MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics

• Learn from clinical dietetics experts at leading children’s hospitals across the UK, including Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital London, Manchester Children’s Hospital and Royal Hospital for Sick Children Glasgow.
• Choose to study one-year full time or balance work and caring commitments by studying part-time over a maximum of five years. 
  
• Take advantage of the flexibility our programme offers: the BDA pathway specific modules are taught over four days of intensive teaching; some University of Plymouth modules are taught by distance learning and some by short intensive study blocks.
  
• Become an evidence-based practitioner, equipped to manage and lead in busy and constantly changing settings.
  
• Study core research modules in an inter-professional setting with support from experienced enthusiastic staff who will encourage your personal development.
  
• Find out more details in our programme brochure.
  

• Programme overview
• Increase your skills in reflection, analysis and critical debate, as well as developing your knowledge base to match pace with current developments. With our emphasis on self-directed learning, you’ll be expected to read around the subject and actively engage in discussion during taught components and online forums when modules are taught via distance learning. You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures followed by small group work, and tutorials to support your development. You will benefit from assessment by written coursework with no written exams. Our teaching is underpinned by current research, giving you the opportunity to work closely with experienced staff on your own research project. The quality of our programme is important to us, so we’ll encourage you to engage in feedback, staff-student liaison and to join in with the wider life of the school. 
  
  We offer three award pathways to suit your professional and personal requirements:
  

  • Postgraduate certificate – to achieve a postgraduate certificate, you will need to earn 60 credits. This must include the core module Applying Evidence to Practice (20 credits) with the remaining 40 credits coming from two pathway specific modules of your choice.
    
  • Postgraduate diploma – to achieve a postgraduate diploma, you will need to earn 120 credits. This must include the core modules Applying Evidence to Practice (20 credits) and Project Design for Research (20 credits). The remaining 80 credits will come from three pathway specific modules and one optional module of your own choice.
    
  • Master of Science – for a full masters degree, you will need to earn a total of 180 credits. You will study the same core and pathway specific modules as the postgraduate diploma, with the final 60 credits coming from the Research dissertation module.
    

  Note: Core module, ADV702 – Applying evidence to practice, can be taken as a taught module or via distance learning. Please visit the module webpage for further information.
  
  The optional modules listed below are all pathway specific for this programme. For further information on the all of the modules that make up this programme please visit MSc Advanced Professional Practice module information.

  Core modules

  • ADV702 Applying Evidence to Practice

    Focusing on the application of evidence based practice (EBP) to professional practice; you’ll learn how to use research to guide best practice. You will also identify a question relevant to your area of practice, review and critique the literature in this area, and plan and evaluate any necessary change to professional practice.

  • ADV715 Project Design for Research

    You’ll explore methodology and methods relevant to the development of a research project and by the end of the module you’ll formulate a research proposal. You’ll learn how to define and refine a research question, select and appraise methodology, address ethical considerations, and select and appraise data collection and analysis techniques.

  • ADV716 Research Dissertation

    You’ll complete your dissertation as part of your Advanced Professional Practice Masters programme under supervision from the module team and a named dissertation supervisor.

  Optional modules

  • ADV720 Dietetic Management of Inherited Metabolic Disorders (IMD)

    You will look at the biochemical, pathophysiological and genetic basis of IMD. You’ll critically appraise the complex dietary therapies needed to correct metabolic derangements to ensure long-term safety, optimal growth, neurodevelopment and psychosocial stability of infants, children, adolescents, and individuals approaching adulthood who are starting their own families.

  • ADV741 Nutrition and Dietetics in Infancy and Childhood

    This module promotes understanding of advice given to families, health professionals and policy groups on normal nutrition and feeding during infancy and childhood. It critiques evidence for health promotion strategies, initiated to enhance health outcomes and minimise disease risk.

  • ADV742 Nutrition and Dietetics in Common Paediatric Disorders

    This module will critically examine the aetiology, nutritional and dietetic management of paediatric diabetes, cystic fibrosis, faltering growth, cancer, allergy and gastrointestinal problems. It explores their impact on feeding problems and the complexity of managing paediatric disorders to ensure normal growth and development.

  • ADV743 Clinical Dietetics for Infants and Children

    This module explores the nutritional and dietetic interventions essential for normal growth and development in chronic and acute paediatric illness. Nutritional management of organ system diseases, epilepsy, neonatal surgery, burns and trauma will be considered. The use of all forms of nutrition support in disease management will be critically examined.

  • ADV744 Neonatal Nutrition

    This module explores the nutritional and dietetic management of preterm and sick term infants in the neonatal period and beyond in order to optimise growth and development and minimise post-natal growth restriction. It includes the management of complex neonatal nutritional problems such as necrotising enterocolitis and practical issues such as breastfeeding and human milk banking.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics Pathway Specification 4470

• You will normally have a relevant first class or 2:2 honours degree, or a European first cycle equivalent in dietetics. 
• You should have experience of professional practice in paediatric dietetics.
• Note that successful completion of this pathway does not lead to eligibility to apply for registration as a dietician with the Health and Social Care Professions Council.
• Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from non-EU overseas students for this programme as it does not comply with the current Tier 4 visa requirements.
  

You must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice -  IELTS requirement is 6.5 average with a minimum of 5.5 in each category. If you need to improve your English language to get onto a degree programme at the University of Plymouth, you can book a pre-sessional academic English course.

You will be assessed individually for your ability to study at this level and therefore an interview may be necessary. You will normally be required to submit a short piece of writing as part of the admissions process.

AP(E)L:
Claims for credit for prior learning, whether certificated or experiential are accepted and will be assessed following university regulations and faculty procedures.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS):
This programme is equivalent to 90 ECTS credits (second cycle) with 30 ECTS credits at postgraduate certificate, 60 credits at postgraduate diploma and 90 credits at masters degree. Each 20 credit module has the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits and assumes a notional student effort of between 200-300 hours.

Successful completion of this pathway does not lead to eligibility to apply for registration as a dietician with the Health and Social Care Professions Council.

When to apply

Applications for this programme can usually be made throughout the year. Please check the closing date and apply as early as possible as our programmes are popular.

Apply for this programme

Applications should be made by using the relevant PDF or Word application form.

Postgraduate application form DOC  – A DOC application form for postgraduate students to print, fill in and mail to the University

Postgraduate application form PDF  – A PDF application form for postgraduate students to print, fill in and mail to the University

Printed application forms are also available and can be obtained from the Professional Development Unit. Please send your completed application form to the address or email listed below:

Professional Development Unit
4th floor, Rolle Building
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA

Email: pduadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Tel: +44 1752 586951

What happens after I apply?

You will normally receive a decision on your application within four weeks of us receiving your application. You may be asked to provide additional information, to take part in an interview or you will be sent a decision by letter or email.

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by the University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services website.

Please note that when you enrol on this programme, you always enrol to study the master degree but we offer three exit awards: PgCert, PgDip and MSc.