Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Nutrition
Validated by University of Buckingham
This newly launched Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Nutrition is designed for healthcare professionals who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how nutrition can affect medical conditions and lifestyles in varying population groups, and to gain a better insight into the various presentations related to nutrition that they could encounter.
With a completion time of just six months, you can now upskill in this crucial field faster than ever before, and you'll be better equipped to offer accurate diagnoses and choose appropriate treatment plans.
Next intake: March 2025Key Facts
Successful completion of our online clinical nutrition course will add value to your CV and will enable you to rise to the challenges of delivering high-quality care to their patients within a complex primary and secondary care environment.
Unlike competitors who emphasise theoretical learning through extensive reading and essay writing, our PGCert in Clinical Nutrition focuses on practical, clinically-rich scenarios. We offer a multidisciplinary approach, enabling students to apply their knowledge in real-life situations alongside their day jobs.
This Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Nutrition aims to:
- Equip the individual with a critical and systematic knowledge of clinical nutrition, skills in critical appraisal and application of knowledge for direct patient benefit/service development and future study.
- Equip students with life-long learning and advanced problem-solving skills that they can apply to (clinical) practice in a range of settings.
- Enable graduates to critically evaluate practice in clinical nutrition in relation to the evidence base.
Faculty
Dr. Paula Ravasco, MD, RD, MSc, PhD
Dr. Paula Ravasco is a renowned Medical Doctor specialising in Immunohaematology and Clinical Nutrition. She holds a PhD in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism and is recognised for her expertise in...
Validating partner
University of Buckingham
The University of Buckingham is the only independent university in the UK with a Royal Charter, and also one of the smallest with around 2,700 students, who study for honours degrees in two intensive years of study. The University houses its own medical school and was ranked first for student satisfaction in 2018, 2019 and 2020 by the Complete University Guide.
Next intake: March 2025 Key Facts
Dr. Paula Ravasco, MD, RD, MSc, PhD
Dr. Paula Ravasco is a renowned Medical Doctor specialising in Immunohaematology and Clinical Nutrition. She holds a PhD in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism and is recognised for her expertise in Clinical Nutrition by both the Ordem dos Médicos and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). Dr. Ravasco also possesses certification in Clinical Research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon.
Currently, Dr. Ravasco is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FM-UCP), where she spearheads scientific research in diet therapy and physiological biochemistry. She is also a member of the Scientific Council and co-coordinates the Master's Programme in Science and Biomedicine. Additionally, she directs the International Postgraduate Programme "Nutrition and Metabolism in Cancer."
Dr. Ravasco is the Team Leader and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health at UCP & CatolicaMed Platform. She also holds positions as an Associate Professor of Physiological Biochemistry at the Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz (IUEM) and of Diet Therapy at Instituto Universitário Atlântica (UATLA).
She is a distinguished member of the ESPEN Faculty and serves on its Guidelines Committee. Dr. Ravasco is also the Associate Editor for Clinical Nutrition and Specialty Chief Editor for Clinical Nutrition at Frontiers in Nutrition. She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles and actively participates in various scientific councils for conferences and postgraduate courses.
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Why Study a Clinical Nutrition Postgraduate Certificate with Learna
We have over 10 years’ experience delivering online courses, giving you access to flexible, affordable distance learning in partnership with world-leading educators.
100% Flexible
Our courses are 100% online. No fixed study times mean you can log in and learn whenever and wherever.
Multidisciplinary - study in a group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
Expert Led
All of our programmes are authored and developed by world leading experts in their field.
Our faculty are selected due to their subject expertise, experience and teaching abilities to ensure the highest standards of educational excellence.
Career Boosting
Get a University Validated postgraduate qualification in just 1 calendar year instead of 2 academic years.
40% of our alumni reported an increase in salary 2 years after studying with us.
Who is this course for?
This programme is directed to Dietitians, Medical doctors, Nurse practitioners and physician associates, Pharmacists, Speech and language therapists, Occupational therapists, Physiotherapists.
How Will I Learn?
You'll learn through our flexible, interactive online platform, which allows you to engage with clinical cases, complete assignments, and collaborate with fellow students at times that suit your schedule. There's no fixed timetable—simply log in daily to participate in the week's activities.
Learn through engaging discussion
Our teaching approach is highly interactive, using small groups of 10-20 students to foster a collaborative environment where you can engage in thoughtful discussions and receive guidance from your tutor. You'll have access to learning resources and discussion forums that encourage ongoing interaction and deeper engagement with the material.
Throughout your studies, you'll receive support from a dedicated expert tutor and our Student Support Team, ensuring you have the resources needed to navigate the course successfully.
Curriculum
Our online Clinical Nutrition Postgraduate Certificate allows you to study for just six months and is a part-time, distance-learning course. The course is worth 60 credits and comprises three modules of 20 credits, each running over a period of six weeks.The module provides a systematic understanding and specialist theoretical and methodological approaches of the fundamentals of nutrition in adult medicine, covering the physiology and pathophysiology of diet, metabolism, appetite and food science, including macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) and their metabolic roles.
Indicative content:
- Food science, including Foods, nutrients, metabolism, diet and appetite
- Macronutrients
- Micronutrients
- Physiological functions
- Biochemical mechanisms
- Diets
Learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the fundamentals of nutrition in health.
- Critically evaluate current research and guidelines relating to dietary patterns and nutrient intake in adults, in a range of settings.
- Apply an advanced knowledge and understanding of the dietary variety, nutritional intake patterns, functions of nutrients, absorption and metabolisation.
This module will equip students with the knowledge and skills to conduct integrated nutritional assessments, calculate individual energy and nutrient requirements, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing nutritional concerns, whilst providing in-depth knowledge of body composition in healthy individuals, assessment methods, and factors influencing nutritional status.
Indicative Content:
- Nutritional risk, nutritional status and body composition changes (changes throughout the life cycle)
- Methods for assessing nutritional risk and nutritional status body composition (practical and research applicability)
- Dietary intake questionnaires to assess current and previous dietary patterns. Nutritional history
- Previous intake of food and nutrients (consumption of supplements and drugs)
- Biochemical analysis
- Social and individual aspects relevant to access and intake of food (isolation, housing conditions, economic factors, functional disabilities)
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the physiological changes in body composition across various life stages and the implications for overall health, integrating knowledge of metabolic processes, hormonal influences, and nutritional requirements.
- Critically evaluate and apply advanced methodologies for assessing body composition in clinical and research contexts, synthesising information from multiple sources to interpret anthropometric data, bioimpedance measurements, and imaging techniques accurately.
- Synthesise the evidence and critically interpret this into the delivery of processes to conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments, including obtaining dietary history, analysing nutrient intake data, and interpreting weight variations over time, to make informed recommendations for dietary interventions and personalised health strategies.
The overall aim of this module is to equip postgraduate healthcare professionals with advanced knowledge, analytical skills, and practical expertise in utilising clinical nutrition as an integral component of preventative care strategies for promoting optimal health and mitigating chronic disease risk across diverse patient populations.
Indicative Content
- Importance of nutrition in disease prevention
- Obesity and chronic disease prevention
- Cardiovascular disease prevention
- Bone and joint health, neurological health
- Gut health and immune function
- Cancer prevention
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the role of specific dietary patterns, functional foods, and nutraceuticals in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity-related conditions.
- Critically analyse current research findings and evidence-based guidelines to formulate comprehensive nutritional strategies for the prevention and management of various health conditions in diverse patient populations.
- Devise and justify personalised nutrition care plans for patients, incorporating appropriate dietary modifications, lifestyle recommendations, and patient education strategies for effective preventative care.
Assessment Methods
This programme emphasises learning through active participation in case-based discussions, reflection, and real-life scenarios. Students engage with clinical cases that mirror everyday practice, fostering problem-solving and evidence-based application from the very beginning.
Across the modules, assessments are integrated with learning. Each week, you will work through two to three clinical cases, discussing and reflecting on them with peers under the guidance of an expert tutor. These discussions form the core of your learning and are also the basis for your assessments.
Our innovative teaching methods are designed to help you translate this learning into real-world clinical practice. You'll need to regularly log in to participate in discussions, ideally on a daily basis, and commit approximately two hours per day to your studies. Our dedicated Student Support Team is available to assist with any challenges you may encounter, from navigating our online platform to managing deadlines.
How Foundational Knowledge is Developed
The programme is structured so that foundational knowledge is introduced through carefully designed clinical cases. Each case is crafted to highlight essential concepts and progressively deepen your understanding as you apply critical thinking and evidence-based analysis. This hands-on approach ensures that you are not only acquiring theoretical knowledge but also learning how to apply it in a practical, clinical setting.
This programme is suited for professionals who thrive in an online, discussion-based learning environment. Please note that this course focuses on interactive, applied learning through peer collaboration and case discussions. You will be fully supported, encouraged and led through the programme to success and graduation!
The online reflective journal is a learning portfolio that requires the students to record and critically reflect on their learning. Reflection is an important aspect of the programme as the professionals will be able to spend time considering how their practice compares to the themes being discussed in the module. The tutor provides regular feedback to the student and marks it at the end of the module.
Reflective practice is a requirement for healthcare professionals for both professional re-validation and professional development.
The group activity is designed to stimulate and test the students’ ability to work as a team in taking the subject area forward. A group task is set, the group elects a leader using the online forum (designed to put leadership skills into practice) and the leader allocates tasks to group members.
The leader is responsible for managing, collating and submitting the activity (online) at the end of the module. The tutor provides formative guidance part way through the module and marks the assessment at the end.
Examples of individual activities might include either a written assignment, poster, blog or social media project.
All students must complete the same assignment for each module that is predetermined by the programme Leader before the modules commence. Students are not provided with an option to choose.
Students are required to critically analyse clinically focused case-based scenarios, discussion threads and weekly questions posed by their tutors via the Academic Forum (an online discussion board) and designed to meet the module learning outcomes. Here, students make their own researched and referenced contributions and interact with the tutor and their fellow students. There is no didactic teaching, instead, students are posed questions and prompted to search the literature, read it critically and respond. Engagement is encouraged by the tutor prompting students to respond and the use of automated activity monitoring software.
At the end of each module, the tutor allocates marks to each student based on a marking rubric. The rubric takes into account the following elements:
· Promptness and initiative
· Delivery of post (spelling and grammar)
· The relevance of post and referencing
· Expression within the post
Case problems in the form of a one-hour timed examination with multiple-choice ‘single best answer’ questions directly test the reasoning and knowledge objectives of the module. The online examination is marked automatically.
Entry requirements
Since our PGCert in Clinical Nutrition is conducted entirely online, it is accessible to both UK and international registered healthcare professionals.
Applicants will typically hold a first degree or equivalent (including international qualifications) in a relevant professional healthcare field, such as a medical or nursing degree.
Registered healthcare professionals without these recognised qualifications will be considered for the Clinical Nutrition programme on an individual basis and a wide range of prior experience may be taken into account. In some cases, applicants may be asked to submit a piece of work for assessment in order to confirm that they are able to work comfortably at postgraduate level, and demonstrate the requisite clinical and professional knowledge.
Documents Required
- A copy of your updated CV including your address and date of birth.
- A copy of your undergraduate degree certificate.
- The name and email address of someone who is able to provide a reference, this can be a work colleague, employer or former tutor.
- A detailed personal statement explaining why you would like to undertake the course.
- A copy of your proof of English competency (see below).
English Language Requirements
Proficiency in the English language is also essential to completing our courses. If English is NOT your first language, we ask for proof of competency during the application process. We are able to accept an IELTS (with an overall score of 6.5 and a minimum of 6.0 for each band) or an equivalent qualification.
If you do not meet these requirements, please don’t worry. You can also contact our admissions team on admissions@diploma-msc.com for more information on the qualifications we accept.
Course Fees
Option 1: Upfront Payment in full. Option 2: Interest free payments every other month for the duration of the course.
| Date | Instalments | Up-Front Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | £800 | £2,400 |
| 1st May 2025 | £800 | |
| 1st July 2025 | £800 |
† Deposits are non-refundable
†† Prices are subject to review following each intake
Option 3: Lower your monthly payments by spreading the cost for between 2 and 8 years with a loan from our lending partner Lendwise*.
*Subject to eligibility criteria.
Learna | Diploma MSc has a partnership with Lendwise which is a leading private student loan provider, to help UK students fund their course fees should they require financing. Lendwise is a UK-based education finance platform through which candidates can fund their postgraduate and professional qualification studies at leading educational institutions.
A Lendwise loan comes with a fixed interest rate for the duration of the loan (between 2 and 8 years) and no early repayment penalties. The interest rate offered will depend on the overall applicant profile and the application process is entirely online.*
*Other sources of funding are available.
Learna | Diploma MSc does not offer financial advice, recommend or endorse any financial product. You should always check the suitability of the product that is of interest to you. If you are in any doubt as to its suitability, we suggest that you seek independent professional advice.
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We have over 10 years’ experience delivering online diploma courses, giving you access to flexible, affordable distance learning in partnership with world-leading educators.
Our courses are some of the most affordable of their kind, providing value for money without compromising on quality. We also don't apply an international surcharge. No fixed timetable means you can log in & learn on the go, at your convenience.
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