MSc in Clinical Nutrition
Validated by University of Buckingham
Develop advanced knowledge of clinical nutrition alongside master’s-level research skills with our university-validated MSc in Clinical Nutrition. Designed for registered healthcare professionals who want to deepen their understanding of nutrition across health, disease, and healthcare, this 180-credit Level 7 master’s degree combines advanced postgraduate clinical nutrition study with research methodologies, critical appraisal, evidence-based practice, and a clinically relevant Professional Project.
Across two years of part-time study, you’ll examine applied and clinical nutrition in adult medicine, nutritional assessment and screening, body composition, preventative nutrition, nutrition in acute and chronic conditions, dietary counselling and behaviour change, and nutrition across the continuum of care. You’ll explore diet and metabolism, macronutrients and micronutrients, nutritional status, malnutrition, personalised nutrition, therapeutic diets, nutritional support, and evidence-based dietary interventions across areas including primary care, gastrointestinal disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, and wider multidisciplinary healthcare.
Validated by the University of Buckingham, this online MSc in Clinical Nutrition is delivered 100% online and part-time, with 24/7 access and asynchronous participation designed to support healthcare professionals studying across different schedules and time zones. Case-based learning, Tutor-facilitated academic forums, literature searching, critical appraisal, reflective learning, and discussion with an international, multidisciplinary peer group encourage you to examine current evidence in relation to different patient populations, healthcare settings, and your own professional practice.
Next Intake
September 2026
Apply By
September 2026
Commitment
Part time
Format
100% online
Duration
24 months
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What will you study on this Master's in Clinical Nutrition?
The MSc in Clinical Nutrition comprises seven modules (180 credits) completed over two years, combining advanced postgraduate study across clinical nutrition with research methodologies, critical appraisal, and a Professional Project relevant to your professional practice.
During Year 1, you’ll study the foundations and application of clinical nutrition in adult medicine, nutritional assessment and body composition, preventative care, nutrition in acute and chronic conditions, dietary counselling and behavioural change, and nutrition across the continuum of care.
Across these areas, you’ll develop your understanding of nutrition in health and disease alongside evidence-based approaches to nutritional assessment, intervention, and support.
In Year 2, you’ll develop the research and critical appraisal skills required to investigate a nutrition-related area in greater depth. You’ll explore research methodologies, evidence-based practice, audit, and quality improvement before applying this learning through a Professional Project relevant to your professional practice.
During the programme, you’ll study:
- Applied and Clinical Nutrition in Adult Medicine – explore the fundamentals of nutrition in adult health and medicine, including food science, diet, metabolism, appetite, macronutrients, micronutrients, physiological functions, and biochemical mechanisms, while developing your ability to critically evaluate current research and guidance.
- Nutritional Assessment, Screening, Diagnosis and Body Composition – examine nutritional risk and status, dietary intake and history, body composition, biochemical analysis, and the social and individual factors influencing nutrition, alongside approaches to nutritional assessment in healthcare and research contexts.
- Nutrition in Preventative Care – explore the role of nutrition in disease prevention, including obesity and chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint health, neurological health, gut health and immune function, and cancer prevention, alongside evidence-based approaches to personalised nutrition and preventative care.
- Nutrition in Acute and Chronic Conditions – examine the relationship between nutrition, malnutrition, disease, injury, and recovery across areas including gastrointestinal disease, critical illness, surgery and burns, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, kidney disease, and cancer.
- Dietary Counselling and Behavioural Change – explore the individual, cultural, social, and psychological factors influencing dietary behaviours alongside dietary assessment, motivational interviewing, goal setting, active listening, communication, barriers to change, and approaches to supporting sustainable behavioural change.
- Nutrition Along the Continuum of Care – develop your understanding of nutrition interventions across different stages and settings of care, including therapeutic diets, nutritional supplements, medical nutrition therapy, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and multidisciplinary nutrition care, alongside relevant ethical and cultural considerations.
- Research Methodologies, Critical Appraisal and Professional Project – develop your understanding of research methodologies, epidemiological and statistical concepts, qualitative research, evidence-based practice, health economics, audit, and quality improvement before applying these skills through a Professional Project focused on an area relevant to your professional practice.
