BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics

Program Overview

This BDA-accredited Nutrition and Dietetics program from Wrexham University equips students with the knowledge and skills to become registered dietitians. Through a blended learning approach, students gain expertise in preventing, diagnosing, and treating nutritional problems in various healthcare settings, preparing them for a rewarding career in nutrition and dietetics. The program includes hands-on practice placements, research opportunities, and access to state-of-the-art facilities, fostering practical skills and professional development.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This is a new and exciting 3-year full-time program accredited by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) focused on equipping students with the knowledge and skills to become registered dietitians. The program aims to provide students with the following:

• Develop knowledge and expertise by working with a diverse population across a range of settings.
• Learn how to prevent, diagnose and treat nutritional problems.
• Work with people, organizations, and communities across North Wales to identify and resolve nutritional problems.
• Promote, maintain, and restore health and wellbeing.
• Assess and manage people with various health conditions, learning needs, and communication styles.

Outline:

Year 1 (Level 4):

• Focus: Provides a grounding in the basic assessment of a patient across core areas where dietitians work.
• Modules:
• Professional Practice:
This inter-professional education (IPE) module introduces the core professional values, behaviors, and standards of practice required by professional bodies.
• Introduction to Nutrition: Key concepts related to the role of nutrition in human health and performance are introduced.
• Human Anatomy and Physiology: Develops understanding of the anatomy and physiology of complex systems within the body, including function and performance at rest and during exercise, and clinical implications of disease states.
• Introduction to Dietetic Practice: Foundations for dietetic assessment are laid, introducing students to the British Dietetic Association’s Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process (NDCP).
• Introduction to Genetics, Immunology and Biochemistry: This IPE module familiarizes students with cellular components, biochemistry, and metabolic pathways.
• Food Science: Develops knowledge and practical skills in food science and technology, including a FAA Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (QCF).
• Placement 1: This introductory practice placement (100 hours) develops applied skills in various areas of nutrition and dietetic practice, including a blend of simulated activities and real-world experiential learning.

Year 2 (Level 5):

• Focus: Builds upon knowledge and understanding from Year 1, moving towards management in core areas of nutrition and dietetics, including complex conditions, research, and evidence-based practice.
• Modules:
• Developing Dietetic Practice:
This module builds on the key skills introduced in Year 1, focusing on their application to a broader range of clinical conditions and complex areas of dietetic practice.
• Blood Science: Develops an understanding of transfusion science and various clinical hematological and biochemical (blood sciences) disorders, and provides in-depth knowledge of the laboratory investigations performed in the diagnosis and management of such diseases.
• Population and Public Health Nutrition: Critically analyzes the role of nutrition in population and public health policy.
• Research Methods: Equips students with essential skills to source and critically analyze relevant research, developing an understanding of the audit and research cycle.
• Metabolism: Builds on the principles introduced in Year 1, developing critical awareness of metabolic regulation at the cellular level, and in health and disease.
• Placement 2: This practice placement (400 hours) is spent in a clinical setting, supported by registered dietitians and consists of two separate parts: the first part (80 hours) scheduled for the beginning of the academic year and the second part (320 hours) occurring later in the academic year.
Additional clinical simulation activities are delivered on campus throughout the academic year.

Year 3 (Level 6):

• Focus: Culminates in a dissertation research project alongside applying higher-level knowledge and skills in a final clinical placement.
• Modules:
• Advanced Dietetic Practice:
Builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in the previous years, applying them to a full range of clinical conditions.
• Clinical Medicine: Brings together the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry gained earlier in the program and develops a thorough grounding in the core aspects of clinical medicine.
• Clinical Research Project: Provides the opportunity to engage in primary research in a topic relevant to the profession of nutrition and dietetics, applying key research skills from Year 2.
• Placement 3: Consolidates learning and development in a clinical setting, with support and guidance from registered dietitians, reaching a point of proficiency required for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Written academic work
• Exams
• Verbal presentations
• Practical objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)
• Placement pass/fail

Teaching:

• Approach: The program utilizes a blended learning approach, combining both face-to-face and online delivery as part of the University’s Active Learning Framework (ALF).
• Delivery: The main delivery site for academic teaching and learning is the Wrexham campus, with occasional inter-professional education (IPE) sessions delivered from the St Asaph campus.
Practice placements are available at sites across North Wales.
• Faculty: Students are taught by skilled staff who are registered Dietitians with specialist clinical interests.

Careers:

• Outcomes: Successful completion of the program makes students eligible to apply for initial registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and full membership with the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
• Opportunities: Graduates are eligible to practice as dietitians in a variety of settings, including:
• Hospitals
• Community health services
• Schools
• Private practice
• Research
• Public health
• Support: The Careers and Employability service is available to help students make decisions and plan their career paths.
Students receiving the HEIW NHS Bursary are required to work in Wales for the first two years of their career as a registered Dietitian. Support to identify a suitable role within the NHS upon completion of the course is provided.

Other:

• Accreditation: The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
• Additional Certification: Students receive a FAA Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (QCF) as part of their studies.
• Facilities: Access to state-of-the-art clinical and food science laboratory facilities and a kitchen at the Wrexham campus and other partner locations across the region.
• Inter-professional Learning: Joint teaching sessions with other Allied Health Profession (AHP) students are included.
• Skills Development: Students develop excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• BASES Accreditation: The program is delivered in a British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accredited laboratory.
• International Entry Requirements: International students must demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (no element below 6.5).