Program Overview

School of Health Care Sciences

Bachelor of Dietetics (BDietetics)

A dietician can be defined as a professional person who translates the science and art of food, nutrition, and dietetics in the service of people, whether individually or in the family or large groups, healthy or sick, at all stages of the life cycle.

Dietetics is a supplementary health care profession that promotes the quality of life of individuals and/or communities by means of nutrition care. This care can be preventive and/or curative. An informed and well-nourished community is a healthy community.

What does the degree entail?

The Bachelor of Dietetics is a four-year course, and the content is structured around the profession. The profession is broadly made up of three areas of specialization within the scope of practice.

• Clinical (therapeutic) dietetics, which focuses on the nutrition of individuals, either preventative in terms of lifestyle-related diseases, or therapeutic in the treatment of the disease.
• Community-based dietetics, with the goal to educate and train communities or groups of people in the field of improving health through nutrition.
• The management of large-scale food service units, where the nutritional needs of clients, patients, or customers are considered for normal and therapeutic diets of high quality.

In order to deliver this professional service, scientific knowledge of the following is necessary:

• Foods and nutrients
• Man and his nutritional needs in health and disease
• The biochemical and physiological foundations of nutrition
• The role of nutrition in the causation, progress, and management of diseases
• Knowledge of the human sciences, such as psychology and anthropology, to understand eating behavior and for the successful modification thereof.

What can I do with my degree?

The qualified dietician registers with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Once registered, they can provide nutrition counseling and dietary management in hospitals and clinics as a member of the health care team. Preventive nutrition care can also be provided to the public by means of nutrition education about healthy eating habits and the prevention of nutrition-related diseases.

• Nutrition counseling and dietary management in hospitals and clinics
• Preventive nutrition care through nutrition education
• Private practice, providing nutrition counseling to patients referred by a medical doctor
• Consultation on sports nutrition and other specialized areas
• Management of large-scale food service units
• Quality assurance in food service systems

What are the admission requirements?

Applications close on 31 May each year.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Dietetics program at the University of Pretoria provides students with a comprehensive education in dietetics, including theoretical and practical training in biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, and anthropology, as well as food science and human nutrition. The program aims to produce graduates who are skilled in the use of technology and research in the field of nutrition and are able to work independently as part of a healthcare team.