Program Presentation
Today´s hectic pace makes it difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. The lack of nutritionists in addition to an increasing need for diet and diet therapy in the areas of education, health, and media information point to an urgent need for solid information.
A healthy and balanced diet is essential to quality of life, and optimal nutritional ensures better health. The Diet and Diet Therapy Development Program addresses the fundamentals of the assessment methods of an individual’s nutritional intake, leading to specific guidelines for the maintenance of a balanced diet for healthy as well as unhealthy people.
Who is the programme for?
The proposed methodology underlies a clear and ample curricular design, so that the Specialization in Diet and Diet therapy Development program may target professionals that work in positions related to healthcare, companies or industries who wish to specialize in this area.
The Specialization in Diet and Diet therapy Development program is designed for:
- University degree holders and those who do not have degrees, who wish to acquire basic knowledge in the areas of diet and diet therapy.
- Healthcare professionals, from private companies or industries that wish to consolidate their knowledge in order to practice it in their workplace.
- Graduates who wish to specialize in dietary issues in order to improve their job opportunities.
Diploma
Successful completion of the Program will enable you to be awarded the degree in Specialization in Diet and Diet Therapy Development.
After successfully completing the Program, the student will receive the degree as awarded by the University where they have enrolled.
Program Structure
The credit structure of the Diet and Diet Therapy Development program is shown in the following table. It should be noted that the duration is merely indicative, as the methodology followed integrates the knowledge and skills to be acquired in each part through integrative exercises of knowledge acquisition and internalization of project practices:
| CREDITSa | |
|---|---|
| Subjects | 15 |
a. The equivalence in credits may vary according to the university where he/she has enrolled. One (1) ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credit is equivalent to 10 + 15 hours. If the student is enrolled in a university that does not belong to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the relation between credits - hours may vary.
Duration
The program in Diet and Diet Therapy Development has 15 créditos.
The duration of the program in Diet and Diet Therapy Development varies between 6 and 9 months, depending on the student's dedication. In this period of time, the student must have successfully passed all the evaluated activities and approved the Final Project, if any.
Objectives
General objective
- To provide professionals with basic of dietary knowledge, as well as the nutritional treatment to be performed according to specific pathologies, such as the use of medicinal plants.
Specific objectives
- To offer training in the most relevant topics that encompass the study of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- To give advice on correct eating habits and the negative consequences that may occur if not followed.
- To share professional and personal experiences and knowledge on relevant issues via the Virtual Campus.
Career Opportunities
Some of the career opportunities of the Diet and Diet therapy Development program are:
- Health Science professionals that wish to specialize in an area in Nutrition.
- Teachers in regulated and non-regulated teaching programs for healthcare personnel, restoration services personnel, consumer information center, associations for the chronically ill, colleges, civic center, sports centers, etc.
- Managers of restoration companies, school unions, caterings, hotels, hospitals, geriatrics, etc.
- Scientific researcher on topics related to nutrition/food.
- Technician in a Research and Development department in the pharmaceutical or food industry.
- Technician in a Marketing department in the pharmaceutical or food industry.
- Technician in a Quality department in the pharmaceutical or food industry.
- Business in food or pharmaceutical companies with a line of functional products or with specific nutritional characteristics.
Note: Professional practice is subject to each country’s legislations.
Study Plan
The Diet and Diet Therapy Development program is comprised of 5 subjects, that are independent yet structured according to a coherent pedagogic sequence to be followed in chronological order.
The objective of this section is for students to acquire a broad idea of Diet and Diet Therapy to become familiar with the fundamentals of developing diets for healthy or people with specific illnesses.
The corresponding subjects and hours are shown in the following table:
| DIET AND DIET THERAPY DEVELOPMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | HOURS |
| 1 | Nutritional Necessities of the Human Organism | 30 |
| 2 | Food Composition Tables. Diet Development | 30 |
| 3 | Nutrition in Physiological Situations | 30 |
| 4 | Nutrition in Pathological Situations of High Prevalence | 30 |
| 5 | Phytotherapy | 30 |
| Total | 150 | |
Note: The contents of the academic program may be subject to slight modifications, depending on the updates or the improvements made.
Management
Academic Administration
- Dr. Maurizio Antonio Battino. Biochemist researcher and professor at the School of Specialization in Food Science. Professor at the Polytechnic University of Marche. Scientific Director in the European University of the Atlantic.
- Dr. Javier González Gallego. Professor of Physiology at the University of León.
- Dr. Fernando Mönckeberg Barros. Dean of the Faculty of Science at the Diego Portales University (Chile). President of the Corporation for Child Nutrition (COCN).
- Dr. Adolfo Chávez. President of the Latin American Association of Nutrition. Head of the Department of Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Education of the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition (NIMSandN) Salvador Zubirán (Mexico).
- Dr. Antonio Gálvez del Postigo Ruiz. Professor of Microbiology at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Jaen.
- Dr. Esther Fuentes Marhuenda. Professor of the Miguel Hernández de Elche University.
- Prof. Enrico Bertoli. Professor and Director of the Scuola di Specializzazione in Scienza dell'Alimentazione.
- Dr. Luzmila Troncoso Corzo. Dean of the Faculty of Nutrition and Dietetics from the South Scientific University (Peru).
General Academic Coordination
- Dr. Irma Domínguez. Doctor in Education by the Iberoamerican International University. Professor of the European University of the Atlantic.
FUNIBER Training Scholarships
The Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) allocates periodically an extraordinary economic item for FUNIBER Training Scholarships.
To apply, please fill out the information request form that appears in the web of FUNIBER or contact directly the Foundation’s headquarters in your country that will inform you if you need to provide some additional information.
Once the documentation is received, the Evaluation Committee will determine your application's eligibility for the FUNIBER Training Scholarship.