up to Diploma stage and many students are entitled to apply for an NHS Bursary.
Features:
This is an intensive course and much of the teaching is student-centered. You will be asked to prepare material for use in problem-based learning activities, seminars and case studies. You will be expected to work autonomously and keep to deadlines. You will be assigned a Personal Academic Tutor to support you through your studies. Most of the laboratories and teaching rooms are located in the Cloisters and Thomas buildings, in the heart of the Chester campus. The taught programme is interspersed with three periods of practice placement. Placements are usually undertaken within the North West region, although students may exceptionally be placed elsewhere in the UK.
Programme Structure:
The programme runs over two academic years. During this time you will engage with the theory and practice of nutrition and dietetics in the taught modules listed below:
Year 1
Taught modules may include:
- Evidence Based Nutrition
- Food and Nutrition for Health
- Nutritional Science
- Sociology and Psychology and Public Health
- Dietetics and Clinical Medicine I
- Placement A (4 weeks)
Year 2
Taught modules may include:
- Dietetics and Clinical Medicine II
- Placements B and C (12 weeks each)
Throughout the programme you will also attend a series of seminars designed to develop professional skills (including communication and counselling), and give you the opportunity to prepare for, and reflect on, the clinical practice.
Placements
You will undertake three placements during the course: A, B and C. These are designed to develop the communication and professional skills you require to be an effective dietitian in clinical practice. Placement A (4 weeks) occurs within the first year of the programme and aims to introduce you to the work of the dietitian. Placements B and C are 12 weeks each in duration and aim to develop professional competence. These placements are requirements of the Health Professions Council (UK) and must be passed in addition to the academic content of the programme in order to become a registered dietitian, enabling you to practice within the National Health Service.
The Awards
After completion of the final clinical placement, you will return to university to sit your professional examinations. At this stage you are eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics with eligibility for registration as a dietitian; you will have successfully completed taught modules, Placements B and C, and your professional examinations. Students who decide to study for the full MSc award and who are deemed suitable for this level of work will normally undertake their research and dissertation in the autumn following completion of the taught modules. It is also possible to complete the dissertation as a part-time student. A series of research seminars will provide you with an overview of how to conduct your research. In addition, you will be assigned a dissertation supervisor. At this stage of the programme, you will be required to pay for dissertation fees.
Most modules are assessed using a combination of coursework and assignments or examinations. Coursework may include practical reports, data interpretation, essays and presentations. The seminars will be assessed via a student portfolio.
Employment prospects for dietitians are good, working within both acute and primary/community healthcare. Other areas of employment are in health promotion, research, lecturing, the media or working within industry in the catering, pharmaceutical or food industries. The programme was developed primarily to add to the workforce of dietitians in the North West region.
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An upper second class honours degree in food, nutrition, biological or health sciences that contains the following:
- one module in human physiology
- two modules in biochemistry (you will be considered if you have only one module but will need to take a "catch-up" module prior to entry on the programme)
- one module in relevant sciences, e.g. immunology, genetics, microbiology, food science.
Candidates must also:
- visit a dietetic department prior to applying for the course
- attend a personal interview and participate in a group activity
- complete a satisfactory health check and Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure.
Please note:
Unfortunately, while we can accept EU students, the funding arrangements for this programme do not permit us to accept international students at this time.
How to Apply
Please Note: As described in the following section, applications must be made using our application pack.
Please download all of the documents in the Downloads box on the right-hand side of this page and send the completed forms to Postgraduate Admissions, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, CHESTER CH1 4BJ. If you have any problems downloading these documents please contact Alison Morgan, Administrative Assistant for an application pack.
You are required to send your full transcript, module outlines for the above subjects, suitable references and a proforma (provided in the application pack) on your academic background so that the above can be assessed. As this supplementary information is required to process your application quickly, it is essential that you complete the forms within our application pack rather than utilise the University's online application form.
- The deadline for applications and supporting documents is 30th November 2011.
Eligibility for programme
To be eligible for a place on the programme and/or NHS Bursary support (means tested) ALL students regardless of nationality must be able to satisfy the following requirements on the first day of the first academic year of the course (the ‘prescribed date') * On that day, all applicants must:
- be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years preceding the prescribed date, apart from occasional or temporary absences;
- be ordinarily resident in England, Scotland , Wales or Northen Ireland on the prescribed date;
- have ‘settled status' in the UK - within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971. This means that there must be no restrictions on your length of stay in the UK.
- Applicants must check their eligibility via the NHS Student Grants
Due to the high volume of applications for a limited number of places on this programme, we strongly advise that you do not leave your application to the last minute. Please aim to submit your application form along with all required information well in advance of the deadline.
Responsibility
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that your application and all associated information (transcript, module outlines, pro forma and references) are with us before the deadline.
Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Owing to the competitive nature of the course, some applicants may meet the entry criteria but be unable to be offered a place.
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Disclosure
Disclosure will provide institutions with information about the suitability of those seeking to train/work in positions of trust.
All successful candidates who receive an offer of a place at the University of Chester will be required to apply for a Disclosure as a condition of enrolment on the course. The cost of the Disclosure will be payable by the candidate.
A past conviction will not necessarily count against a candidate commencing their programme of study. Any matters revealed by the Disclosure that may affect a decision would be discussed with the candidate.
Further information about the Disclosure scheme can be found at www.disclosure.gov.uk
