The master's programme consists of courses of 60 credits and a master's thesis (2 courses) of 60 credits.

The master's thesis consists of an independent scientific work of a total of 60 credits which you carry out under supervision. The master's thesis is divided into two subjects, 10 credits research protocol and 50 credits research thesis. In the thesis, you will solve a scientific problem, process your own data and give a written presentation of hypotheses, results, discussion of results and conclusions.

The purpose of the master's degree in clinical nutrition is to provide students with the theoretical, scientific, practical and professional ethical basis necessary to practice the profession of dietitian.

The master's program in clinical nutrition is divided into a clinical and a research-oriented part.

The first year of the master's programme builds on theoretical knowledge acquired from the bachelor's programme in nutrition, and puts this into a clinical context with medical nutritional treatment of patients in the specialist healthcare service. Students learn to assess nutrition-related issues, set nutritional diagnosis, prepare nutrition plans and practice medical nutrition treatment in collaboration with other health professionals. In addition, the candidate must start preparations for the master's thesis, which is mainly carried out in the second year of study.

In the second year of study, the candidate must carry out independent scientific work under supervision in the form of a master's thesis. The research-oriented work includes solving a scientific problem, collecting and handling own data, and on this basis giving a written and oral presentation of hypotheses, results, discussion and conclusions. In addition, the candidate must complete 6 weeks of clinical practice in the specialist healthcare service this year.

A candidate who has completed his or her qualification should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

Candidates will..

• acquire advanced knowledge in medical nutritional treatment of children, adolescents and adults
• acquire advanced knowledge of clinical nutritionists' most important areas of responsibility and working methods in the primary and specialist healthcareservices
• acquire advanced knowledge of the cause, incidence, consequences and treatment of nutrition-related diseases and conditions of persons of all ages and life stages
• acquire in-depth knowledge of standard diets, special diets and consistency-adapted diets in health institutions and in the health and care services provided in the home
• be able to analyse key nutritional challenges globally, and is familiar with the most common nutrition-oriented measures and strategies
• acquire advanced knowledge of the steps in the nutritional treatment process, including mapping, diagnosis, intervention and follow-up, the associated model and terminology
• acquire advanced knowledge in diagnosis-specific nutritional treatment
• acquire advanced knowledge in communication, interaction and cooperation to establish trust and maintain a good relationship and promote motivation with users, patients and relatives, and about how language and culture affect this
• acquire in-depth knowledge of relevant research methods in basic, clinical and epidemiological dietary and nutrition research, including interpretation of results

Skills:

Candidates will..

• be able to analyse a coherent disease picture in children, young people and adults and make adapted and targeted medical nutritional treatment, follow-up and monitoring.
• be able to use relevant medical nutrition products, including selection and dosage of nutritional drinks, enteral and parenteral nutrition
• be able to analyse and relate critically to their own and others' dietary and nutrition research and discuss transferability and relevance to their own practice
• be able to use relevant methods for data collection and statistical analysis in dietary and nutrition research in an independent manner
• be able to carry out dietary guidance, including the use of relevant methods within patient-centered consultation techniques, of users, patients and relatives in learning, coping and change processes
• be able to carry out interdisciplinary, interprofessional and cross-sectoral interaction and interaction across enterprises and levels, as well as initiate such interaction
• be able to undertake independent, defined research projects under guidance and in line with current norms on research ethics.

General competence:

Candidates will..

• be able to apply their knowledge and skills to give dietary advice to people in different life stages and functional levels, as well as population groups with special dietary habits.
• be able to contribute to competence enhancement in nutrition among other occupational groups in the health service and public administration and to the general public.
• be able to apply their knowledge and skills to carry out nutritional treatment at all ages and life stages within somatics and mental health
• be able to apply their knowledge and skills to plan, implement and evaluate health-promoting and preventive nutrition measures in different population groups.
• be able to contribute to professional and knowledge development in the field of nutrition, and assist in research projects on the connection between diet, health and disease.
• acquire new knowledge and make professional assessments, decisions and actions in line with evidence-based practice. The candidate will also be able to document and communicate their professional knowledge
• be able to apply their knowledge and skills in independent professional practice and prioritisation of their work tasks as a dietitian
• be able to communicate evidence-based practice on diet and nutrition to patients, users, relatives and other health professions in a scientific but easy-to-understand manner
• be able to apply their knowledge and skills to work as a dietitian in accordance with academic standards and develop their expertise within clinical nutrition

The academic requirement for admission to the Master's Programme in Clinical Nutrition is a bachelor's degree in nutrition from The University of Bergen, The University of Oslo or The University of Tromsø, or equivalent to at least a minimum average grade of C or a higher admission criteria. If there are more applicants for a programme than there are places of study, the applicants will be ranked according to the grades in the admission criteria. All applications are processed individually.

The master's degree in clinical nutrition is a master's programme taught in Norwegian with Norwegian language requirements. Applicants must therefore have good written and oral skills in Norwegian and they must be able to participate actively in teaching and group work.

To ensure that the students have the necessary knowledge, qualifications and general competence, various forms of assessment are implemented throughout the course of study:

• written examination
• home examination
• oral examination
• compulsory participation
• submission of paper

Most courses have digital assessment.

The Master's Programme in Clinical Nutrition gives authorisation as a dietitan. A dietitian can prevent, account for, diagnose and treat nutrition-related diseases. Dietitians also have the expertise to critically assess, disseminate and develop knowledge about nutrition.

For example, a dietitian may work in the specialist and primary healthcare services. Other workplaces can be universities and colleges, international organisations, research institutes, public and private sectors.

The master's degree qualifies for admission to a PhD education leading up to a doctorate.

As an educational institution, we must assess whether you are fit to practice the profession as a health or social worker. The assessment covers both professional, educational and personal prerequisites, and will take place throughout the education - cf. Regulations on suitability assessment in higher education.

When you finish your studies, you will be authorised as a dietitian. The Directorate of Health (HKdir) has more information about the authorisation scheme.

The Programme Committee for Nutrition is responsible for the academic content, structure and quality of the programme of study.

The Master's Programme in Clinical Nutrition is a master's programme in health sciences with a clinical focus linked to the research environment at various departments at the Faculty of Medicine and Haukeland University Hospital.