Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
How to become a dietitian
Apply your professional understanding of diet and nutrition to improve patients' health.
What is a dietitian?
Dietitians assess, diagnose and treat diet-related and nutritional problems. They raise awareness of the link between food and health, and how it impacts the individual and the wider public.
How do I become a dietitian?
To become a dietitian, you'll need to be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) after completing an approved course.
An HCPC-approved programme means:
- An undergraduate degree in dietetics
- Or, if you have a degree in another relevant subject, a Postgraduate Diploma or a Master’s in dietetics
For a place on an undergraduate course, you'll usually need:
- Three A-levels (or equivalent), including chemistry and another science subject
- GCSE English Language and Maths Grade C or above (Grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards) or equivalent
To study for a postgraduate qualification, you must have a sciences degree, usually a 2:1 or above, that includes a sufficient element of human physiology and biochemistry. Relevant disciplines may include:
- Biochemistry
- Biomedical science
- Health sciences
- Nutrition
- Nutritional science
- Physiology
What would I do as a dietitian?
As a dietitian you'll contribute positively to the health and wellbeing of your patients.
If you work in the NHS, you'll usually be based in a hospital, health centre or clinic. Community dietitians may have to travel to meet clients locally. If you're involved in a research environment, you may find yourself working in a laboratory.
There are also opportunities to become self-employed as a dietitian, working within a clinical setting, in sport and private health sectors or in the food industry.
Day to day, your work may involve:
- Studying and evaluating people's eating habits
- Investigating a patients' nutritional needs
- Working with doctors and consultants to create dietary care plans to support patients' treatment
- Supporting patients with special feeding requirements
- Helping schools to provide healthy school meals
- Advising hospital catering departments
Becoming a dietician could be for you if...
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You want to make a difference
Your skills and training can make a positive difference to the quality of life of your patients.
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You connect
Working in a healthcare setting, you'll need to quickly build a rapport with your patients.
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You listen first
To understand your patients' challenges, you'll need to be a good listener.
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You have a tidy mind
You'll be liaising with various agencies and handling a large caseload, so you'll need good organisational skills.
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You stick at it
Demand for your services will be high in the public health sector, so you'll need a measure of staying power.
What are the typical working hours for a dietitian?
If you're working in the NHS, chances are you'll work a standard 37.5 hours a week. Otherwise, you'll probably work 09:00 to 17:00, but may need to work some extra hours including weekends.
Jobs in the NHS follow nine pay bands and are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) Pay Rates.
Starting salaries for qualified dietitians range from £24,907 to £30,615 (Band 5).
Dietitians at specialist level (Band 6) can earn between £31,365 and £37,890.
At advanced (highly specialist) and team leader level (Band 7), you can earn between £38,890 and £44,503.
If you work as a dietitian outside the NHS, salary levels vary.
