Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours)
The perfect degree for anyone wanting to improve lives through food. A hands-on degree teaching the science behind food and the way human bodies use it. Learn public health nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service systems, and gain qualifications to work as an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
In this program you will:
- Learn from experienced Accredited Practising Dietitians with expertise in public health, sports nutrition and more
- Work with real clients to provide nutrition assessments and advice
- Get hands-on experience in UniSC’s specialised teaching kitchen
- Develop your clinical, interpersonal and professional skills, including the skills you need to work in hospitals, private practice or as a self-employed practitioner
Location
Entry threshold
ATAR/RankDuration
Full-time or equivalent part-time Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.Indicative fees
Indicative 2025 fees (A$)
CSPQTAC code
Start
- Semester 1
Career opportunities
- Clinical dietitian
- Community nutrition
- Food service management
- Nutrition consultancy
- Private practice
- Public health nutrition
- Research and education
- Sports nutrition
Memberships
Graduates may be eligible to become members of:
- Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) program
- Start
-
- Semester 1
- Delivery mode
-
- Blended Learning
- Total courses
- 33
- Total units
- 384
- Duration
- 4 years 4 years
- UniSC program code
- SC406
Introductory courses (8) 96 units
LFS103 Introductory Bioscience
LFS112 Human Physiology
NUT102 Food in Society
NUT110 Introduction to Dietetics
PUB112 Public Health Foundations
SCI105 Introductory Chemistry
SCI110 Science Research Methods
PLUS select 1 course from:
HLT140 Think Health
SCS130 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
SPX101 Introduction to Sport and Exercise Science
SUS101 Foundations of Sustainability - Investigating Planetary Health
Developing courses (8) 96 units
BIM202 Medical Genetics
LFS203 Integrated Physiology
LFS251 Biochemistry
NUT201 Food Studies
NUT202 Nutrition Assessment
NUT205 Public Health Nutrition
NUT212 Principles of Nutrition
NUT232 Nutritional Biochemistry
Graduate courses (9) 96 units
LFS303 Pathophysiology
NUT301 Advanced Public Health Nutrition
NUT302 Medical Nutrition Therapy 2
NUT306 Nutrition Communication(6 units)
NUT309 Sport and Exercise Nutrition(6 units)
NUT312 Food Service Systems
NUT333 Health Research Design
NUT351 Medical Nutrition Therapy 1
NUT361 Counselling and Communication Skills for Dietetics
PLUS one (1) of the following pathways:
Project Pathway courses (4) 96 units
NUT401 Nutrition and Dietetics Research and Evaluation(24 units)
NUT402 Nutrition and Dietetics Placement 1(24 units)
NUT406 Nutrition and Dietetics Placement 2(24 units)
NUT407 Dietetics Professional Practice(24 units)
Research Pathway courses (4) 96 units
NUT402 Nutrition and Dietetics Placement 1(24 units)
NUT406 Nutrition and Dietetics Placement 2(24 units)
NUT407 Dietetics Professional Practice(24 units)
NUT410 Nutrition and Dietetics Thesis(24 units)
Honours Classification calculation.
Students in the project pathway will not be awarded a specific classification.
Students in the research pathway will be awarded one of the following three classes: Honours Class I, IIA or IIB. Students receiving an overall percentage of less than 59.5% who meet all the requirements of the degree will be awarded the Honours degree but without an Honours classification. If the student achieves an average mark to meet a particular class of honours but the thesis mark is less than required for that class, the mark for the thesis will determine the class of honours.
The determination of the class of honours received is based on the following requirements: Overall grade based on performance in the following courses comprising NUT402(24 units), NUT406(24 units), NUT407(24 units), NUT410(24 units)] follows;
- Class I: overall grade in the range 80% - 100%
- Class IIA: overall grade in the range 70% - 79%
- Class IIB: overall grade in the range 60% - 69%
Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all UniSC courses are available on every UniSC campus.
In order to graduate you must:
- Successfully complete 384 units as outlined in the Program Structure
-
The program provides two pathways towards an Honours-level qualification. Students embark on differentiated pathways in the third and fourth years of the program. One pathway is a research pathway, which focuses on learning the basic research skills required to perform a research project of publishable standard in a scientific journal. This is an important competency if you wish to pursue a career in academia and is attractive to large tertiary and research-intensive hospitals. This pathway is via competitive entry (based on grade point average from the first two and a half years of the program and a competitive selection process) and only open to students with a grade of DN or greater for the course NUT333 and a grade point average greater than 5.5 (GPA cut-offs will be determined on a yearly basis depending on number and quality of applicants and places available). The number of research pathway places will be dependent on the number of permanent Nutrition and Dietetics Discipline staff. Students must maintain a GPA of greater than 5.5 to remain in the research pathway.
All other students will complete the project pathway, which focuses on the application of research knowledge through activities completed during a research placement.
In order to commence clinical placement you must:
- Hold a valid Blue Card from the Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA), throughout the duration of your program. You should allow 12 weeks for PSBA to issue the card. Note students who do not possess a valid Blue Card will be unable to complete the clinical practice component of their program and will be unable to meet graduation requirements
- Have a National Criminal History check (by Queensland Police Service or other state/territory authority)
- Show evidence of vaccination for the vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) of: Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chickenpox), Pertussis (Whooping Cough)(please note: this is included in the DTPA - Diptheria, Tetanus and Whooping Cough - combined vaccination).
- Complete an orientation package, (a Queensland Health [QH] requirement) before undertaking any placement which involves QH. The package can be completed online
Program notes
- For Sippy Downs students some courses in this program will be taught at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute
- Preparing for study at SCHI
- Cross-institutional study is not permitted for the Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours)
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses) and following the recommended study sequence
- Students wishing to study less than 4 courses per semester should contact the Program coordinator
- NUT402, NUT404 and NUT406MUST be completed over a minimum of 100 days of full time placement. The semester of enrolment in NUT406 and NUT401 will be determined by the Academic staff.
