Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics

Programme Summary — Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics

Level: Diploma

Duration: 3 Years (6 Semesters)

Mode of Study: 100% Online (e-Learning)

Tuition Fee: USD 300 per semester

Delivery Platform: MIHS Open, 100% Online via ODeL Portal. (Students need reliable internet access and a computer/tablet).

Overview

The Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics is a comprehensive three-year programme offered entirely online through the MIHS Open, Distance, and e-Learning (ODeL) department. This programme addresses the urgent critical health priorities of South Sudan and the broader Greater Upper Nile region, where severe acute malnutrition, maternal-child micronutrient deficiencies, and food insecurity require specialized public health nutrition expertise.

Designed for working professionals, field humanitarian staff, and students across remote states, this flexible online format allows learners to gain professional qualifications without relocating to Juba. The curriculum combines clinical dietetics, community nutrition, food security analysis, and emergency nutrition response.

Programme Objectives

The programme equips students to:

• Assess nutritional status of individuals, vulnerable populations, and communities using anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical methods.
• Design and implement therapeutic dietary plans for clinical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, renal diseases, and severe acute malnutrition (SAM/MAM).
• Manage emergency nutrition interventions, Outpatient Therapeutic Programmes (OTP), and Stabilization Centers in humanitarian settings.
• Promote maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (IYCF) practices to reduce childhood stunting and wasting.
• Conduct community nutritional surveys, surveillance, and food security evaluations across rural and urban settings.
• Formulate public health nutrition policies, health promotion campaigns, and community education initiatives.

Programme Structure & Areas of Learning

Delivered over six online semesters, the curriculum blends interactive theoretical e-modules, virtual case studies, real-world field projects, and dietary planning assignments.

Key Areas of Study Include:

• Human Nutrition & Biochemistry: Metabolic pathways, nutrient digestion, absorption, and physiological functions.
• Clinical Dietetics & Medical Nutrition Therapy: Nutritional management of acute and chronic systemic diseases.
• Community & Public Health Nutrition: Epidemiological approaches to malnutrition, program planning, and policy design.
• Emergency Nutrition & Humanitarian Response: UNICEF/WFP guidelines, SMART surveys, and management of acute malnutrition in crisis context.
• Maternal, Infant & Child Nutrition (IYCF): Optimal feeding practices, lactation management, and developmental nutrition.
• Food Science, Safety & Security: Food preservation, hygiene standards, contamination control, and household food security analysis.
• Nutritional Assessment Methods: Anthropometry, dietary intake assessments, and clinical evaluation protocols.

Flexible Online Learning Experience (ODeL)

Through the MIHS e-Learning Portal, students access pre-recorded video lectures, downloadable reading materials, self-paced quizzes, and interactive discussion forums. Self-directed learning (SDL) modules and guided continuous assessments allow working health personnel in state hospitals and NGO field bases to study seamlessly alongside their professional duties.