Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition
Validated by University of Buckingham
Our Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition is led by Dr. Paula Ravasco, a renowned Medical Doctor specialising in Immunohaematology and Clinical Nutrition. Dr Ravasco is the Associate Professor of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FM-UCP).
The online Diploma in Clinical Nutrition offers you in-demand expertise and provides an in-depth understanding of how nutrition impacts medical conditions and lifestyles in different population groups and scenarios. Topics include nutritional therapy in cancer, obesity management, and malnutrition in the elderly. The course prepares you to handle various nutrition-related presentations you may encounter.
Next intake: March 2025Key Facts
Clinical Nutrition is vital for promoting overall health and addressing specific nutritional deficiencies. This field caters to diverse patient needs, optimising well-being across the healthcare spectrum.
In oncology, our clinical nutrition diploma can help you to support cancer patients by managing treatment-related side effects through nutritional support.
This healthcare field also addresses gastrointestinal disorders and benefits from multidisciplinary collaboration, integrating nutrition into comprehensive care to promote holistic patient well-being.
With no fixed timetable, you can fit their studies around your schedules. We provide accessible, high-value education, enabling career advancement with our clinical nutrition diploma. Our university-validated course aims to:
- Equip you 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 you with life-long learning and advanced problem-solving skills that they can apply to (clinical) practice in a range of settings.
- Enable you to critically evaluate practice in clinical nutrition in relation to the evidence base.
- Enable you to demonstrate the ability to lead complex tasks and processes in the delivery and advancement of nutrition-related care.
- Enable you to deliver leadership to teams in multi-agency, multi-cultural and/or international contexts.
- Equip you with a systematic knowledge of evidence-based clinical nutrition in relation to patient management across the spectrum of medical specialties caring for individuals with specific dietary needs.
- Enable you to use relevant knowledge, methodologies and approaches to address complex issues of clinical nutrition in various healthcare scenarios.
- Equip you with the ability to implement best practice and innovation in complex clinical nutrition scenarios.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a full list of our FAQs visit our FAQs page.
As each Medical Council has their own rules/regulations with regard to Postgraduate study we recommend that you contact your local Medical Council with regard to recognition.
Upon completion of the course the University would invite you to a graduation ceremony and provide your certificate which makes no reference to the fact that the course was studied online and is therefore typically recognised the same as any other UK University qualification.
Rest assured, the overall Postgraduate Diploma carries a total of 1,200 CPD points, with the MSc an additional 600 CPD points, and all official certifications are issued directly by the University.
When you study one of our programmes you may be surprised to find that there are no lectures or seminars. Your learning will be self-directed meaning that rather than being told information you find it for yourself (with tutor guidance and support). We do this via a series of clinically rich scenarios which your tutor will post on our academic forum which you and your classmates will research, respond to and discuss.
You will be assessed through the Academic Forum, Reflective Journal and Assignments. Learning will be carried out using our online learning platform: Moodle.
You can study whenever and wherever you want - our programmes are totally flexible to fit around your other work and life commitments.
The course is specifically designed so that part of your study is the application of theory to practice in your day job.
We typically suggest that students aim to log into the Moodle platform daily. We recommend a "little and often" approach for reading, reflection and/or posting. High achieving students will typically spend 1-2 hours dedicated to their studies a day; 10 hours per week is sufficient time to spend on the platform.
Those who cannot dedicate more time than once/twice per week may struggle with the demands of this postgraduate programme.
Yes, everything is done entirely online through our learning platform, Moodle. You do not need to attend the University.
Postgraduate Diploma courses
In order to be eligible for our Postgraduate Diploma courses you need to hold a medical degree or undergraduate degree in a health related science and be working within the field that you wish to study, as the course is designed to further your knowledge within your chosen subject and is not designed to introduce these as new topic areas.
We have two intakes a year in March and September. Click the following link for the up to date application deadlines and module dates: Module Dates.
The Action Taker Discount offers savings based on your programme: £150 off for PGCert and £250 off for PGDip/2-year MSc programmes. To qualify, you must pay the deposit within 7 days of acceptance. This discount is not available during February and August and not available in combination with the Early Bird Discount. The Action Taker Discount will be applied to your final payment. To take advantage, act quickly after acceptance to secure your savings.
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 Diploma 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?
Our Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition is ideal for:
Dietitians: For dietitians, postgraduate studies in clinical nutrition would provide advanced knowledge in assessing and managing medical conditions through specialised dietary interventions. It would deepen their expertise in areas like critical care, chronic disease management, and specialised populations, while enhancing collaboration with other healthcare professionals for comprehensive patient care.
Medical doctors: Physicians, especially those specialising in fields such as gastroenterology, endocrinology, oncology, or paediatrics, may pursue postgraduate training or certifications in clinical nutrition. This knowledge helps them better understand the nutritional aspects of various medical conditions and how to incorporate dietary interventions into patient care.
Nurse practitioners and physician associates: These advanced practice healthcare professionals may study clinical nutrition to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing comprehensive care, particularly in primary care settings or chronic disease management.
Pharmacists: Clinical pharmacists, especially those working in hospitals or specialised clinics, may study clinical nutrition to better understand the interactions between medications and nutrition, as well as to provide nutritional counselling to patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or kidney disease.
Speech and language therapists: Some speech and language therapists, particularly those working with patients who have swallowing disorders or feeding difficulties, may study clinical nutrition to better understand the nutritional needs of their patients and develop appropriate dietary recommendations.
