Dietetics and Leadership MSc

Study level: Postgraduate
lecturer showing students a food chart

Qualify as a dietitian in just two years with this innovative blended learning degree leading to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

SHCT004

Start date

January 2026

At Coventry University, we continuously review the courses we offer to ensure we reflect industry-relevant emerging best practice and technology. As a result, this course is undergoing continuous improvement assessment and will be launched with a renewed curriculum starting in September 2025. Module content and titles will be updated. Course title, learning outcomes and assessments may also change. We expect our new curriculum to be fully updated by January 2025. Please return to this page to see the final course details.


Course overview

Blended learning allows you to access study materials and attend online classes from home or from the workplace. You will be required to come to Coventry University campus on some occasions throughout the course in order to use our simulation and teaching facilities4.

  • Put theory into practice with full-time practice-based placements2 as well as simulation and scenario-based learning to create an interactive and inspirational learning experience.
  • All eligible students on this course may qualify for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs6.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

  • The course is delivered using an enquiry-based learning approach which allows you to develop an ethical, flexible and creative approach to problem-solving in dietetics. At the same time you will aim to develop a wide range of leadership and academic skills to meet the expanding role and diverse career pathways of dietitians within the contemporary healthcare setting.
  • Simulation allows the practical development of core knowledge, skills and behaviours. This provides you with an authentic learning experience using specialist resources including our hospital wards and therapy suites in a safe and supportive environment. 
  • Leadership skills are embedded throughout the course, enabling you to inspire and guide others towards building and achieving a shared vision. This vision aims to help address a range of diet-related conditions and optimise service users’ health and wellbeing through diet and lifestyle change.
  • Develop culinary skills at our campus-based kitchens and apply theory of dietary recommendations to practice through menu planning, recipe adaptation, and an exploration of cultural and therapeutic foods.
  • Additional qualifications in food hygiene (Level 2 food safety certificate accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) and leadership (Level 7 certificate in strategic management and leadership practice awarded by the Chartered Management Institute) are included in the course at no extra cost.

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

Health and Care Professions Council logo

Health and Care Professions Council

This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council for the 2023/24 intake.


British Dietetic Association logo

British Dietetic Association (BDA)

This course is accredited by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) for the 2023/24 intake.



What you'll study

You will gain a thorough understanding of the scientific knowledge relating to nutrition, food, and diet therapy which underpins the management of health, wellness, wellbeing, and disease. You will examine the approaches that have positive effects on behaviour and enable people to improve their health through diet and lifestyle. You will undertake placements2,5 in a range of settings where dietitians work, including clinical and, where available, non-clinical settings such as the public health sector. This is an approach which the British Dietetic Association recognises is valuable to the profession.

You must pass all modules accumulating 180 credits to be awarded the MSc in Dietetics and Leadership and to be eligible to apply for HCPC registration.

During the first year of the course, you will study the fundamentals of dietetics giving you a firm foundation of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours relevant to the profession which will be developed further in year two. You will use simulation activities and our innovative virtual placement to help prepare you for and undertake practice-based placements2,5. These practice-based placements are mandatory and all practice-based placement capabilities must be passed in order to be eligible to apply to register as a dietitian with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Modules

Modules

All placement modules must be passed in order to be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The course will be delivered utilising a blended learning approach which gives you the flexibility to access learning at home or at the workplace, as well as being able to take advantage of the simulation and teaching facilities that Coventry University has to offer.

You will learn though a combination of online lessons, discussions and simulation activity and some on-campus teaching at Coventry University for practical sessions.

You will be part of a supportive community of staff and fellow students who interact extensively to ensure you develop the communication and collaboration skills required in the profession.

You will be able to use our campus-based kitchens to apply the theory of dietary recommendations and dietary modification to practice.


Teaching contact hours

The amount of time you will spend learning will differ in each semester. You will mostly learn online with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching but will be required to come to Coventry University campus at times during the course. In year one you will typically have around 12 hours contact time per week, which will decrease in year two as you become a more autonomous learner. Practice-based placements are full-time and will normally be Monday to Friday lasting approximately 35 hours per week2,5.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

The assessments are designed to reflect the work you will undertake as a dietitian, so in addition to academic assignments you will also undertake presentations, develop menus and be assessed on your practical dietetic skills.

In practice, dietitians are required to demonstrate a high level of clinical reasoning, communication, service development and leadership skills. They are also required to articulate these decisions in a variety of formats such as written reports, presentations, and digital media. The assessment strategy is therefore designed to reflect these demands.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

You may have the opportunity to take part in Collaborative Online International Learning activities where you will work with students from other universities to collectively explore and evaluate nutrition and dietetic-related problems2. You may be able to explore and discuss how students in other countries approach issues differently, and perhaps be able to apply some of these techniques to your own practice. You may be able to examine cuisines, lifestyles, values, and behaviours from different cultures as part of the course to enrich your critical and evaluative dietetic reasoning and skills as well as to enhance your critical understanding of dietetic practice.

This innovative course has been designed to help learners achieve their aspirations of becoming a dietitian and to deal with the dynamic demands within the profession. This course has been structured around an enquiry-based learning approach to allow for an authentic learning experience and to ensure leadership skills and qualities are embedded throughout. During the course, critical thinking and reflection are encouraged in order to develop not only your dietetic practice as an autonomous healthcare practitioner but also the wider profession and to consider the role of leadership and professionalism within dietetics.

Robert Davies (interim Course Director) 2021
lecturer showing students a food chart in front of plates of fruit and vegetables

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold an honours degree (2:2 or above) in a health or science-related subject. You should also have GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C or above (or the equivalent).

Applications from candidates with relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis. Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the Course Director.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications; speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees -£9,250 per year
Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.


Facilities

You will have access to a range of facilities4 including campus-based kitchens and the healthcare simulation building.

SuperLab

Alison Gingell Building

Our state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building features mock hospital wards built to NHS standards, an operating theatre, critical care settings and other real-life nursing environments.

community houses

Community houses

Learn how to work with patients outside of a hospital setting in our simulated, two full-size community homes, specifically built for teaching.


specialist equipment

Specialist equipment

Specialist industry-standard facilities include analytical equipment such as Gas Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography machines. You will also have access to facilities for texture profile analysis of food and drink.


Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of this course you will meet the requirements to apply to the HCPC for registration as a dietitian and apply for roles working in the profession in a variety of settings including the health service.

Once registered with the HCPC, you will be well prepared to apply for roles as a dietitian either within the health service or privately. You could also consider working in industry or in media.


How to apply

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