MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) Information Evening Highlights

Every route into dietetics is unique. You may be changing career, returning to education, or building on an existing science degree. As you explore master’s-level study, the first step is understanding the journey ahead and deciding whether it is the right one for you.

At Portobello Institute’s recent MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) Information Evening, prospective students interested in becoming registered dietitians delved into the profession, programme structure, placements, career prospects, and application process.

There was an opportunity to hear directly from the academic team about what it's like to study at Portobello, ask questions, and clarify the steps involved in professional recognition and registration with the relevant regulators: the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and CORU.

If you couldn't join us live, here are the key highlights to help you gain a clearer picture of the professional dietetics pathway and where it could take you.

Meet the Panel

The Microsoft Teams webinar was led by:

• Denise Flood, Executive Dean at Portobello Institute
• Dr Roberta Mendes, Programme Lead for the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) and a CORU-registered dietitian with more than 25 years' experience
• Peter Doyle, Career Pathway Consultant for Portobello Institute’s health science programmes

What Does a Dietitian Do?

One of the first topics explored was the breadth of the profession, helping prospective students consider whether they could picture themselves working as a dietitian.

Dietitians are regulated healthcare professionals who use evidence-based nutrition to help prevent disease, support recovery, and improve quality of life. They work with people of all ages across hospitals, primary care, community healthcare, specialist clinics, research, public health, industry, and private practice.

As healthcare increasingly recognises the role nutrition plays in preventing and managing illness, demand for qualified dietitians continues to grow both in Ireland and internationally.

As Denise Flood put it, dietetics is a profession that “combines science, compassion, and real impact”, offering not only excellent career prospects but also the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people's lives every day.

What Pathways into Dietetics Does Portobello Offer?

Central to Portobello Institute’s approach is the belief that aspiring dietitians should have more than one route into the profession.

During the Dietetics Information Evening, Peter Doyle outlined the undergraduate and postgraduate options available, helping prospective students identify the pathway that best aligns with their academic background and experience.

• Direct entry to the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration)

For applicants who meet the standard academic requirements: a minimum 2:2 honours bachelor’s degree in a relevant science-based subject or an equivalent qualification with sufficient biological science content.

• BSc (Hons) Applied Health Science

A three-year undergraduate route for those without an existing degree, designed to provide the scientific knowledge and academic foundation needed to progress towards postgraduate study in health science. Applicants with a relevant QQI Level 6 qualification may be considered for advanced entry.

• Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Health Science

A four-month programme, delivered online, for applicants whose undergraduate degree does not include enough biological science for direct MSc entry. Students who successfully complete the programme and progress to an eligible health science master’s programme, such as MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration), receive a total fee reduction of €2,000.

Even if you are not yet eligible for direct entry to the MSc, the door to a career in dietetics is not closed. Portobello’s enrolment team can review your qualifications and advise on the most appropriate route.

What Does the Application Process Involve?

Applicants to the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) typically need a minimum 2:2 honours degree in a relevant science-based subject, with sufficient biological science content.

You must provide an up-to-date CV, academic transcripts, certificates, and identification. Applicants whose first language is not English will need to demonstrate English-language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7.0. 

Entry also includes a 15-minute Microsoft Teams interview exploring your academic background, relevant experience, motivation for becoming a dietitian, and readiness for an intensive professional programme.

What Will I Study?

The MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) is a two-year postgraduate programme awarded by Health Sciences University and aligned with Level 9 on Ireland’s National Framework of Qualifications.

Speaking at the Information Evening, Dr Roberta Mendes explained that the programme combines academic study, clinical skills development, and at least 1,000 assessed hours of practice-based learning.

Students develop knowledge across four connected areas:

• Nutrition and clinical science
• Dietetic practice
• Professional practice
• Research and evidence

As a student, you will explore nutrition and food science, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology before learning how to apply this knowledge through patient assessment, medical nutrition therapy, clinical reasoning, and intervention planning.

Alongside the scientific and clinical elements, the programme covers behaviour change, communication, ethics, confidentiality, multidisciplinary working, and evidence-based practice.

“Dietetics is not simply about telling someone what they should eat,” Roberta said. “It involves understanding people, communicating effectively, and supporting meaningful, sustainable changes in behaviour.”

You will also develop your research and critical appraisal skills, learning how to evaluate scientific evidence, apply it appropriately to dietetic practice, and complete an independent dissertation in an area relevant to the profession.

Roberta summarised: “The aim is to help you connect scientific knowledge with clinical reasoning, professional judgement, and person-centred care.”

How Is the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) Delivered?

