About this degree
This Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition course provides knowledge and skills in the classification, aetiology, epidemiology, and risk for eating disorders. It explores the physical and psychiatric assessment and treatment of eating disordered patients of different ages, sex, and ethnic groups. It also concentrates on management and service development in the eating disorders field.
Our teaching includes a variety of methods, including practical approaches, research methods, seminars, tutorials, and clinical observation sessions at eating disorders treatment centres.
MSc students complete an independent research project, usually with a supervisor from UCL or a suitable qualified external supervisor such as a consultant psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. You can also explore research areas that interest you and contact relevant departments to see if they can offer a project.
Though our degree is clinically focused, it is not clinical training and does not qualify graduates to work independently with patients with eating disorders. It does give an excellent grounding for a clinical training in, for example, dietetics, psychology or psychiatry and is intended for students hoping to work in research or service provision and development in eating disorders.
Who this course is for
To the best of our knowledge, this course is the only graduate programme in eating disorders and clinical nutrition in the world. We attract a very diverse range of students in terms of age, clinical experience, educational background, nationality, and future career plans. The main reason students apply to us is a strong interest in the subjects we offer.
Some of our students have already completed clinical training and are working dietitians, nutritionists, psychologists, or psychiatrists. We are interested in attracting students with nutrition, psychology, dietetic and other relevant degrees from any part of the world who anticipate working with eating disorder patients or conducting research into eating disorders.
We are interested in attracting students with nutrition, psychology, dietetic, medical, and other relevant degrees from any part of the world who anticipate working with eating disorder patients or conducting research into eating disorders.
What if I have an eating disorder?
We welcome applications from students who have had personal experience of an eating disorder. Some aspects of the course could be triggering. Based on feedback from students and professional bodies including the British Dietetic Association, we advise that applicants should have fully recovered from their eating disorder at least two years before joining this course.
If you are unsure whether you are sufficiently recovered, you can contact us in the first instance. Our course tutors are all clinicians actively working in the field.
What this course will give you
This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.
- The field of eating disorders is rapidly developing in terms of service provision and research. You are joining the only comprehensive graduate programme available in the field, meeting an important clinical and academic need.
- Whether you are a psychiatrist, dietitian, nurse, or researcher, the course provides a solid grounding in clinical nutrition and information on all aspects of eating disorders.
- The programme includes a three-day placement at an eating disorders service.
- The programme fulfils criteria for membership of the Association for Nutrition. Hence, it gives a broad training in nutrition generally, as well as training in eating disorders.
- You will be in a good position to apply for a PhD or the clinical training programmes you need to become a fully qualified clinical psychologist, dietician, etc.
