Nutrition and Lifestyle Practice PGDip / MSc

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online learning, plus 1-4 mandatory attendance days per semester (these sessions will not be recorded). These will be a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, and role plays. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures. Role plays are fundamental to professional development as a NT, are underpinned by the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Nutritional Therapy. Role plays and embedded throughout the course and informally facilitate the development of clinical skills. Clinical skills are formally assessed in the online clinics (NUTH4045 Clinical Practice and Business Development), where students see a minimum of three clients at least twice.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least two occasions in the first year and more if required and on demand in second and subsequent years.

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Contact time

The MSc Nutritional Therapy will include 48 weeks of learning, which is required to include the clinic and dissertation modules in one academic year 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 6-12 hours synchronous).

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

60 hours Synchronous and asynchronous lectures/seminars/practical activity (approximately 12-24 hours synchronous).

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake for a 15-credit module around the remainder of the time of independent study and assessment preparation The total time for the module is 150 hours. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books to follow up on taught sessions, completing online activities, undertaking research online, and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and 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

• 1 year full-time
• 3-6 years part-time

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. The team includes senior academics and clinical practitioners with industry experience. The academics teaching on the course are all qualified practitioners in their respective fields, which provides authenticity to the experiences they draw upon

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

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

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 a final year 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
• 2 x Digital quiz
• 1x reflective and skills portfolio relating to clinical experience
• 1x research proposal
• 3 x individual oral presentations/posters
• 1 x Dissertation (independent study project of 12000 words)

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.