Students can choose between two study options:

• Blended learning
• In-person learning

The blended pathway combines online weekday evening classes with scheduled weekend practical sessions in Dublin, making it easier for students to balance study alongside work and other commitments.

The in-person option follows a traditional weekday campus timetable with regular face-to-face teaching.

Regardless of delivery mode, all students complete the same curriculum, assessments and practice-based learning requirements.

“Our blended pathway is the first delivery model of its kind for an MSc Dietetics programme in Ireland,” Roberta told Information Evening attendees.

“It has been designed to make this professional pathway more accessible while protecting the essential practical and clinical learning required within dietetics.”

Roberta reminded attendees that all practice placements are completed on a full-time basis, so this commitment should be carefully considered alongside work and family responsibilities.

Need more help deciding which option is right for you? Read our guide to choosing between blended and in-person dietetics study here.

What Do Practice Placements Involve?

A key question for anyone pursuing a career in dietetics is how effectively their master’s will prepare them for professional practice.

Extensive placement experience is central to that development, allowing you to apply your learning in real settings and develop the practical competence required for your future role.

You may be wondering: Where could you be placed? What will you do there? How will the experience prepare you for practice?

Placements include food service and clinical practice, with opportunities across private clinics, community and acute healthcare, schools, crèches, industry, sport and research, depending on availability and individual interests.

Across these stages, you will gradually move from structured preparation and observation towards more active participation. By the final stage of clinical placement, you will manage a supervised caseload similar to that of a staff-grade dietitian, demonstrating your ability to prioritise and work safely.

As Roberta put it: “Ultimately, the breadth of the placement experience is designed to help students connect knowledge, judgement, and communication.

“The aim is to prepare graduates who can provide safe, evidence-based, and person-centred dietetic care across a variety of professional settings.”

How Do Professional Recognition and Registration Work?

The discussion then turned to professional recognition and registration – a key area of interest for prospective master’s students.

The title dietitian is legally protected in both Ireland and the UK, meaning it may only be used by professionals registered with the relevant regulator.

Denise explained: "When you are considering a career in a regulated healthcare profession such as dietetics, it is important to look beyond the qualification itself.

"The qualification is one part of your journey. Your goal is to become eligible to practise as a registered dietitian, and that means ensuring your education has been designed to meet the professional standards expected by the relevant regulator."

The Route to Practising in Ireland and the UK

Portobello Institute's MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) has been developed with professional practice at its core, taking account of the relevant Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and CORU regulatory requirements.

As the MSc is awarded by Portobello Institute’s UK partner, Health Sciences University, it is currently progressing through the HCPC approval process and will only commence once approval is granted.

Graduates of an HCPC-approved programme will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration to practise in the UK.

Because the master’s is awarded by Health Sciences University, graduates intending to practise in Ireland will apply directly to CORU through its process for qualifications obtained outside the Republic of Ireland. They do not need to register with HCPC first.

The first stage is to have the qualification recognised. CORU will assess it against the Standards of Proficiency established by the Dietitians Registration Board before graduates can make a separate application for professional registration.

Your Registration Journey

The pathway can be understood as:

1. Successfully complete the MSc qualification
2. Obtain recognition where required
3. Apply for professional registration
4. Once registered, begin practising as a dietitian

Denise concluded: "At Portobello Institute, our ambition is to prepare and educate graduates who are ready to make a meaningful contribution to healthcare.

“Professional standards are therefore not an addition to the programme. They are woven into every aspect of the student experience and underpin everything we do."

While the HCPC approval process is underway, successful applicants can reserve their place with a protected holding deposit of €1,000.

To learn more about professional registration and securing your place during the approval process, read our article: How Do I Become a Registered Dietitian Through an MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration)?

Where Can a Career in Dietetics Take You?

The MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) Information Evening invited prospective students to look beyond the programme and imagine the kind of career they could build once registered.

As Denise highlighted, the profession offers “choice, flexibility, and purpose”. Dietetics is not confined to one setting or one type of role.

You may work in a hospital, supporting patients with complex conditions such as diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders or renal disease, or in community healthcare, helping people manage long-term conditions closer to home.

Career opportunities also extend into public health, private practice, sports nutrition, research, academia, food policy, product development, consultancy, workplace wellbeing and digital health.

Dietitians may contribute to preventative healthcare, shape policy, support elite performance, establish their own practice or help develop the evidence that informs future care.

Denise concluded: “Whether your ambition is to work in a major teaching hospital, establish your own private practice, contribute to public health policy, undertake research, or work with elite athletes, the profession offers the opportunity to build a career that is both personally rewarding and professionally meaningful.”

Could This Be Your Route to Becoming a Dietitian?

Apply online or book a call with a Career Pathway Consultant to explore whether the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) is right for you.