Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Hons) - University Of Worcester

ASP._Page_site_elements_razor_entry_records_course_record_cshtml

What makes BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Worcester special?

Through a combination of practice and theory, this course will prepare you to work as a registered dietitian in a diverse range of settings and careers, including clinically within a hospital or primary care setting, careers in public health or health promotion, employability within the food industry, in research or academia, in the media, or in private practice.

Dietitians use a person-centred approach to empower people to make appropriate lifestyle choices and dietary changes to prevent, treat or manage health and disease. Dietitians are unique utilising enhanced communication and nutritional counselling skills to translate the science of nutrition into everyday behaviours to support people to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Teaching is delivered by lecturing staff who are experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about their subject area. The teaching on this course is interactive and designed in a way to deliver relevant and real-world learning through case studies, service user involvement, simulation, and interactive group-based discussions with dietetic students as well as students from other health professions, to learn to work collaboratively and multi-disciplinary.

New for 2024. This course is subject to approval

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Successful completion of this course will lead to eligibility to apply for HCPC registration as a Dietitian. You will also be able to join the British Dietetic Association as a student member whilst studying on the course.
  • Pursue a rewarding career where you can make a difference in people's lives through healthy eating habits and lifestyle modifications.
  • You will gain hands-on experience with a variety of service users and industry organisations through innovative placements throughout your degree.
  • You will be taught via an integrated skills-based approach to help develop professional practice
  • Practical workshops including kitchen sessions, food science labs and technical anthropometry will enable hands on learning.
  • You will be well prepared for clinical placements through simulation events within our clinical skills labs, using mock wards, and on-site community house.
  • At Worcester you will establish links with Dietitians throughout the region, ensuring the course is professionally relevant and placements are well supported.
  • All home students on this course can apply for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs. 
Man in hospital gown laying down on hospital bed, with a blood pressure monitor being strapped onto his arm by a nurse

£5,000 support for healthcare students

From September 2020, the Government announced that eligible students on Dietetics, Midwifery, Nursing (Adult, Child, Mental Health), Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy and Radiography (diagnostic) courses will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not need to pay back.

More details about the payment
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

120
UCAS tariff points

Entry requirements

The University wishes to recruit students who have a strong commitment to Dietetics as a career and can demonstrate values in accordance with the NHS values and ethics, the ability and capacity to learn the required professional behaviours and develop the theoretical and scientific knowledge to meet the programme requirements.

Entry requirements

120 UCAS Tariff Points to include Biology and/ or Chemistry related subjects

Other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis that have demonstrated equivalent learning.

GCSE A*-C or 9-4 pass in GCSE English Language, maths and science.

If English is not your first language: IELTS of 7.0 or above, with no component below 6.5 is required.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance. This will be arranged by the University for candidates accepting an offer for a place on this course. Candidates will be required to meet the costs of their DBS. Occupational health clearance is required, and candidates will be required to cover this cost. A conditional place will be offered on satisfactory DBS and Health clearance checks.

Don't quite meet the entry requirements?

Applicants who do not meet the above entry requirements for the 3 year BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics course may be eligible to apply to the 4 year Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Hons) with Foundation Year course.

Other information

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.

Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be obtained from the UCAS Website.

Work experience

We are looking for applicants who have a good understanding of the breadth of the profession and the diverse settings where Dietitians may work. Work experience shadowing a Dietitian is highly recommended, however, we appreciate that this can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Where shadowing experience isn't possible, knowledge of the profession may be gained through attending University open days or careers events, talking to qualified Dietitians, reading professional publications or researching online. The following websites may provide a helpful starting point; British Dietetics Association, and Health and Care Professions Council, and Step into the NHS and NHS Careers.

If your Dietetic work experience is still pending when you submit your application, please don't worry. Tell us what you have planned, demonstrate that you have researched the breadth of the profession in other ways and reflect on any alternative relevant experience you have had so far.

Personal Statements

Applicants should ensure that their personal statements are focused on a clear interest and motivation for becoming a Dietitian. Applicants should also:

  • Be able to reflect on their work experiences in relation to their future studies and their career
  • Demonstrate team-working and leadership skills; for example in your work, hobbies or sports
  • Show clear awareness of the qualities and values that are needed to become a healthcare professional
  • Demonstrate strong verbal and inter-personal communication and listening skills
  • Be able to work with a wide variety of different people as individuals, and provide examples of this
  • Have strong and creative problem solving and thinking skills
  • Have clear motivation for a career in Dietetics, and have made a reasoned career choice
  • Be able to articulate clearly why they are interested in a career in Dietetics
  • Have an interest in food related matters which may include cooking, sustainability, catering practices or nutrition.

