HSN311 - Food and Nutrition Practicum

Unit details

Year	2027 unit information
Enrolment modes	Trimester 2: Online
Credit point(s)	1
EFTSL value	0.125
Unit chair	Trimester 2: Sarah Hall
Cohort rule	This is a core unit for students who commence H315, H318 and D301 from 2022. This unit will be an elective option for other students. This unit is only available to students enrolled in D301, D304, D311, D321, D331, D333, D378, D391, H300, H315, H318 and S320 students. Students completing H300 and D391 must be completing the Nutrition major sequence (MJ-H000007) or Food Studies major sequence (MJ-H000003). Students completing D304, D311, D321, D331 and S320 must be completing the Food Science major sequence (MJ-S000098). For students who wish to undertake this unit as an elective, you are strongly advised to consult with your Student Adviser in Student Central before applying, to ensure you have an elective space in your course.
Prerequisite	Have Completed a minimum of 4 HSN units in their course of which at least two of the HSN units must be at level 2 at the time of enrolling into this unit. For students who wish to do a food industry practicum, it is recommended that students complete HSN204 and HSN206 from the Food Innovation major sequence.
Incompatible with	Nil
Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment	3 x 1 hour live online recorded seminars (weeks TBD) Minimum of 75 hours on or off-site training
In-person attendance requirements	This unit has mandatory on campus attendance requirements, therefore students must be in Australia when enrolled in this unit.
Typical study commitment	Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.
Note This unit will provide students with an opportunity to undertake a formalised fieldwork experience of a minimum of 75 hours in a food and nutrition organisational setting. Each student is responsible for selecting, sourcing and negotiating an appropriate work experience. Students will be provided with support to self-source placement opportunities. Note for International Students Only If you are not able to complete your placement by your visa expiry date, please note that you will be liable for any costs involved with extending your stay in Australia, for example: visa extension application cost and extra living expenses.’ This unit has mandatory on campus attendance requirements, therefore students must be in Australia when enrolled in this unit.

Content

This is a minimum 75 hours (maximum 160 hours) placement program involving skills development in the broad areas of food and nutrition with topical areas addressed in this unit involving one or more of the following: project analysis in an area of food production, marketing, innovative product formulation, quality assurance, food regulation and analysis, nutritional panel analysis, database development, food service, nutrition policy, nutrition education, community nutrition, surveys and research.

Mandatory student checks

Deakin University Placement Requirements and Victorian Department of Health policy – National Police Record Check and Working With Children Check

In accordance with Victorian Department of Health policy and Deakin University student placement requirements, all students enrolled in a placement unit are required to undertake a National Police Record Check and a Working With Children Check prior to the commencement of placement.

Students who fail to obtain a valid National Police Record Check and a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of placement will not be able to undertake placement which 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 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.

Learning outcomes

ULO	These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can:	Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)
ULO1	Develop a job application package for a position aligned with current experience, skills and qualifications.	GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital Literacy GLO6: Self-management
ULO2	Integrate career development skills (awareness, planning, application) required to apply for work opportunities, enabling you to progress your career.	GLO6: Self-management
ULO3	Reflect on learning outcomes and show capacity for preparing and achieving personal and professional development goals.	GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management
ULO4	Demonstrate evidence of ethical and professional work practices and knowledge.	GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship

Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.

Assessment

Assessment description	Student output	Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit)	Indicative due week
Assessment 1:  Job Application	Cover letter addressing key selection criteria and Curriculum Vitae	30%	Week 4
Assessment 2: Job Interview	Mock interview, 7 questions, 10.5 minutes maximum	20%	Week 9
Assessment 3: Reflection	Student reflection 1100 words	30%	Within 7 days post-placement
Assessment 4: Host Supervisor Report	Supervisor Report	20%	Within 7 days post-placement

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Hurdle requirements

• Must complete a self-placement application (including providing pre-placement documents such as Police Check and WWCC).
• Must complete a logbook, detailing activities and time spent at placement.

Learning resource

There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.

To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.

Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.

Unit fee information

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.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.