Master of Dietetics

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Professional recognition
• Career opportunities
• Participation requirements
• Mandatory student checks
• Pathways
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure
• Work experience
• Third party arrangements
• Other learning experiences
• Research and research-related study

Course overview

The Master of Dietetics prepares you to solve widespread health issues through science-based, diet-related treatments. Take a big step towards becoming an Accredited Practising Dietitian, and build advanced skills that allow you to improve the health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities you work with.

If your goal is to become an accredited practising dietitian, why not join a program that has over 45 years of experience developing industry-ready dietitians?

Deakin’s Master of Dietetics explores the important relationship between diet and disease. Accredited by Dietitians Australia (DA) and shaped by decades of industry input, this course trains you to prescribe science-based treatments for a wide range of health issues, from obesity and diabetes, to allergies and malnutrition. If you’re passionate about improving the wellbeing of the people around you through diet, the Master of Dietetics allows you to cut through misinformation to unlock solutions that are shaped by evidence and tested with scientific rigour.

Combine studies in medical nutrition therapy, public health nutrition and food service management to graduate with a well-rounded set of skills that prepare you for a variety of roles. Your problem-solving abilities, communication skills and dietetic knowledge will allow you to thrive in community and public health settings. Prefer to work one-on-one with clients? You will feel just as comfortable using your interpersonal skills to develop tailored treatments in a clinical setting that deliver life-changing results.

Importantly, this course has full accreditation from the Dietitians Australia. That makes it a recognised pathway towards becoming an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Better still, this is one of the few dietetics masters courses in Australia that takes just 18 months (full-time study) to complete. This means you can move into your dream role faster and start helping people sooner.

Practical learning forms a significant part of the course and you will have many opportunities to apply the knowledge you learn in the classroom in labs, workplaces and industry settings. 21 weeks of professional practice placement gives you industry experience in multiple settings and prepares you for your career as a dietitian. This is where all your training comes to the fore, as you work alongside established dietitians.

Students can enrich their university experience by leveraging the considerable industry connections formed by Deakin’s long-standing School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Just a few of our associations include:

• Nutrition Australia
• Sports Dietitians Australia
• Austin Health
• Barwon Health
• Northern Health
• Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Western Health.

These relationships open the door to professional development opportunities, give you direct access to ground-breaking research and allow you to build networks that take your career forward.

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

Deakin's Master of Dietetics has full accreditation from Dietitians Australia (DA). Students graduating from DA accredited courses are eligible to apply for full membership of the DA and the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) program and to work in all areas of dietetics.

All dietetics education programs in Australia are required to undergo an accreditation review process by the Dietitians Australia (DA) every five years. Deakin has delivered a course in dietetics since 1977, and has offered an accredited course since accreditation commenced. After recently undergoing a re-accreditation process, Deakin’s Master of Dietetics will once again be provided full accreditation from 30 April 2020 to 30 April 2025 with no conditions.

Career opportunities

The prevalence of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, mental illness and malnutrition has increased the demand for qualified dietitians who can use food as a form of treatment and prevention. Jobs in nutrition and dietetics are projected to grow by 7.2% to November 2026*.

The skills you learn and practical experiences you’re exposed to will set you up to take advantage of this demand. You’ll be able to confidently enter all areas of dietetics, including:

• clinical (hospital) dietetics
• community nutrition
• private practice
• public health
• sports nutrition
• dietetic education and research
• food service
• public relations, marketing, communications and media
• health promotion and policy development.

You can find additional careers information about this course here.

*Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Participation requirements

The course involves compulsory placements of 10 weeks in a clinical setting, 7 weeks in a community setting and 4 weeks in a food service setting. These placements may require travel to rural areas.

Placement can occur at any time, including during the standard holiday breaks listed here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/key-dates.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

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.

Pathways

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

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our 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.

All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first semester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Course structure

Core units

Year 1 - Semester 1

Year 1 - Semester 2

PLUS

OR

Year 2 - Semester 1

PLUS

OR

*Enrolment into HSN745 will be determined by the Unit Chair.

# HSN758 – student must pass HSN742, HSN745 and HSN747 placements prior to enrolling into this unit.

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

Note: All students are required to complete at least one regional placement.

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. 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.

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing placements.

Orientation for this course is mandatory and normally takes place the week prior to semester starting; i.e.the last week of January.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

• Contact Student Central

Third party arrangements

Agreement

4 Clinical Schools and ~30 placement sites. Placement sites vary each year and agreements or schedules to existing agreements are organised as required each year.

Cross Faculty placement sites are organised at the Faculty level and school specific agreements are signed by the Head of School.

Nature of third party arrangements

Clinical Schools provide teaching as well as supervision of students on placement. They are also involved as part of the assessment panel. Clinical partners and placement sites are involved in placement supervision of students.

Quality assurance arrangements

Describe arrangements to ensure quality and equivalence of student experience and learning for the same or similar courses delivered by Deakin

Training for Clinical Educators is provided via an online module and as required face to face sessions as well as regular supervisor meetings. All qualifications of placement supervisors are monitored and audited. Compliance with Standards set by Dietitians Australia (DA).

Other learning experiences

Master of Dietetics students are required to undertake an elective placement experience in an area of Dietetics in which they are particularly interested and which may form part of their career focus.

Students also have the opportunity to take on voluntary learning experiences with partners such as the Geelong Football Club and the Deakin Melbourne Boomers Basketball Club, which are promoted through the course site.

Research and research-related study

The Master of Dietetics consists of 12 credit points. 1 credit point is specifically related to a research unit, which is offered in the first semester of the course. In later 2 credit point unit, students work on a group research project which includes data collection, and presentation and report writing. In a second 2 credit point unit, students complete an individual literature review.