As a nutritionist you will create opportunities for people to learn about food and nutrition, design food products to support a healthy diet, influence food systems to foster sustainability, and advocate for a safe and equitable food supply across the globe. You will understand the science behind food and nutrition including human physiology and biochemistry, and food and culinary nutrition science. The focus on the role of food and nutrition in health promotion and disease prevention for individuals, communities and populations, particularly in at-risk groups, will prepare you for work in the emerging areas of the industry.

In order to practice as a Dietitian - that is to work clinically with patients with conditions ranging from eating or gastrointestinal disorders to allergies, providing nutritional advice to help them manage their conditions - nutritionists and those with a Bachelor of Nutrition need to study an accredited specialist qualification in Dietetics or Dietetic Practice which is the application of the science of food and nutrition across a range of domains to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and populations. Such courses combine theory and practice placement across dietetic practice areas including food and nutrition counselling with individuals, food and nutrition education and capacity building with groups, public health nutrition, food production and provision to individuals, communities and populations, entrepreneurial dietetic practice and management, and research.  ACU’s Master of Dietetic Practice is a 2-year full-time program in which students will undertake more than 130 days of placement.

Professional experience

Work placement units provide you with exposure to work settings where you may gain employment following graduation. You may choose to undertake work placement units offering 50 – 140 hours of work in areas across the food and nutrition industry including food industry, culinary nutrition, sports nutrition, community and public health.

Work placement

Work placements provide you with exposure to work settings where you may gain employment following graduation. You can choose to undertake your placements in areas across the food and nutrition industry.

Placement opportunities may be with sporting teams/clubs; food development and production companies; restaurant and catering groups; community health centres; local government; schools; community organisations and other not-for-profit health organisations.

Visit the faculty’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) webpage to view opportunities in nutrition science. 

Community engagement

Principles of community engagement are integrated throughout the course and are embedded in the public health community engagement  unit. This unit has been purposefully designed to give you the opportunity to apply the principles and philosophies of working in the community for the common good into real-world, applied settings.

Professional recognition

Graduates of this degree will be eligible to apply for registration as a nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of Australian (NSA). This degree has been designed to meet the competencies deemed essential by the NSA for registration.

The degree meets the academic qualifications required for Professional Membership of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST). Note: Professional Membership of AIFST also requires three years of relevant professional experience.