SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Bachelor of Science: Dietetics

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
2581	Bachelor of Science: Dietetics
ORIGINATOR
Medical University of Southern Africa
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National First Degree(Min 480)	Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services		Curative Health
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	480	Level 7	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 2663/05	2006-07-01	2009-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2010-06-30		2015-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The primary purpose of the qualification is to:

Provide qualifying learners with graduate level knowledge, skills and applied competence in the fields of nutrition and dietetics, which promote and maintain health and facilitate recovery from illness at all levels of health service delivery.
Provide qualifiers with opportunities for continuing personal and professional development, gainful economic activity and contributing to the building of service capacity and transformation of both the public and private sectors in South Africa.
Qualify learners to register with the Professional Board for Dietetics of the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Field and sub-fields
Field: Health Services and Social Science
Sub-fields: Curative Health
Preventative and Promotive Health
Rehabilitative Health

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

FET certificate
Compulsory learning areas: Mathematics and Physical Science.
Recommended learning areas: Biology
OR
Level 5 National Certificate or Level 6 National Diploma in related courses such as natural sciences, food science/nutrition or foodservice management.
OR
The submission of portfolios of evidence of formal/non-formal/informal prior learning which prospective learners bring to the learning situation.
AND
Competency in written and oral English

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

The Rules and Regulations of the University and/or those of the Medical and Dental Professionals Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

The graduate must demonstrate ability to:
1. Assess/screen nutritional status and health risks of clients/patients and groups.

2. Plan, implement and evaluate an integrated nutrition care service to clients and groups in both public and private sectors.

3. Design, implement, and evaluate preventative and promotive nutrition programmes and groups in various settings.

4. Manage an integrated nutrition service at all levels of service delivery.

5. Conduct nutrition- and dietetics- related research applicable to professional practice.

6. Record, analyse and organise information in clinical and community practice, research and management.

7. Work and communicate appropriately and effectively with clients. Other team members and communities.

8. Act ethically and maintain standards of practice in all professional situations.

9. Understanding the importance of lifelong learning and career development within the fields of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The following Critical Cross-fields Outcomes are integrated with the Specific Outcomes in the presentation of this qualification:

Identify, analysing and solving problems through critical reasoning.
Demonstrate responsible decision-making using creative thinking.
Collect, analyse organise and critically evaluate information in a holistic systems-based way.
Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community.
Organise and manage oneself and one 's activities responsibly and effectively.
Ensure personal growth and develop through life-long learning an adaptation to technological advances.
Act in an ethically acceptable manner in interpersonal and research situation.
Approach change in the scientific and health environment with a receptive and responsive attitude.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1.1 Assess the nutritional status of individuals and groups.
1.2 Screen for and identify health risk related to nutrition in individuals and groups.
1.3 Analyse and critically evaluate anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, dietary and socio-economic information on individuals and groups.
1.4 Identify nutritional problems and make nutritional diagnoses for individuals and groups.

2.1 Plan appropriate nutrition care intervention by generating strategies to deal with identified problems in individuals and groups.
2.2 Implement appropriate nutrition care intervention in the treatment and intervention of nutritional problems in individuals and groups.
2.3 Evaluate the outcome of nutritional care process.

3.1 Design a preventive and promotive nutrition programmes for groups and communities in various settings.
3.2 Implement a preventive and promotive nutrition programmes for groups and communities in various settings.
3.3 Evaluate a preventive and promotive nutrition programmes for groups and communities in various settings.

4.1 Plan an appropriate integrated nutrition service to address nutrition programs at all levels for groups and communities.
4.2 Organise resources for the implementation of an integrated nutrition service.
4.3 Direct the integrated nutrition service on a systems basis at all levels of delivery.
4.4 Control the use of resources and the quality of the nutrition service delivery.

5.1 Develop a proposal for a nutrition related research project.
5.2 Conduct nutrition research through the implementation of research proposal.
5.3 Write research report and present research findings in a scientific manner.
5.4 Write research report and present research findings in a scientific manner.

6.1 Keep appropriate record of all data collected.
6.2 Document all actions and interventions.
6.3 Analyse and critically evaluate and interpret all data available.
6.4 Organise information in an appropriate manner for planned outcomes.

7.1 Work effectively as a member of a health care team in all settings.
7.2 Provide effective nutrition service to individual clients and groups.
7.3 Communicate nutrition messages effectively in the delivery of a nutrition service.

8.1 Act in accordance with the Ethical Code for Dietetics and all regulation pertaining to the profession.
8.2 Ensure the confidentiality of client information.
8.3 Provide nutrition service with the provisions of the Bill of Human Rights.

9.1 Develop an awareness of the requirements for compulsory continuing professional development (CPD)
9.2 Subscribe to professional nutrition / dietetics organisation.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

1. Each course/module is assessed on a continuous basis using a wide range of methods that assess the knowledge, skills, and value, which demonstrate professional capabilities.
These are:
Written tests and examinations
Project proposals and reports
Written assignments
Case studies and presentations
Work place assessments and simulations
Portfolios
Research-based dissertation

2. Formative and summative assessment are integrated.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The BSc Dietetics degree is comparable with the Dietetics degree in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Graduates are eligible for registration with the British Dietetics Council. Registration in other countries are subject to successful completion of an entrance examination.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

1. Articulation with qualifications offered at other institutions:

Any learner with one of the following may enter this course mid-stream and visa versa:
Tertiary qualification related to nutrition or foodservice management e.g. B Tech
(Nutrition) or Diploma in Foodservice Management.
Credits at level 5 or higher in relevant natural science and health science modules
BSc, and other health science graduates.

2. The qualifications toward which the BSc Dietetics graduate may proceed are:
Masters of science in Dietetics/Nutrition
PhD in Dietetics/Nutrition

MODERATION OPTIONS

Internally: There is peer evaluation of course presentation and the standard of
tests/examinations.
Learner evaluation of courses
Quality assurance bodies of the university
Externally: External examiners and moderators are appointed from experts within the profession on an annual basis. The Professional Board of Dietetics of the Health Professions Council of South Africa acts as a moderating body through inspection.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Internal and external assessors, who are suitably qualified professional dieticians and other professionals, will do assessment. Such person must demonstrate:

evidence of appropriate professional and teaching experience

evidence of research and research supervision

registration with the HPCSA.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

NONE