Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours)

Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours)

Program/MQR No.: 

Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours)/MQR No.: 11179

Brief introduction: 

Dietetics has nutritional science as its core. It is an interdisciplinary and applied subject that is concerned with the application of nutritional science for treatment of disease and the promotion of health for individuals and groups. It is concerned primarily with ensuring that individuals have the appropriate nutrients from the food they eat. Dietetics requires the integration of a broad range of natural and social sciences so that practitioners can educate and empower individuals and groups to improve food intake to the benefit of health.

Dietetics is concerned with the nutrition of the individuals both in health and disease at a primary level and extends through to tertiary care in acute specific medical condition. Therefore, dietetics is essentially the manipulation of diet to improve health. This requires reflective practice, systematic clinical reasoning and a problem-solving approach as well as an understanding of individual circumstances, including age, gender, socio-economic status, disease state, food habits and lifestyle, to assess nutritional status and formulate appropriate dietary advice.

Program Outcome:

To produce graduates with the following outcomes:

i. Describe, interpret, and apply knowledge of food, nutrition, clinical and social sciences, and foodservice.
ii. Perform and evaluate the nutritional care process at individual, group, community and population levels by utilizing relevant techniques.
iii. Demonstrate responsibilities towards the community, and manage clients in caring, emphatic, and culturally-sensitive manner..
iv. Demonstrate responsibilities towards the community, and manage clients in caring, emphatic, and culturally-sensitive manner.
v. Communicate effectively with clients, their caregivers, peers healthcare professionals & stakeholders; and demonstrate leadership, interpersonal & team skills.
vi. Identify problems and solutions based on critical & lateral thinking and also apply evidence-based practice; perform research activities related to nutritional sciences and present information & findings coherently.
vii. Utilize ICT and information management system to enhance dietetic practice and apply skills of life-long learning in career development.
viii. Apply knowledge and skills related to food management; and possess business and entrepreneurial skills.
ix. Integrate Islamic revealed knowledge and values in nutritional sciences and related  educational activities.

Career Opportunities:

Among the prospective jobs for dietetics graduates are:

Clinical Dietitians - work in hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facilities.
Administrative Dietitians - work in foodservice facilities that provide food to large organizations such as school/university cafeterias, hospitals.
Community Dietitians - work within the general public in community settings by assessing and promoting healthy eating.
Research Dietitians - work on various research projects to enhance patient care, create new, healthy foods, and improve the cost-effectiveness of the foodservice industry. Research dietitians can also find employment at the university level in teaching positions.
Sports Dietitians- help athletes make healthier food choices by providing nutrition information based on scientific principles. Sports dietitians work with individual athletes or entire sports teams to teach them about healthy eating.

Program Structure: 

In order to obtain the Bachelor of Dietetics (Honours) from IIUM, a student must successfully complete 139/141 Credit Hours (CH) of course work consisting of the university, Kulliyyah and department requirements, as shown in Attachment A.

Duration of Study: 

The duration of studies will be a minimum of eight (8) semesters which is equivalent to four (4) years (normal duration) and a maximum of twelve (12) semesters which is equivalent to six (6) years (normal duration).