Deakin's Bachelor of Nutrition Science (Dietetics Pathway) is designed as the first step toward becoming a dietitian. It develops your understanding of human nutrition and its impact on health, focusing on challenges like disease prevention and food-related wellbeing issues facing society. The course includes practical exposure through state-of-the-art food sensory labs, simulating real industry environments to prepare you for the workforce. It emphasizes hands-on experience to improve health and wellbeing through food and nutrition, targeting the reduction of poor diet-related diseases which account for over 7% of the disease burden in Australia. Achieving a 75 weighted average mark (WAM) or above in this course guarantees entry into the Master of Dietetics, provided prerequisites are met. The curriculum covers a broad range of topics including food in disease prevention, nutrition education, food regulation, lifespan nutrition, and sustainable food systems. Electives in food innovation, health promotion, and related fields broaden career prospects, and a final-year practicum offers valuable industry experience.
Why this course is highly recommended
This course is ideal for students passionate about improving community health through food and nutrition. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience, including industry-standard labs and a final-year practicum, to ensure you're workforce-ready. Plus, guaranteed entry into the Master of Dietetics for high-achieving students makes it a strong pathway into professional dietetics and related fields.
This degree offers a major in food innovation, which prepares you for careers in the food industry involving food product creation, marketing, sensory analysis, and regulation. The course also allows for electives in other areas such as health promotion, psychology, physical activity, or exercise science, providing additional career pathways.
Application fees
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1st year tuition fees
22.00L
Living cost
Completing this course requires passing 24 credit points, including core units, electives, and mandatory safety and integrity modules. You will study across three levels, with units focusing on foundational topics like food, physiology, biochemistry, and advanced concepts such as food policy and population nutrition. The course structure emphasizes a mix of practical and theoretical units, with most taught over two trimesters per year.

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Graduates can pursue careers in nutrition, population health, food analysis, and food policy. They are equipped for roles in advocacy, nutrition promotion, media, quality assurance, and consultancy. The degree also prepares students for further studies, particularly the Master of Dietetics, opening pathways to become a registered dietitian with professional recognition from organizations like Dietetics Australia. For those with a food innovation major, careers in food product development, regulation, sensory analysis, and the food industry are also available.