Master of Dietetics

2017 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Professional recognition
• Pathways
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure
• Work experience

Course overview

This three semester course builds on your undergraduate knowledge in physiology, biochemistry and nutrition and gets you professionally accredited in just 18 months.

Deakin was one of the first universities to offer a course in dietetics in Australia and has been proudly offering Dietitians Association of Australia accredited courses for 40 years.

Deakin’s program is one of the few dietetics Masters degrees in Australia of 18 months duration, allowing you to start your career sooner. As an Accredited Practising Dietitian, you will be eligible to work in all areas of dietetics, including clinical (hospital) dietetics, community nutrition, private practice, food industry, public health, sports nutrition, dietetic education and research, food service, public relations, marketing, communications, media, health promotion and policy development.

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals, placements and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time. Teaching, placements and assessment tasks may take place outside of Deakin University teaching periods.

Professional recognition

The Master of Dietetics is accredited by the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA). Students graduating from accredited courses are eligible for full membership of the DAA and the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) program and to work in all areas of dietetics.

You can find additional careers information about this course here.

Pathways

This course can be a pathway to H541 Graduate Certificate of Health Research Practice

Department of Human Services policy - Police Record Check and Working With Children Check

In accordance with Department of Human Services policy, all students are required to undertake a National Police Record Check prior to clinical placements in each calendar year of their course.

In accordance with the Department of Justice 2007, Working with Children Act 2005, amended 2017, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check and a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of clinical placement will not be able to undertake clinical placement and this will impede progress in the course.

Students may also be required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.

Work-Integrated Learning

Professional practice placements provide you with applied experience in clinical, community and food service settings to develop discipline specific knowledge. You will also develop research, critical thinking and communication skills throughout the course. Please note, the course (and a career in dietetics) requires a high level of interpersonal communication skills. Students not possessing such skills may have difficulty in meeting professional course requirements and successfully completing their studies.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Course rules

To complete the Master of Dietetics students must attain 12 credit points. All units are core (these are compulsory). Units may be worth 1 or 2 credit points - check each unit for its credit point value in the course structure below.

Failure of a compulsory practicum component in any unit of study will normally lead to exclusion. All expenses associated with practicum units, including any transportation or accommodation costs are the responsibility of the student.

Course structure

Core units

^Indicates compulsory practicum core units required to complete in this course.

Level 1 - Semester 1

Level 1 - Semester 2

and one of:

OR

Level 2 - Semester 1

and one of

OR 

Course structure

Preclusions

Where a preclusion is granted, students must select another HSN7xx unit from the list below. For example if you were given a preclusion for HSN740 Nutrition Research Skills, it means that you are not required to enrol into HSN740, and instead you have to choose another HSN7xx unit from the following options:

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Course structure

Course structure

Work experience

Work Integrated Learning

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to develop specialist skills related to the professional practice of nutrition and dietetics, and achieve competency in dietetic practice through extensive professional practice placements. Professional practice placements provide you with applied experience in clinical, community and food service settings to develop discipline specific knowledge. You will also develop research, critical thinking and communication skills throughout the course. 

^Indicates compulsory practicum core units students need to complete in this course - refer course structure.