Master of Dietetics

2024 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2024 course information
Award granted	Master of Dietetics
Deakin course code	H718
Faculty	Faculty of Health
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	No
Duration	1.5 years full-time. Units in this course are offered in semesters.
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	This course map is for new students commencing from Semester 1 2024 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
CRICOS course code	056059G Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
Key semester dates for 2024 are available here.

Course sub-headings

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 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 workplaces and industry settings. 22 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

This is a full-time course that requires significant on-site attendance (for coursework and placements). In the first semester of the course, students can expect to attend on campus or at our partner hospital sites most days each week, with 20-30 hours of onsite learning each week. In the remaining two semesters, in addition to weeks with onsite and online learning, there are a minimum of 22 weeks of full-time placement spread over the two semesters. Students attend placement in line with the working hours of host placement sites (i.e. 37-40 hours per week) and will usually travel less than 1.5 hours each way.

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.

While this is a full-time on-site course, reasonable adjustments may be made under certain circumstances, for example, part-time enrolment in some semesters for students with a disability (see "participation requirements" below).

Professional recognition

Deakin's Master of Dietetics currently has full accreditation from Dietitians Australia. Students graduating from accredited courses are eligible to apply for full membership of Dietetitians Australia 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 Dietitians Australia every five years. Deakin is proud to offer the longest-running dietetics course in Victoria, having delivered a course in dietetics since 1977. Course accreditation has been maintained since the Dietitians Australia accreditation process commenced.

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 15.1% to May 2028*.

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 2028.

Participation requirements

Most learning activities are on-site, across a combination of Deakin Burwood seminar spaces, kitchens and clinic simulation rooms, as well as via our partner organisations at hospitals and other health organisations. This facilitates interactive activities and group work which help prepare students for placement and for work as a dietitian.

The course involves compulsory placements of 10 weeks in a clinical setting, 7 weeks in a community setting, 4 weeks in a food service setting (all full-time) and 1 week in an elective setting. These placements may require travel to regional/rural areas, with all students expected to be available to complete at least one regional placement for 4-10 weeks (student accommodation can be organised by placement officers for short-term relocation).

Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability pending sufficient forward planning, engagement with the Disability Resource Centre and placement site feasibility. 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 the Graduate Certificate of Health Research Practice (H541)

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Nutrition for Health (H518)

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, 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. For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply advanced and integrated knowledge of the theory of human nutrition and dietetics and related practices in public health, to support safe food practices and provide nutrition care for individuals, groups, and communities.
Communication	Communicate verbally and in written forms to a range of audiences including colleagues, other health professionals and the community adopting a suitable range of communication strategies.
Digital literacy	Demonstrate competency in the selection and use of digital technologies to locate, evaluate, synthesise and translate research findings and theory to investigate and disseminate solutions to applied problems of human nutrition and dietetics.
Critical thinking	Engage in research, and collect and critically analyse data to assist in the dietetic assessment of individuals, groups and communities. Develop and implement client-centered strategies to manage the nutritional needs of clients in the dietetics industry, including hospital, food service, community and public health sectors and also in private practice.
Problem solving	Apply best practice and respond effectively using an evidence-based framework to identify, research, analyse, generate and provide practical solutions to a range of changing and complex nutrition and dietetic issues for individuals, communities and populations.
Self-management	Employ reflective practice, high level personal and professional responsibility, accountability, ethical practice and autonomy to demonstrate expert judgement, adaptability to new situations and responsibility as a practitioner or life-long learner in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
Teamwork	Establish, contribute and maintain a key role in collaborative interdisciplinary relationships, with a range of stakeholders to advance nutrition and dietetic sciences and improve client outcomes.
Global citizenship	Engage with, and advocate, for professional and ethical practice for individuals, groups and communities from diverse social and cultural backgrounds in an ethical, organised and professional manner.

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 DAI001 Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first trimester of study.

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

Course structure

Core units

Year 1 - Semester 1

DAI001

Academic Integrity Module (0 credit points)

HSN070

Food and Nutrition Laboratory Safety (0 credit points)

HSN740

Research for Evidence Based Dietetic Practice

HSN744

Principles of Dietetics

HSN754

Dietary Modification to Improve Health

Year 1 - Semester 2

HSN742

Food Service Management (2 credit points)^

PLUS

HSN745

Community and Public Health Nutrition (2 credit points)^*

HSN747

Clinical Dietetic Practice (2 credit points)^

Year 2 - Semester 1

HSN758

Professional Practice for Dietetics #

PLUS

HSN745

Community and Public Health Nutrition (2 credit points)^*

HSN747

Clinical Dietetic Practice (2 credit points)^

*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 expected to be available 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.

Other course information

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

Course duration

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

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

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

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.

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

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.