Dietetics, MSc

We look forward to meeting your during welcome week.

Welcome Week is our opportunity to introduce you to Canterbury Christ Church University and to get you started on your master's journey. It is also a chance for you to ask questions, meet the people you will be learning alongside, and begin to understand what support is available to you. We will be introducing some key individuals and services that will be key your success. It is so important that you attend, as we will use this time to help you settle in and prepare for the start of teaching.

You will also be introduced to your Personal Academic Tutor, who is a named academic from your course. They will be an important point of contact throughout your studies, supporting your academic development, helping you reflect on your progress, and guiding you towards further support when needed.

Your Course

In your first trimester, you will begin to build the foundations for your development as a postgraduate dietetics' student. The modules you will study are:

• Academic and Professional Orientation - Module Lead Rupert Kerrell
• Foundations of Dietetics - Module Lead Alison Knight
• Integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Dietetians - Module Lead Simone Roberts

Teaching across these modules will include a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, practical sessions and directed independent study. Some sessions will focus on developing your academic and professional confidence, while others will introduce you to the scientific, clinical and communication skills needed for dietetic practice. You should expect teaching to take place on campus, with online learning activities used to support and extend your learning.

In the first few weeks of teaching, we will help you settle into the course, understand expectations at postgraduate level, and begin developing the skills you will need for study, assessment and future placement. This will include introducing you to key course systems, assessment expectations, professional standards, and the ways in which you will be supported by the course team.

Blackboard

You will use Blackboard, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, to access module information, teaching resources, announcements, assessment guidance and learning activities. You will be shown how to access and use Blackboard during Welcome Week and in your early teaching sessions.

You may also be introduced to other digital systems as part of your learning, including systems used to support placement preparation, portfolio development, online submission and communication. Please make sure you check your CCCU email and Blackboard regularly, as these will be key sources of course information.

Preparing for your course

Before you begin the course, it would be useful to explore CCCU’s Learning Skills Hub, which provides guidance on academic writing, researching, referencing and study skills. This is particularly helpful as you prepare for postgraduate-level study.

• Getting started with university study, to help you prepare for learning at CCCU.
• Academic writing, to support your transition into postgraduate-level assessment.
• Referencing, particularly Harvard referencing, which you will use throughout the course.
• Reading and note-making, to help you manage independent study effectively.

Before starting the course, we encourage you to begin familiarising yourself with the professional bodies and standards that shape dietetic education and practice.

You may find it useful to look at the British Dietetic Association (BDA), which is the professional body for dietitians in the UK. Student membership is available and is free during the first year of study. We will support you to get signed up once you have joined us.

You should also familiarise yourself with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which regulates dietitians in the UK. The HCPC Standards of Proficiency set out what dietitians must be able to do at the point of registration.

Spend some time refreshing your understanding of human biology, anatomy and basic calculations, as these will support your early learning across the first trimester.

Equipment and course materials

There are some items you will need for the course. Students will be required to purchase a kitchen coat and hat for practical food-based sessions such as this one. You will also need a university-approved calculator for assessments and teaching activities where calculators are permitted.

It would also be useful to have access to weighing scales, particularly as you begin to develop your practical skills in food, nutrition and dietetic assessment. Further guidance about any specific requirements will be provided during Welcome Week and in your module information.

Placement Information

InPlace

Once your first placement has been allocated, you will automatically receive an email with instructions on how to sign in to InPlace and access your placement information.

Occupational Health

Students need to obtain occupational health clearance to ensure they are fit to practice. You will be prompted via your ‘MyRecord’ to complete a clearance check and directed to an online health questionnaire.

Once you have submitted your questionnaire, you are required to attend an occupational health vaccination appointment appropriate to your placement requirements. We use an external company called OH Works for this. Ahead of your appointment, please gather any vaccination documentation (paper or electronic) from your GP or workplace to take to your occupational health appointment.

Your OH vaccination appointment will take place on Thursday 17 September 2026 in RWf07 (Rowan Williams Building, Medway Campus). Please see the below table for the exact time of your appointment:

For enquiries about your occupational health clearance please email cccustudents@ohworks.co.uk or phone 01227 286288.

Uniform 

On placement, you will be required to wear a uniform as part of your Readiness for Practice. Important information regarding your uniform can be found on the uniform policy.

Your uniform is provided to you free of charge and is expected to last you the duration of your course.

You do not need to order your placement uniform before you start your course.

Uniform ordering is staggered by course. This means that students on different courses will be invited to order their uniform at different times. If you hear that students on another course have already been invited, please don't worry – you will be contacted when it is your course's turn.

The Placement Management Team will email you with instructions on how to order your uniform in plenty of time before your first placement.

These instructions will be sent to your CCCU email account. Towards the end of August, once you have been invited to register for your course, we will email you with information on how to set up your CCCU email account.

Please note that you will not be able to order your uniform until you have completed all of your registration tasks.

Placement Badge 

On placement you will be required to wear a placement badge, which will have your course title and preferred first name obtained from your MyRecord account. This placement badge is provided to you free of charge. You will be supplied with your placement badge once you have started your course. Please note, this is not your student ID card. 

• Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) / Department of Health (1991) Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. London: HMSO. 
  A useful reference for understanding UK dietary reference values and the evidence base that underpins nutrition recommendations. This can be found online.
• ​​Hickson, M., Maslin, K., Wedlake, L., Mellor, D. and Brown, A. (eds.) (2025) Manual of Dietetic Practice. 7th edn. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.
  This is the key dietetic practice text and is endorsed by the British Dietetic Association. It is useful across the programme for clinical dietetics, public health, professional practice and evidence-based decision-making.
• ​Mann, J., Truswell, S. and Hodson, L. (eds.) (2023) Essentials of Human Nutrition. 6th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  A useful core text for developing understanding of human nutrition, including energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, nutritional assessment, life stages and applied nutrition. The latest edition was published in 2023.