Master of Dietetics
2027 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2027 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Master of Dietetics |
| Deakin course code | H718 |
| Course credit points | 12 |
| Course version | 2 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course information | For students who commenced from 2025 onwards |
| 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 | The course map for students commencing from Trimester 1 2027 will be available soon Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 056059G Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9 |
| Supplementary information | Key semester dates for 2025. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Alternative exits
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Third party arrangements
- Other learning experiences
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
As diet-related health challenges continue to grow, skilled dietitians play a critical role in prevention, treatment and long-term care. Accredited by Dietitians Australia, Deakin's Master of Dietetics is a recognised pathway to becoming an Accredited Practising Dietitian. With more than 45 years delivering dietetics education, Deakin offers one of Australia's longest-running and most respected courses.
You will explore the relationship between diet and disease and develop evidence-based treatments for conditions such as obesity, diabetes, allergies and malnutrition. Apply your learning through around 110 days of supervised professional practice across clinical, community and food service settings, building the practical skills employers value.
Benefit from Deakin's strong industry connections with leading organisations including Nutrition Australia, Austin Health, Barwon Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Finish the course in 18 months full-time and enter the workforce sooner.
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 by Dietitians Australia. Students graduating from accredited courses are eligible to apply for full membership of Dietitians 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 dietetics course 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 16.6% to May 2030*.
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 2030.
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) |
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Apply advanced and integrated knowledge of the theory of human nutrition and dietetics and related practices in public health and food service, to support health-promoting food practices and provide nutrition care for individuals, communities and populations. |
| Communicate, adapt and translate information using a range of methods to reach a range of audiences including individuals, groups, communities, other professionals, stakeholders and partners. |
| Critically select and ethically use digital technologies to locate, collect, evaluate, synthesise, translate and share information, including solutions to applied problems of human nutrition and dietetics. |
| Collect and critically appraise relevant information to develop, implement, adapt and evaluate client-centred strategies that respond to the evidence in the broad landscape of dietetic practice, including clinical, food service, community and public health sectors. |
| Apply best practice, demonstrate initiative and respond effectively using an evidence-based framework to identify, research, analyse, generate and adapt solutions to a range of changing and complex nutrition and dietetic issues in the broad landscape of dietetic practice. |
| Employ reflective practice, personal and professional responsibility, accountability, ethical practice and autonomy to demonstrate professional judgement, adaptability to new situations and responsibility as a practitioner and lifelong learner in the field of nutrition and dietetics. |
| Work with a range of peers, disciplines and stakeholders, to advance nutrition and dietetic science and practice, and improve individual, community and population outcomes. |
| Participate in, implement and advocate for actions that promote the nutritional wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with respect and integrity. |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Course rules
To complete the Master of Dietetics you must pass 12 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 12 credit points of core units.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Year 1 - Semester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HSN070 | Food and Nutrition Laboratory Safety (0 credit points) |
| HSN744 | Principles of Dietetics (2 credit points) |
| HSN757 | Nutrition Practice: Evidence and Application (2 credit points) |
Year 1 - Semester 2
| HSN742 | Food Service Management (2 credit points)^ |
PLUS
| HSN745 | Community and Public Health Nutrition (2 credit points)^* |
OR
| 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)^* |
OR
| 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.
Orientation
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
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
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.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.