Together, these seven modules provide advanced postgraduate study across clinical nutrition while enabling you to develop research and critical appraisal skills and investigate a nutrition-related area through a Professional Project.
Year 1
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.
Year 2
Research Methodologies and Critical Appraisal:
- Terminology used in epidemiology and research studies such as prevalence, incidence, sensitivity, specificity, false positive and false negatives.
- Interpreting graphical representation of epidemiological and statistical data such as Kaplan-Meier curves, forest plots and meta-analyses.
- Calculations used in the assessment of research data such as relative risk, absolute risk and number needed to treat. Statistical tests and their applications including t-tests, ANOVA and chi-square.
- Qualitative research methods.
- Fundamentals of evidence-based practice and its application into the clinical setting.
- Principles of health economics, audit and quality improvement/assurance systems.
- Establishing patient registers and the value of disease-specific registers.
- Research into educational principles for both healthcare practitioner and patient.
Professional Project:
This module will depend on the creation of a piece of work based upon a specific clinically related project relevant to the student’s practice. This project may comprise:
- Literature review and appraisal of the evidence.
- Audit of practice including organisational or clinical.
- Review and implementation of evidence-based practice.
- Qualitative or quantitative research (formal research involving human subjects is not anticipated).
- Case(s)-based and quality of service review with critical appraisal.
- Case report, review of literature and organisational assessment.
Learning Outcomes:
- Select and apply different methodological perspectives and tools to answer research questions in the field.
- Critically analyse and interpret relevant research in the subject area.
- Design and undertake a research/development project.
- Critically evaluate practice and suggest improvements or change.
- Incorporate knowledge of the research process in developing services appropriately.
Course Fees & Payment Options
Course Fees
- Deposit for September 2026: £405 †
- Total Course Fees (UK & International) for September 2026: £8,540 ††
Payment Options
- Option 1: Upfront payment in full (discount available).
- Option 2: Interest-free monthly payments throughout the course.
Payment Plan Breakdown
Master's (MSc)
First Year Payments
| Deposit | 10 Monthly Payments | Final Payment |
| £405 † | £385 | £385 |
Total first year payments: £4,640
Second Year Payments
| 11 Monthly Payments | Final Payment |
| £325 | £325 |
Total second year payments: £3,900
Additional Financing
Spread the cost with Lendwise, who offer financing options for up to 8 years. ††††
† Deposits are non-refundable
†† Prices are subject to review following each intake
†††† Subject to eligibility criteria.
Entry requirements
Since our courses are 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 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 overall score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 for each band) or an equivalent qualification.
If you do not meet these requirements, please don’t worry. The University of Buckingham run a number of English Language Programmes at the Centre for International English to prepare you for your academic studies. You can also contact our admissions team on admissions@diploma-msc.com for more information on the qualifications we accept.
Should you have already successfully completed the 1 year Postgraduate Diploma and wish to convert to the MSc and complete only the second year of the programme this is possible. Please contact our admissions department admissions@diploma-msc.com to find out more.
Faculty
Tutor
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...
Partners
University of Buckingham
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.
All of our courses are delivered in English, so proficiency in the English language is essential for success. If English is not your first language, we require proof of competency as part of your application. We accept the following as proof of English Language skills:
We Accept a Range of English Language Qualifications
While IELTS and TOEFL are among the most commonly used English tests, we understand that students come from diverse backgrounds — and we’re happy to work with you to accept a wide range of other recognised English language qualifications.
We accept IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Our most commonly accepted test, IELTS is globally recognised and widely used for university admissions.
We accept TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Another widely accepted test, TOEFL assesses your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in an academic setting.
We accept English Medium of Instruction (EMI) Letters
Many of our international students provide an EMI (English Medium Instruction) letter from their previous institution. This letter should confirm that you were taught in the medium of English. It is a popular and widely accepted form of proof, especially if you have completed prior academic studies in English.
Our University partners Requirements
The University of South Wales accepts an overall score of 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 for each band) and The University of Buckingham accepts an overall score of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 for each band).
