Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine PGDip / MSc

Teaching

Teaching includes in person lectures (one block per semester) and synchronous (scheduled ‘live’, tutor facilitated) online lectures. Online learning activities are delivered through the Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard). Seminars and workshops are an integral part of most modules and may be based around exploring dietary analysis, drug-nutrient interactions or exploring case studies using a systematic and functional approach. Teaching is further supported by a managed learning environment of asynchronous eLearning activities.

The development of reflective practitioners is embedded throughout with opportunities for personal development planning, reflection on clinical role plays, and critical reflection on clinical practice. A range of other approaches may be incorporated where relevant e.g., online quizzes and informal presentations in group workshops. Timetabled group and individual tutorials are included in each module, as well as being integral to dissertation supervision, and these are managed via virtual conferencing software (MS Teams). Clinical skills development throughout the theory modules will include theoretical and practical approaches to build on knowledge and understanding and to enable students to meet the National Occupational Standards for Nutritional Therapy.

You are fully supervised and assessed by an experienced, qualified and registered nutritional therapist and on average see three clients two times over a period of a semester to build on the skills developed in the theory modules. 

Contact time

The MSc Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine will include 60 weeks of learning, which is required to include the clinic and dissertation modules in 15 months for students who wish to study full-time.

You are taught through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online lectures, workshops, seminars, role plays and other online activities. Face-to- face teaching, workshops, seminars, and group activities (e.g., role plays) will comprise the attendance days.

The precise contact hours (online or face-to-face) will depend on your mode of study (full-or part-time) and the modules selected. For example, you will have less contact time in the dissertation module because the focus is independent study, and there may be more contact time in the clinical practice module due to the time allocated to live clinic consultations.

Typically contact time for a 15-credit module will be structured around:

30 hours synchronous and asynchronous lectures/seminars/practical activity (approximately 20 hours synchronous).

Typically contact time for a 30-credit module will be structured around:

60 hours synchronous and asynchronous lectures/seminars/practical activity (approximately 33 hours synchronous).

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake independent self-study, the time for which will vary depending on whether the module is 15 credit or 30 credits. Typically, this will involve preparing for lectures and seminars, reading set texts and papers, watching and writing a written commentary of recordings of consultation videos, and preparing for assessments. Given this is a highly blended course, you will also be expected to engage with asynchronous online lectures within this self-study time. 

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive Library resources, the virtual learning environment and extensive electronic learning resources. Resources can be accessed in other universities and colleges via SCONUL when working remotely.

Duration

• 15 months full-time
• 27 months, 36 months or 39 months part-time (may vary, flexible according to module choice)

Timetables

Example timetables for 2025-26.

Part-time Timetable

Full-time Timetable

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules. The five current permanent staff all work part-time and are Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council registered practitioners; this is a full-time equivalent of 3.2.

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and approximately 70% of the team have a publication history. All members of the team have a Higher Education teaching qualification and are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, and one is a Senior Fellow. 

Assessment

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

Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include written assignments and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, and for MSc students, an independent study project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the modules taken, and follows the University’s Assessment Policy, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern will include:

• 3x written assignments (based on case study analysis)
• 2x PDP with reflections
• 1x reflective skills portfolio relating to clinical experience
• 1x research proposal
• 3 x individual oral presentations/posters
• 1 x Dissertation (independent study project of 12000 words - MSc student only)

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. 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 on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.