We welcome applications from disabled students. More information and guidance on disability and becoming a health and care professional can be found on the Health and Care Professional Council website.

No offers will be made without Interview. Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an interview, or a place on the course. For full details please see the UCAS website.

Students will also be required to sign a Code of Conduct and Fitness to Practice disclosure on commencement of the course.

Visitors at a University of Worcester open day

Book your place at an Open Day

Want to know why so many students love living and studying in Worcester?

Our Open Days are the perfect way to find out.

Book your place

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.


Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. This course is currently going through approval processes and therefore module titles may change. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course.

Year 1

Overview

Year one is designed to support you to develop your knowledge of health and wellbeing, the scientific underpinning in food science, nutrition physiology, body systems, dietary assessment and analysis, communication and behaviour change, as well as the professional skills and behaviours required as a dietitian.

Modules

  • Introduction to dietetic practice
  • Principles of food science, production and provision
  • Behaviour change and communication for dietitians
  • Nutrition physiology and metabolism
  • Foundations for professional practice
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Anatomy and physiology

Practice Placement A

Year 2

Overview

Year two will build on the skills and knowledge gained in year 1, in the application to the practice of dietetics and clinical management of disease, dietary assessment and nutritional diagnosis, and using evidence based practice to inform clinical decision making.

Modules

  • Clinical dietetics 1
  • Clinical dietetics 2
  • Dietary management and prevention of disease
  • Applied dietetics across the life course
  • Teamworking for professional practice
  • Developing the evidence

Practice Placement B

Year 3

Overview

Year three will consolidate your knowledge of nutrition and dietetics, and the exploration of public health, health promotion and leadership, with the opportunity to explore a new area of dietetics through the elective placement.

Modules

  • Health promotion and public health
  • Leadership throughout professional practice
  • Enhancing Employability
  • Generating the evidence (Research project)

Practice placement C and D
Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

We enable you to develop the independent learning capabilities and transferable skills that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement.

A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system, enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

Teaching is delivered by lecturing staff who are experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about their subject area. The teaching on this course is interactive and designed in a way to deliver relevant and real-world learning through case studies, service user involvement, simulation, and interactive group-based discussions with dietetic students as well as students from other health professions, to learn to work collaboratively and multi-disciplinary.

You are taught through a combination of interactive face to face lectures, seminars and tutorials, online learning and self-directed study. 

Contact time

In a typical week, you have approximately 10-18 contact hours of teaching and precise contact hours will vary depending on level of study and when you are completing the Practice Education modules.

Typically, contact time whilst on campus will comprise around 36 hours of contact time for a 15 credit module and 72 hours for a 30 credit module.

Examples of contact in a typical module and the types of activities are:

15 credit module:

  • 12 x 3 hours: 2 hour lecture, 1 hour seminar or 1 hour supervised lab practical or 1 hour interactive workshop

30 credit module:

  • 24 x 3 hours: 2 hour lecture, 1 hour seminar or 1 hour supervised lab practical or 1 hour interactive workshop

Across the three years, you will also complete over 1000 hours of practice learning, working alongside experienced clinicians in a range of areas, locations and specialities. These hours will be delivered via Practice Education modules at all levels and clinical simulation within some taught modules.

You will have a placement at every level of the course, with practice Education modules delivered in four blocks

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions during the year. You are also encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team, and the wide range of services (e.g. academic writing, student support services) available to you within the University.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 22 hours of personal self-study per week. This is roughly broken down to 2-2.5 hours of independent self-study for each module, as well as 2-3 hours preparing for assessments (formative and summative).

Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books to follow up on lecture sessions, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and interactive sessions, and preparing for examinations.

Independent self-study is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and library resources, Library Services via the virtual learning environment, which gives access to extensive electronic learning resources.

Resources can be accessed in other universities and colleges via SCONUL for those students not local to Worcester.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. For example, the Dietitians and Nutritionists teaching on the course are all qualified practitioners in their respective fields, which provides authenticity to the experiences they draw upon. The team includes academics and clinical practitioners.

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and approximately 75% of team have a publication history. All members of the team have a Higher Education qualification and 75% are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. 

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

The course is led by a Registered Dietitian. Experienced, qualified practitioners (Dietitians and other Health Professionals with relevant clinical experience) will contribute to the overall learning by providing mentoring in the Practice Education modules.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.

Each module has one (for 15 credit) or two (for 30 credit) formal or ‘summative’ assessments, which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include a range of assessments such as essays, case study, practical interactive facilitated sessions, presentations, group work and reflective journals.

The typical summative assessment pattern for the course include the following assessments:

  • written coursework/case studies
  • quizzes
  • objective structured clinical examinations
  • presentations
  • posters
  • formal examinations
  • group work
  • development of a clinical portfolio

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice ‘formative’ assessments and on formal ‘summative assessments. Summative written work is anonymously marked and submitted via Turnitin.

Verbal or written feedback is given for all formative assessments. Students doing practical formative work at seminars receive immediate verbal feedback from tutors and their peers. Tutors feedback on written formative work directly to each student individually.

Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback and grades on formal coursework assessments within 20 working days of submission.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. For example, the Dietitians and Nutritionists teaching on the course are all qualified practitioners in their respective fields, which provides authenticity to the experiences they draw upon. The team includes academics and clinical practitioners.

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and approximately 75% of team have a publication history. All members of the team have a Higher Education qualification and 75% are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

The course is led by a Registered Dietitian. Experienced, qualified practitioners (Dietitians and other Health Professionals with relevant clinical experience) will contribute to the overall learning by providing mentoring in the Practice Education modules.

Stacey Jones

Dr Stacey Jones

Stacey is a HCPC registered dietitian. She has experience in the NHS as a primary care dietitian and has a background in public health. Stacey has presented her research at international and national conferences, and contributes to the profession through membership on specialist committees. She possesses extensive experience in curriculum design and development, having led numerous course developments and worked across multi-professions of AHP, Nursing and Midwifery courses.

dr-lindsey-fellows

Dr Lindsey Fellows

Having worked as a Higher Education Lecturer since 1996, teaching a variety of subjects from Sport and Exercise Psychology, Physical Education, and Public Health, and during this time cultivated a keen interest in Behaviour Change and qualified as a Motivational Interviewing Trainer in 2012. After retraining and qualifying in Nutritional Therapy, Lindsey transferred this interest to the clinical practice of nutrition, working on the MSc Nutritional Therapy (now Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine). Lindsey now balances her time between lecturing, supervising research, and assessing in the student clinic and working as a practitioner. She continues to be intrigued by the complexity of human behaviour in the context of health and well-being, and how this translates to food choices and eating behaviours. 

laurence-trueman

Dr Laurence Trueman

Nutrition: Do it well and it can be one of the most powerful ways to maintain your health. Do it badly and it can poison you slowly over the decades.

About 80% of people in the UK die of diseases associated with poor-lifestyle choices. As a registered nutritionist my interests centre on translational education; taking the scientific knowledge on how lifestyle and the modern environment impact on personal wellbeing and disseminating it to the general population through personal projects, but also via a large number of passionate and intelligent students who I have been  lucky enough to teach during my time at the University of Worcester.

A member of the Firstpoint Team is helping a student

IMPACT

IMPACT is the university's people with lived experience group. We support the School of Allied Health and Community, the Three Counties School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Three Counties Medical School, in the integration of Service Users and Carers throughout the educational process. We look forward to working closely with you as you learn with us.

Find out more about our 'IMPACT' group
Careers

Careers

Employability

This degree is seeking accreditation by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and will be approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). It leads to eligibility to apply for HCPC registration and follows the core curriculum set out by the BDA.

As a graduate of this programme, you can enter the profession of Dietetics once registered as a Dietitian.

Dietitians work in a variety of sectors including hospital settings, private sector, working with communities, in public health, food industry, sport and fitness, or research and education.

The fact that Dietitians have a science background and develop people skills within their training, generally makes them employable in a wide range of other areas.

Two students are walking next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential
Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £9,250 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £16,200 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the academic year 2024/25 are £1,156 per 15-credit module, £1,542 per 20-credit module, £2,312 per 30-credit module, £3,083 per 40-credit module, £3,469 per 45-credit module and £4,625 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Chestnut Halls' at £131 per week to 'Oak Halls' at £221 per week (2024/25 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.
How to apply

How to apply

Applying through UCAS

Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Single Honours) B4D1

UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.

Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.

UCAS Code

B4D1

Apply Via UCAS

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Admissions office

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

Dr Stacey Jones

Course leader
stacey.jones@worc.ac.uk

School of Allied Health and Community - Similar Courses

Applied Health and Social Care BA (Hons) Top-up Degree

Undergraduate

Health and Social Care applies compassion and dignity to improve the welfare of service users. Find out more about our Top-up Health and Social Care degree.

Assistant Practitioner FdSc

Undergraduate

Our Assistant Practitioner FdSc course helps you develop your knowledge and practical skills whilst also being able to work within industry.

Child & Adolescent Mental Health FdSc

Undergraduate

Our Child & Adolescent Mental Health Foundation Degree covers all aspects of young people's mental health. Discover course highlights including career options.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health BSc (Hons) Top Up

Undergraduate

Our child and adolescent mental health top up degree will build your knowledge on the mental health of young people. Find out more about child mental health.