Occupational therapists: Occupational therapists working in healthcare settings, such as rehabilitation centres or long-term care facilities, may study clinical nutrition to address the nutritional needs of their patients and promote independence in activities related to food preparation and eating.
Physiotherapists: Physiotherapists, especially those working in sports medicine or rehabilitation settings, may study clinical nutrition to understand the role of nutrition in injury recovery, tissue repair, and overall physical performance.
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 Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition allows you to study for just one calendar year and is a part-time, distance-learning course. The course is worth 120 credits and comprises six 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.
This module aims to equip healthcare professionals with advanced understanding and practical skills in clinical nutrition assessment and management across acute and chronic conditions. Participants will develop interprofessional collaboration abilities, enhance clinical decision-making through case studies, and gain expertise in specialised nutrition support techniques. Additionally, the module aims to explore future trends and ethical considerations in clinical nutrition, preparing participants to adapt to evolving healthcare landscapes and contribute to advancements in the field.
Indicative Content:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases
- Intensive care units (ICU), critically ill patients; surgery, burns
- Obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- Diabetes, high-blood pressure (HBP), dyslipidemia
- Kidney disease and disorders
- Cancer
Learning Outcomes:
- Critically evaluate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying malnutrition in acute and chronic conditions, and appraise the metabolic response to various states such as injury, recovery, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
- Systematically and critically evaluate current research and guidelines relating to the diagnosis, investigation, and management of nutritional status in acute and chronic conditions.
- Construct and consider the application of tailored nutritional plans for individuals with chronic conditions, synthesising evidence-based principles and practical considerations to optimise nutritional status and seek to mitigate disease progression.
This module aims to provide students with an advanced understanding of various dietary patterns, including cultural, regional, and individual differences, and their impact on health and well-being. It emphasises the integration of multidisciplinary approaches in dietary counselling, collaborating with other healthcare professionals, such as dietitians, psychologists, and physicians, to provide comprehensive care to patients by enhancing students’ knowledge and skills in conducting thorough dietary assessments to implement personalised and effective counselling strategies for facilitating sustainable behavioural change, whilst upholding ethical considerations throughout the counselling process.
Indicative Content:
- Dietary history, food preferences, current intake, comorbidities, symptoms, drug therapy, social and cultural background
- Behavioural change, psychological mechanisms underlying dietary behaviours
- Motivational interviewing, goal setting, and active listening
- Tailoring dietary Interventions, communication
- Addressing Barriers to Change
- Sustainable Behaviour Change, evaluation and Monitoring of Progress
Ethical Considerations in Counselling
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of individual and cultural factors influencing dietary behaviours, incorporating a broad healthcare and lifestyle perspective to critically appraise the impact of social, economic and healthcare system barriers to optimal nutrition.
- Systematically synthesise advanced information and specialised theories related to behavioural change communication and dietary counselling strategies to develop tailored nutritional interventions that meet individual needs, preferences, and goals in a range of healthcare and lifestyle contexts.
- Apply advanced interpersonal, team and networking skills to strategically enhance multidisciplinary team performance in facilitating sustainable dietary changes and food habits for patients in a variety of contexts.
To impart a comprehensive understanding of the principles and applications of clinical nutrition therapy across the healthcare continuum. Students will develop competencies in evaluating patient needs, determining appropriate nutritional interventions, implementing tailored nutrition care plans, and monitoring outcomes through an interprofessional, patient-centred approach.
Indicative Content:
- Decision making process for nutrition intervention with a multidisciplinary approach, including ethical and cultural considerations
- Therapeutic diets
- Nutritional supplements
- Medical nutritional therapy, artificial nutrition (enteral and parenteral)
- Therapeutic diets and artificial nutrition in specific conditions
- Multidisciplinary nutrition team
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate an in-depth and systematic knowledge of the decision making process involved in nutrition intervention, with an emphasis on ethical and cultural considerations presented in complex and varied settings.
- Critically evaluate emerging approaches to the treatment of nutritional disorders to develop effective methodologies that justify recommendations in complex nutritional contexts along the continuum of care.
- Critically apply knowledge and synthesise evidence into the development of personalised diagnostic management strategies for patients requiring specialised nutritional interventions, demonstrating advanced interpersonal, team, and networking skills to strategically enhance multidisciplinary collaboration in a variety of settings.
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!
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
The online reflective journal is a learning portfolio that requires students to record and critically reflect on their learning. Reflection is an important aspect of the programme since the professionals will be able to spend time considering how their practice compares to the themes being discussed in the module. The tutor provides feedback to the student weekly and marks it at the end of the module. Reflective practice is a requirement for healthcare professionals for professional re-validation and professional development.
For this assessment, students will work on a group assignment and/or an individual assignment.
- Group assignments are designed to hone skills in the multidisciplinary, holistic approach to modern treatments and patient management by requiring group participation in a single piece of work.
- Individual assignments are designed to hone skills in academic career progression through such tasks as reviewing papers, developing scientific posters or abstracts, peer-reviewing, social media activities, patient information leaflets and essays.
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 diploma in Clinical Nutrition is conducted entirely online, they are 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 postgraduate diploma in occupational medicine 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 | £750 | £4,500 |
| 1st May 2025 | £750 | |
| 1st July 2025 | £750 | |
| 1st September 2025 | £750 | |
| 1st November 2025 | £750 | |
| 1st January 2026 | £750 |
† 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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