Course coordinator
Professor Sarah McNaughton
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
Dietetics practitioners require management skills in order to practice effectively and to contribute to the delivery of food and nutrition services. In addition, many practitioners take on sole positions which usually include management roles, or wish to enter business for themselves. This course introduces issues associated with the management of food and nutrition services to a safe practice level and key skills and concept necessary to run a successful business such as private practice. It uses a systems approach. Topics include planning, quality and safety, leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, clinical governance and human resource management. These concepts will be applied to nutrition services in a general sense as well as application to business. They will also be applied to food service provision in healthcare and other settings where clients are dependent on the food service for their nutrition. This course provides the theoretical underpinnings for professional practice and assesses elements of the entry level competencies for dietetics.
This course explores issues associated with leadership and management within nutrition and dietetics in the public and private sectors and across a variety of professional settings.ﾠTopics include leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, best practice models of nutrition service, evaluating nutrition services in terms of efficacy and performance outcomes including satisfaction,ﾠclinical governance and credentialing, human resource management, quality and safety,ﾠand contemporary issues in nutrition and foodservice management.
You will have the opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge and skills in professional practice. Entry level practitioners require management skills to establish or contribute effectively to the delivery of food and nutrition services including private practice as well as manage the resources which they, themselves represent.ﾠYou also require management skills to build and maintain a successful career particularly if you develop your own business or products. You should therefore find this courseﾠdirectly relevant to any nutrition, dietetics or management position in any setting.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Noﾠassumed background.
Restrictions
MDietSt students only
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Sarah McNaughton
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Consult your timetable for scheduled workshops. Please note that in week 7 attendance is required all day and includes the business case assessment task.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with sufficient theoretical background in management for entry level dietetics professionals. This includes food and nutrition services in both the public and private sectors, as well as private practice.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Use digitally curated evidence and critical reflection to articulate a developing professional identity
LO2.
Demonstrate the ability to constructively participate in teamwork and apply leadership skills
LO3.
Apply innovation and entrepreneurship principles to produce an authentic marketing plan for a nutrition and dietetics practice
LO4.
Apply key business management processes and evaluation methods to develop and assess nutrition and dietetics practice
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Business marketing plan and presentation
|
45% |
Written document and PDF presentation slides: 9/04/2025 9:00 am Presentations: 9/04/2025 9:00 am - 12:00 pm |
| Reflection | Critical Reflection - Teamwork | 15% |
28/04/2025 5:00 pm |
| Portfolio | Professional ePortfolio | 40% |
30/05/2025 5:00 pm |
Assessment details
Business marketing plan and presentation
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
Written document and PDF presentation slides: 9/04/2025 9:00 am
Presentations: 9/04/2025 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04
Task description
In this group assessment you will work in small teams of 3 or 4 to craft and present an expression of interest for taking over a dietetics clinic.
You will submit an expression of interest in a written document and give an oral presentation, "a pitch", it to a panel in a 12-minute presentation, followed by 2-3 minutes of question time.
There will be time allocated in the weekly workshops to complete the task, however the bulk of the task will need to be completed outside workshop time.
Note: The written material must submitted prior to the start of the presentations session in week 7. If a member of the group is unable to present, an extension for the whole group will be required. If you are applying for an extension for the written report, you also must apply for an extension for the presentation, as the report must be submitted prior to the presentation.
To facilitate group work, the Buddycheck peer evaluation platform will be used.
Recording of Assessment:
When a student is required to complete an oral or practical assessment item worth 20% or more, the performance will be recorded and retained as per Appendix 1 as the official recording of the item for re-mark purposes.
Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed for the purposes of:
i. moderation of marking
ii. provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or
iii. re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
Submission guidelines
Written document and PDF presentation slides: to be submitted via the relevant Turnitin submission portal on the course Blackboard site by one group member.
Presentations: to be presented in-person.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions for group work assessment may be available and will require a single request submitted with agreement from at least 50% of the members of the group, and recognition of potential impacts on the other group members. Download and complete the form below, and attach this form to your extension request: Extension of Group Assessment - Group Member Acknowledgement (PDF, 144.9 KB)
Student Access Plans for an individual student do not guarantee an extension for the assessment item. Extension Verification Letters cannot be used for group-based assessments and activities.
Dysfunctional group dynamics, poor performance by individual group members, or illness or other issues of a group member are generally not considered sufficient grounds for an extension on submission of a group assessment item. These issues should be actively managed by the group and the Course Coordinator as appropriate, during semester.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Critical Reflection - Teamwork
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
28/04/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02
Task description
Students will complete an individual critical reflection on their teamwork experience during the business plan assignment.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted via the relevant ePortfolio submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Professional ePortfolio
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Portfolio
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
30/05/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01
Task description
Students will create an individual ePortfolio to gather the evidence of their competencies throughout the Master of Dietetics Studies Program. This assessment prepares students for their professional path by giving them the opportunity to gather the evidence of competencies acquired through the various courses in a structured manner.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted via the relevant ePortfolio submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy most or all of the basic requirements of the course: (typically 0 - 24%) |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the course. Clear deficiencies in performance, but evidence that some basic requirements have been met: (typically 25ﾠ- 44%) |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to satisfy all basic requirement for pass but is close to satisfactory overall and has compensating strengths in some aspects: (typically 45ﾠ- 49%) |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in the course: (typically 50 - 64%) |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight: (typically 65 - 74%) |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtler aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas: (typically 75 - 84%) |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting, surprising, exciting, challenging or erudite: (typically 85 - 100%) |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64) .
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT)
The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Attendance at workshops
Attendance at all workshops is strongly encouraged as material covered in the workshops will assist in successfully completing all aspects of this course. Workshops are intended to be interactive and workshops will not be recorded. Workshop slides will be available on Blackboard.
Students who miss a workshop must complete an absentee form and email the form as soon as possible to your course coordinator no later than two (2) calendar days after the date of the original class was held. You must submit supporting documentation along with your request. Please review the information listed on the medical or extenuating circumstances page for information about acceptable supporting documentation.
Any non-approved absences may result in being placed under the Fitness to Study policy.
What is Turnitin
Turnitin is an electronic assignment submission tool. The tool provides your Course Coordinator with:
· a record of the exact submission time of an assignment
· an originality report indicating the percentage of your work that is an exact match of existing materials within the Turnitin database.
Instructions on how to submit an assignment using Turnitin are located on the UQ Library website
Submit your Turnitin assignment - Library Guide
Note:
When submitting, to check that you have chosen the correct file on the Preview Submission page and click on the Submit to Turnitin button. ﾠ
Remember to download your digital receipt in your Assignment inbox to confirm successful submission.
If a submission cannot be successfully completed, email a copy of the assessment task to the Course Administrator. For contact details refer to Course Contact section of the Course Profile.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop 1 Overview of course, Expectations, portfolio training UQ Extend Module 1: Teamwork and leadership Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop 2 UQ Extend Module 2: Marketing and entrepreneurship Guest presenter: Jessica Cartwright - Private Practice Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop 3 UQ Extend Module 3 : Business management Guest presenters: UQ Ventures - Business model design workshop Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop 4 UQ Extend Module 4: Professional Identity Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop 5 UQ Extend Module 5 Digital essentials Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Workshop |
Workshop 6 UQ Extend Module 6: Career development Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Workshop |
Workshop 7 Morning: Business cases presentations Afternoon: Eportfolio Discussion opportunity Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: