Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

MSc Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics - MSc (NFQ Level 9)

Today's clinical nutrition and dietetics experts have an expanding field of career opportunities. For instance, the current rise in life-syle related conditions and disaeases has been identified by international and national government agencies and programmes as requiring nutritional interventions for their prevention and management. The expanding older population requires nutritional care to prevent and manage lifestyle-related conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, frailty, sarcopenia and osteoporosis. The creation of links between nutrition, health and community development provide opportunities for health promotion through nutrition interventions in many community settings, including pre-schools, schools, services for older people and those with disability and mental illness. Within the acute hospital setting, the effective management of chronic and acute medical and surgical conditions and the prevention and treatment of disease-related malnutrition are critical, wherein effective nutritional management is central to reducing the personal and economic costs associated with poor nutrition and health.The importance of nutrition to optimise sports performance is increasingly recognised with many career opportunities in this area.



The MSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics is a full-time programme, designed for graduates who wish to develop expertise in areas ranging from the promotion of nutrition and health throughout the lifespan through to the management of clinical nutrition in community, primary care and acute settings. Moreover, practitioners in medicine, nursing, physiotherapy and the other health and social care professions, as well as practitoners in sport and exercise science have a need for evidence-based expertise in nutrition, health promotion and clinical nutrition so that they can manage clients and patients in a manner that permits optimal client/patient outcomes.



At the end of the programme, students will have developed the integrated scientific, clinical, psychological, communication, multidisciplinary team working and professional proficiencies that underpin a career in clinical nutrition and dietetics. The MSc Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics aims to train graduates eligible to apply to the Dietitians Registration Board (CORU) for registration as a dietitian.



What Will I Learn?

1. Meet the standards of proficiency specified by Irish and international regulatory and professional bodies.

2. Integrate independent, autonomous and problem-solving professional values and skills into daily practice and promote these in a wider societal context.

3. Act as reflective practitioners and demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning, research and audit within the field of clinical nutrition and dietetics.

4. Engage with the professional education of students, colleagues and other health professionals to foster an ethos of continuing learning and knowledge sharing.

5. Acquire the relevant knowledge of underpinning nutrition principles, clinical nutrition and dietetic practice.

6. Demonstrate professional competence, using an evidence-based approach, in clinical nutrition and dietetic practice within the multidisciplinary healthcare environment.

7. Competently assess nutritional status, identify the nutrition diagnosis/problem, intervene, monitor and evaluate nutrition and dietetic interventions in patients, clients and groups.

8. Plan, design, execute and report on a piece of independent research of high scientific merit.



• This full time programme is designed to be completed over two academic years.

• UCD expects that students undertaking the programme are aware of the following:

Practice placements are compulsory and may take place throughout the Irish Republic

• Placements are unpaid and may require temporary relocation.

• Students are responsible for their upkeep, lodging and travel during placements.

• Practice placements take place in a variety of different learning environments including community and GP clinics, hospitals, healthcare facilities, large scale catering and nutrition industry environments.

• Exit routes from this programme include: Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nutrition, Graduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition, and MSc Health Sciences (Nutrition).

• Graduates availing of these exit routes will not be eligible to apply to the Dietitians Registration Board (CORU) for registration as a dietitian.

• UCD expects that students who register for its programmes are in a position to commit to attendance and being available on scheduled programme, placement and assessment dates.

Stage 1 Options - A) Min 4 of:

Please select all your Year 1 core modules to confirm registration.

DIET40080: Practice Placement 1

DIET40050: Dietetics through the Life Cyc

DIET40060: Dietetics Prof Practice 1

DIET40070: Med for Clin Nutr & Dietetics



Stage 1 Options - B) Min 2 of:

You will be registered to your option module(s) by the School. No action needed during online registration for option modules.

DIET40020: Nutrition & Communication

HNUT40160: Clinical Nutrition (Post Grad)

PERS30010: Appl Nutr Health Ex & Sp Perf

PHPS40300: Health Promotion



Stage 1 Options - C) Min 4 of:

Please select all your Year 2 core modules to confirm registration.

DIET40120: MSc Clin Nutr & Diet Dissert

DIET40090: Adv Clin Nutr & Dietetics

DIET40100: Dietetics Professional Pract 2

DIET40110: Pract Placement (acute)



Stage 1 Options - D) Min 1 of:

You will be registered to your option module(s) by the School. No action needed during online registration for option modules.

PERS30010: Appl Nutr Health Ex & Sp Perf

PHPS40050: Nutritional Epidemiology

PHPS40300: Health Promotion

PHTY41210: Advancing Healthcare: Exercise Prescription

Entry Requirements

• Applicants should hold a second class honours degree (2.1 or 2.2 in exceptional circumstances e.g. extensive prior clinical experience) or higher in science e.g. biochemistry, food science, human biology, human nutrition, nutritional science, pharmacology, physiology, in health sciences e.g. medicine, nursing or a health and social care profession or in sports performance science.

• Prior qualifications should include evidence of study of human biochemistry and physiology or other relevant degree discipline from a recognised university.

• Good communication skills are essential. Candidates may be interviewed.

• Two references should be included with the online application, one of which should be an academic reference and one an employment-related reference.

• Garda vetting is required, prior to undertaking practice placements.

• All students must attend UCD Student Health Services for pre-entry screening and must be compliant with Irish Immunisation Guidelines. All costs associated with health screening and vaccination must be met by the student.

• In exceptional circumstances, where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.

• Please note, the closing date for applications is June 20th.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme.



Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page (https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax) for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

2 years full-time.



Lectures and placements normally occur from Monday-Friday.

X820: Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Master of Science



Full-Time: Commencing January 2026

Graduate Taught