Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

MSc Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 150)



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.



Who should apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes



Course Description

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



- Lectures will normally be held on Mondays - Fridays.



- Practice placements are mandatory (1000 hours). Students will be placed in a variety of settings in which dietitians practise. These can be nationwide.



- Assessment strategies include continuous assessment, assignments, projects and examinations.



- 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 attending and being available on scheduled programme and assessment dates.



Vision and Values Statement

The MSc Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics programme aims to provide a postgraduate programme in clinical nutrition and dietetics that will develop competent practitioners in clinical nutrition and dietetics eligible to apply for CORU Dietitian Registration Board registration as Dietitians. Graduates of the programme will have a strong professional identity and understanding of their role in the wider healthcare context and their contribution as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and will demonstrate well-developed autonomous learning skills. The educational philosophy of the MSc Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics programme is to provide a stimulating and collaborative educational environment which will build on existing graduate knowledge, skills and attributes. Student learning will be facilitated through a student-centred approach, involving experiential practice placement learning so that graduates will have the opportunity to develop professional excellence. The curriculum introduces students to core theoretical and professional concepts in clinical nutrition and dietetics and these concepts are returned to at more advanced levels as the programme progresses allowing students to develop professional proficiency. The programme design is strongly influenced by the current and future needs of clinical nutrition and dietetics practice and by the provision of student-centred learning in an environment where research and scholarship stimulate high achievement and access to cutting edge knowledge.



Programme Outcomes

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.

Modules include

Dietetics through the Lifecycle

Dietetics Professional Practice 1 & 2

Medicine for Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics

Nutrition and Communication

Clinical Nutrition

Health Promotion

Nutrition Epidemiology

Applied Nutrition Health Exercise & Sports Performance

Practice Placement

Advanced Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

International Health in Action



Stage 1 - Option

Clinical Nutrition (Post Grad) HNUT40160

Appl Nutr Health Ex & Sp Perf PERS30010

Nutritional Epidemiology PHPS40050

Health Promotion PHPS40300

International Health in Action PHPS40650

Nutrition & CommunicationPHPS40670

Dietetics Professional Pract 1 PHPS40780

Dietetics Professional Pract 2 PHPS40800

Dietetics through the Life Cyc PHPS40890

Med for Clin Nutr & Dietetics PHPS40900

Pract Placement (non-acute) PHPS40910

Adv Clin Nutr & Dietetics PHPS40920

Pract Placement (acute) PHPS40930

MSc Clin Nutr & Diet Dissert PHPS40940

- 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 30th.



International Applicants

- The MSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics welcomes International applications.



- Applicants whose first language is not English and whose primary degree was obtained in a country where English is not the official language of instruction must provide proof of proficiency in English such as IELTS or TOEFL.



- The original certificate of completion of an English language test must be submitted with the application (IELTS score of 7.0 (or equivalent) with no element below 6.5)



- Test results must not be more than 2 years old.

The following entry routes are available:



MSc Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics (Jan) FT (X820)

Duration 2 Years Attend Full Time

Deadline 30-JUN-2022



Applicants apply using the UCD online application system. To apply, simply click on http://www.ucd.ie/apply and follow the instructions. A non-refundable application fee applies. The application fee is paid online.

2 years full-time.

Next Intake: 2022/2023 January

Careers & Employability

Graduates with the MSc Clinical Nutrition Dietetics are well placed to gain employment in the following sectors and agencies:



- Clinical nutrition & dietetics (hospital and community dietetics)

- Public health nutrition, government health promotion agencies

- Clinical nutrition industry (product development, marketing, consumer information)

- Sports nutrition

- Teaching opportunities (second or third level)

- Academic, nutrition and medical research (public and private sectors)

- Private practice