Mastering a healthy diet
by Michèle Nardelli
UniSA is launching a new degree program to prepare accredited dieticians with the skills to help tackle some of South Australia’s most significant public health issues.
The new Master of Dietetics will commence in 2011, opening postgraduate opportunities to students already studying a range of nutrition and health programs at UniSA. In planning the degree UniSA is working closely with the Dietitians Association of Australia to develop a top quality program with appropriate accreditation.
UniSA Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Høj says students in the new Masters program will have the advantage of carrying out their studies in a research-rich environment focused on the variety of issues effecting population health.
"UniSA is building a research and teaching capacity in population health that will educate a range of health professionals to work in the field, tackling some of the big health issues, including the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged, ageing and migrant populations," Prof Høj says.
Director of UniSA’s Sansom Institute for Health Research and one of Australia’s leading nutrition researchers, Professor Kerin O’Dea says nutrition and diet are key areas informing our approach to improving health at the individual, community and population level.
"The Master of Dietetics will complement a strong nutrition research program here at UniSA and enhance our broad suite of offerings in the training of high quality allied health professionals," Prof O’Dea says.