Master of Dietetics

All applicants:

ORSuccessful completion of a cognate undergraduate Bachelor (AQF7) degree program in nutrition, or a science or health-related discipline including a nutrition minor or equivalent subjects. The completed undergraduate Bachelor (AQF7) degree must meet the following conditions:

• Completed within the last eight years.
• Subjects completed include two units each of: human biology, human physiology, chemistry, and biochemistry, as well as units covering nutrition science, nutrition and disease, food science and food skills, general research and epidemiology.
• Each subject must be equivalent to at least 0.125 Effective Full-time Study Unit (EFTSU).
• The required general research and epidemiology, human physiology and biochemistry must be completed at a second-year tertiary level or higher (AQF level 6 or higher)
• Specialisation - compulsory: Physiology studies must have included systemic physiology and/or pathophysiology, including homeostatic mechanisms and at least six of the following eight systems: body defences (immune system), gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular and nervous systems.
• Specialisation - compulsory: Nutrition science must have included macronutrients and micronutrients (food sources, metabolism, storage and function), principles of energy balance and nutrient analysis of foods.

WAM - Weighted Average Mark (WAM) 70%

Applicants can provide a resume work or volunteer experience relevant to dietetics. Subsequent postgraduate study and/or work experience in a relevant area may also be considered if students do not meet the WAM and/or course pre-requisite requirements.

Successful completion of: La Trobe Bachelor of Food and Nutrition (on campus)/ ORLa Trobe Bachelor of Food and Nutrition (online), including completion of HBS301 as an elective ORLa Trobe Bachelor of Nutrition Science ORLa Trobe Bachelor of Human Nutrition

Academic entry requirements

• If you are not a current La Trobe University student, please complete the additional information form Non La Trobe applicants to complete and attach a Prerequisite Information Form
• All applicants can complete and submit a Personal Statement.

Inherent requirements

Behavioural and relational skills

Core requirement Students must be able to manage their own responses and behaviour to work effectively in a range of learning environments with diverse people and tasks. This includes the capacity to be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback. Students should also be able to work with others in a team or group environment and make and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals in order to complete tasks or for professional practice. See also Student behaviours policy for more information. Course-specific requirement Dietetics students will work collaboratively with peers in classroom environments, and with a range of stakeholders in professional placement settings. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and those they interact with, there are a number of expectations that must be demonstrated during the course to signal their ability to perform in a workplace setting. Students are expected to seek, respond to and provide effective feedback. They must demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and resilience, and they are expected to accept responsibility for and manage, implement and evaluate their own emotions, personal health and wellbeing. Students must demonstrate professional conduct and accept responsibility for their own actions. They should consistently demonstrate reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors. Students are expected to demonstrate integrity, honesty and fairness, and to use negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

Dietetics students will work collaboratively with peers in classroom environments, and with a range of stakeholders in professional placement settings. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and those they interact with, there are a number of expectations that must be demonstrated during the course to signal their ability to perform in a workplace setting. Students are expected to seek, respond to and provide effective feedback. They must demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and resilience, and they are expected to accept responsibility for and manage, implement and evaluate their own emotions, personal health and wellbeing. Students must demonstrate professional conduct and accept responsibility for their own actions. They should consistently demonstrate reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors. Students are expected to demonstrate integrity, honesty and fairness, and to use negotiation and conflict-resolution skills when required. Students should acknowledge, reflect on and understand their own culture, values, beliefs, attitudes, biases, assumptions, privilege and power and their influence on practice. The must work respectfully with diverse clients in choosing culturally safe and responsive strategies to suit the goals, lived experiences and environment of clients.

https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/maintaining-professional-standards/ncs/

Cognition

Students must be able to locate, acquire, retain and apply knowledge as part of their learning and for assessment. They must have the ability to sustain their attention over a designated period, maintain their focus in a variety of learning environments and remember information long enough to complete tasks in a reasonable and safe timeframe.

Dietitians and dietetics students require focus and sustained attention in all work activities. For example, in an individual case management setting, students will be required to gather information from a range of sources (clients, other health professionals, medical notes, peer-reviewed literature and practice guidelines) to inform their nutrition care plans. This involves application of a range of skills in tasks that are sustained over significant periods of time. To successfully complete their studies and perform as dietitians, students will be required to demonstrate that they can: (1) systematically search for, evaluate, interpret and apply findings from food, nutrition, dietetic, social, behavioural and education sciences into dietetic practice; (2) apply problem-solving skills to create realistic solutions to nutrition problems or issues; (3) collect, analyse and interpret relevant health, medical, cultural, social, psychological, economic, personal, environmental, dietary intake, food systems and sustainability data when assessing nutritional issues of clients; (4) collect, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative research, evaluation and quality management data.

Sensory (visual, auditory, tactile, olfaction)

Students should possess the ability to interact with visual, auditory or tactile inputs sufficiently to manage their learning environment and to meet professional performance needs.

Dietetics students require sufficient visual acuity to assess nutritional status of clients. They require sufficient ability to interact with visual as well as auditory and tactile inputs to identify and assess risks, incidents and errors to maintain personal and client safety. Dietetics students require sufficient auditory ability to engage in effective active listening, interviewing and interpersonal skills. They require sufficient tactile ability and visual acuity to undertake physical patient assessments and to manipulate and assess the sensory characteristics of food.

Strength and mobility

Gross motor skills: Students should possess the strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs. Fine motor skills: Students should possess the manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs.

Dietetics students are required to utilise a range of relevant technology and equipment efficiently, effectively and safely. This includes participating in food preparation activities using manual equipment (eg. knives) as well as large appliances. Students are also required to complete anthropometric measurements using a range of equipment requiring fine motor skills such as calipers and tape measures, and gross motor skills such as stadiometers.

International students:

English language requirements

7.0 IELTS (Academic) with no individual band less than 7.0.

After graduation, you'll be ready to work as a registered dietitian. You could find employment in a growing range of clinical and community settings, including:

• Hospitals
  • Help hospital patients recover from injury or illness.
• Private practice
  • Work in private practice to provide care for a wide range of individuals and help them reach their health goals.
• Research
  • Work in universities and other research organisations to further our understanding of nutrition. Work in the food industry to develop food products.
• Sports associations
  • Provide individual care and support to improve performance and health outcomes.
• Community nutrition
  • Provide nutritional education for general good health and promote nutrition through community-level education.