- The unit value of all courses is 12 units unless otherwise specified
- It is each students responsibility to enrol correctly according to your course requisites, program rules and requirements and be aware of the academic calendar dates
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods
- Not available to international students on a Student Visa
- Refer to the Managing your progression page for help in understanding your program structure, reviewing your progress and planning remaining courses.
This study sequence reflects the current program structure. Continuing students must follow their commencing structure, which can be found in the previous student handbooks.
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| Applicant background | No. of students | % of all students |
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Notes
<5 - the number of students is less than 5
N/A - Students not accepted in this category
N/P - Not published: the number is hidden to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than five students.
Adjusted ATARs are a calculation of a student's ATAR + eligible adjustment factors and are used to determine admission. The raw ATAR is the student's rank before any adjustments are applied.
Minimum entry threshold
Applicants must meet the minimum ATAR/Rank.
| Location | ATAR/Rank |
|---|---|
| Sunshine Coast | 70.00 |
Post admission requirements
Before undertaking Work Integrated Learning placement, you must obtain a Blue card, complete a National Criminal History check and a QLD Health orientation package. You may also be required to complete first aid and CPR training. You must must also provide evidence of Hepatitis B immunisation, and evidence of vaccination for the diseases measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and pertussis — refer to Program Requirements.
You will be required to undertake some placements outside the Sunshine Coast region in metropolitan and regional/rural centres. Expenses for these and other placement requirements are to be incurred by you, the student. Placements in fourth year are undertaken on a full-time basis.
Refer to the Dietetics - Placement page for further information.
- Recommended prior study
- English, Math Methods or Specialist Maths, at least one science subject
Prospective students must consider the Inherent Academic Requirements before applying to study this program.
Refer to Bachelor of Dietetics - Inherent Academic Requirements
UniSC strongly supports the rights of all people to pursue studies. The University embraces diversity and endeavours to accommodate all students.
What are Inherent Academic Requirements (IARs)?
The IARs of a program are those fundamental skills, capabilities and knowledge that students must be able to demonstrate in order to achieve the essential learning outcomes of the program, while maintaining the academic integrity of that program.
Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.
UniSC is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, placement and other activities to enable students to participate in their program.
Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the IAR.
Consideration is given to a student's cultural and religious background/beliefs, which may impact on participation in their program or course. For further information contact Student Support.
Why are Inherent Academic Requirements (IARs) important?
IARs ensure the academic integrity of a program is maintained and preserves the University's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. They must be met by all students.
How does this affect you?
To successfully complete a program at UniSC, you need to be able to meet all the Inherent Academic Requirements.
If you are applying for a program, you should read the IAR statement carefully to ensure you are able to meet them.
If you have a disability or chronic health condition, contact a UniSC Disability Advisor to talk about the adjustments that may be put in place so you can meet the requirements.
Headstart Program - Years 10 to 12
The Headstart program lets you study uni subjects while you’re still in high school. If you successfully complete two Headstart courses, you’ll get a selection rank that you could use to get into uni.
Prior study or work experience
If you:
- have completed Year 12 (no matter how long ago)
- have a TAFE/VET qualification
- have relevant work experience, or
- have studied at university before (even if you didn’t complete your studies)
You may be eligible for a selection rank, which can help you get into uni. For more detailed information selection ranks and how applications are assessed, visit Admissions explained.
Tertiary Preparation Pathway
If you don’t have qualifications or experience that will give you a selection rank, you can complete the Tertiary Preparation Pathway as a stepping stone into most degrees. You can also use TPP to complete subject prerequisites.
If you haven’t studied in a while, TPP is also a great way to brush up on essential study skills like critical reading, assignment writing and referencing.
It can also build your knowledge and confidence in the subject areas you’ll need for your degree, like science or maths. TPP courses are fee-free for eligible domestic students.
Indigenous Direct Entry and Access Scheme (IDEAS)
You may be eligible for direct entry into a UniSC degree based on your potential to succeed, under UniSC’s Indigenous Direct Entry and Access Scheme (IDEAS). All you have to do is complete an online application through our website.
High-school leavers completing year 12 are not eligible, and must apply through QTAC.
- CSP estimate
- A$10,272 - 2025 Fees
Commonwealth supported places
Commonwealth supported places are substantially subsidised by the Australian Government so that students only pay 'student contribution" amounts. The student contribution amount will vary depending on the course you are studying and how much funding the Government provides.
If you accept a Commonwealth supported place you are a Commonwealth supported student. As a Commonwealth supported student you must make a contribution towards the cost of your education (unless you are enrolled in Enabling or Tertiary Preparation Pathway courses) with the majority of the cost met by the Commonwealth Government.
Commonwealth supported places are only available to domestic students. As a domestic student you are entitled to a Commonwealth supported place in an eligible program if you:
- meet the citizenship and residency requirements
- complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF)
- meet the University's entry requirements for your chosen program.
Domestic applicants apply for admission through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Some applicants may be eligible to apply direct to UniSC if they meet certain criteria.
Find out about how to apply and key application closing dates.
QTAC code
| Location | QTAC code |
|---|---|
| Sunshine Coast | 013123 |
Student story
“I loved my placement year the most. I already had a background in Molecular Biology and Medical Sciences, and the lecturers and coordinators were really supportive to find me placements that helped me transfer my PhD skills.
Need advice on what to study or how to apply?
Our Student Central team can help.
Call us +61 7 5430 2890
Email us information@usc.edu.au
For locations and opening hours, visit Student Central.