Our Flexible Instalment Plan is designed to offer ultimate flexibility to pay for your programme. You have the choice of two payment options:
Make an Upfront Payment in Full: For those who prefer to settle their fees upfront, you can pay the full amount at the beginning of your programme.
Interest-Free Payments: Alternatively, you can choose to spread your payments out with interest-free instalments every month for the duration of your course.
These options are separate from our existing lending partners, which you can explore further on our programme pages. We believe that education should be accessible to all, and our Flexible Instalment Plan is just one of the ways we are committed to supporting you in your academic journey.
We currently offer two discounts: the Early Bird Discount and the Action Taker Discount. The Early Bird discount allows you to save up to £500 or more, available only to self-funders and is a limited-time offer that runs for the entirety of November for the March cohort or the entirety of May for the September cohort. Our Action Taker Discount allows you to save up to £150 off for PGCert and £250 off for PGDip/2-year MSc programmes. To qualify for Action Takers, you must pay the deposit within 7 days of acceptance.
For Early Bird Discounts, the discount is visible if your application and acceptance are completed within the required timeframe. For Action Taker Discounts, it will reflect once conditions are met.
An MSc in Clinical Nutrition is a postgraduate master’s degree focused on the relationship between nutrition, health, disease, and healthcare. This 180-credit programme combines advanced clinical nutrition study with research methodologies, critical appraisal, evidence-based practice, and a Professional Project relevant to professional practice.
The programme covers areas including nutritional assessment, body composition, preventative nutrition, nutrition in acute and chronic conditions, dietary counselling and behaviour change, therapeutic diets, and nutrition across the continuum of care.
Clinical nutrition has relevance across a range of medical specialties and healthcare settings because nutritional needs, status, and interventions can vary according to health, disease, and individual circumstances.
The MSc explores nutrition in areas including primary care, preventative care, gastrointestinal disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, cancer, acute illness, surgery, and wider multidisciplinary healthcare. Students consider the evidence surrounding nutritional assessment, dietary interventions, nutritional support, and multidisciplinary nutrition care while relating their learning to their own professional context.
Yes. The MSc in Clinical Nutrition is designed for registered healthcare professionals seeking advanced knowledge of clinical nutrition together with research and critical appraisal skills.
Its multidisciplinary focus makes it relevant to doctors, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, allied healthcare professionals, and others working in appropriate healthcare roles. International peer learning also enables students to encounter perspectives from different professional backgrounds, patient populations, and healthcare settings. Completing the MSc does not, however, confer dietitian or nutritionist registration or expand an individual’s professional scope of practice.
Who can study this Master's in Clinical Nutrition?
The MSc in Clinical Nutrition is designed for registered healthcare professionals who want to develop advanced knowledge of clinical nutrition alongside research, critical appraisal, and evidence-based practice skills. It is particularly relevant for professionals whose existing roles involve nutrition, health, disease management, preventative care, patient education, or multidisciplinary healthcare.
It may be suitable for:
- Doctors and physicians seeking deeper knowledge of nutrition across adult medicine, preventative care, acute and chronic disease, and different medical specialties.
- General practitioners interested in the relationship between nutrition, preventative care, long-term conditions, and wider primary care.
- Dietitians looking to extend their academic understanding of clinical nutrition, evidence-based practice, research methodologies, and critical appraisal.
- Nurses working in areas where nutrition, nutritional status, patient education, long-term conditions, or multidisciplinary care are relevant to their role.
- Pharmacists interested in developing their understanding of nutrition, disease, medicines, nutritional supplements, and multidisciplinary approaches to care.
- Allied healthcare professionals whose existing professional practice involves nutrition, health promotion, disease management, rehabilitation, or patient support.
- Healthcare professionals progressing from the PGDip in Clinical Nutrition who want to extend their postgraduate study to master’s level through research methodologies, critical appraisal, and the Professional Project.
The programme develops advanced academic knowledge and research skills but does not confer registration as a dietitian or nutritionist or expand a healthcare professional’s existing scope of practice. Nutrition-related knowledge and approaches developed through the programme should be applied within the learner’s existing professional role and scope.
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.