Admission to the degree programme is subject to the possession of a secondary school diploma or equivalent suitable qualification obtained abroad.
Admission to the programme is subject to the passing of an entrance exam set in line with the laws in force concerning health professions and the nationally programmed access (Law 264/99) and the relative call for admissions issued by UNIMORE. Knowledge required for admission is deemed to be appropriate for all candidates obtaining a minimum of 20 points in the entrance exam, as laid down in Ministerial Decree no. 85 of 5 February 2014.
Candidates not obtaining this score are assigned additional learning requirements (OFA) to be completed by the end of the first semester of the AY, and are offered remedial courses as indicated by the programme board.

Basic Area
Knowledge and understanding of basic scientific disciplines base (physics, computing, statistics) for understanding the principles of scientific research in medical and health fields, to learn the main computer tools for processing clinical data and for nutritional analysis.
Basic language skills for the use of the English language in international contexts and to understand medical and scientific literature.


Biomedical area
Knowledge and understanding of biomedical sciences (biology, histology, biochemistry, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, hygiene, general pathology, pharmacology, etc.) to understand the physiological and pathological processes of health and illness in patients of different ages.

Dietetics and nutritional area
Knowledge and understanding of dietary sciences applied to dietetics and food science (food chemistry, principles of dietetics, food technologies, community nutrition, collective catering, food education, diet therapy, clinical nutrition, etc.)

Socio-psycho-pedagogic area
Knowledge and understanding of psycho-social sciences (general psychology, clinical psychology, sociology, general and social pedagogy, psychology of development and education) to understand human behaviour, interpersonal and motivational dynamics and counselling, to recognise and manage pathological eating habits competently.

Medical-clinical area
Knowledge and understanding of medical clinical sciences (endocrinology, internal medicine, geriatrics, gastroenterology, nephrology, cardiology, paediatrics, child neuropsychiatry, psychiatry, neurology, gynaecology and midwifery, general surgery, etc.) in order to understand medical terminology and classify pathologies, to learn the risk factors, causes, diagnosis, therapeutic and multidisciplinary management of patients for whom the dietary intervention is intended.

Prevention and management area
Knowledge and understanding of ethical, legal and preventive sciences (hygiene, legal medicine, labour law, health business economics) for understanding the health system and laws in force for promoting public health and understanding professional responsibility and autonomy in various fields of dietary intervention and cooperation and other operators.

Internship
Knowledge and understanding of dietetic techniques (knowledge provided in course units with lectures and workshops) and application of the appropriate and scientifically validated methodologies/tools firstly in the class with simulations and role playing, in different fields in which dieticians perform their professional activity (collective catering, local public institutions, hospital dietary services, care homes, etc.).

Basic Area
Ability to apply the notions of physics to key biomedical disciplines (physiology, biochemistry, human anatomy) and statistical and computing methods for analysing and processing experimental and clinical data and information; ability to apply knowledge of the English language to interpret scientific sources to study and/or update nutritional knowledge.
Assessment methods:
- exams in the course units in physics, computing and statistics;
- placement test for English language or final exam for passing the level test.


Biomedical area
Ability to apply and demonstrate systematic and integrated understanding of key biomedical issues and know how to apply them professionally in health and nutritional fields.
Assessment methods:
(Written and oral) exams in course units on:
- biology, histology and biochemistry;
- anatomy and physiology;
- microbiology and hygiene;
- physiopathology.


Dietetics and nutritional area
skilfully use the key methods for measuring food consumption in individuals and the population, and computer tools to analyse and process clinical and nutritional data;
- support patients in a change in food habits and lifestyle, monitoring and appropriately relating these to safe dietary practices;
- research information sources (guidelines, scientific literature, etc.) to solve health problems and plan diet and nutrition strategies among individuals and the community;
- interpret and apply the results of dietary research and link research to the theoretical development of dietetics;
- communicate information, problems and solutions of dietary models and health to (sick and healthy) individuals and population groups.
Assessment methods: (written and oral) exams in course units on:
- food sciences:
- applied dietetic sciences
- human nutrition and collective catering.


Socio-psycho-pedagogic area
Ability to apply theoretical knowledge and consider social, cultural and personal factors as well as medical and nutritional information to assess the most appropriate response to the health needs of individuals and groups to design and manage appropriate dietary education interventions.
Ability to formulate and implement educational projects in nutritional fields suited to the target and considering specific factors (age group, socio-cultural level, presence of disease).
Assessment methods: (written and oral) exams in course units on:
- Human and psycho-pedagogic sciences


Medical-clinical area
Ability to apply and integrate dietary and medical-clinical knowledge to pathologies (obesity, diabetes, kidney diseases, metabolic syndrome, etc.) where nutrition is an integral part of the treatment or nutritional consulting is effective in the prevention, care and rehabilitation of disease (DCA, gynaecological, allergological, dermatological, cardiological, oncological pathologies, etc.).
Assessment methods: (written and oral) exams in course units on:
- Internal medical sciences;
- Clinical medical sciences I;
- Clinical medical sciences II;
- Paediatric, midwifery and gynaecological sciences.


Prevention and management area
Demonstration of an understanding of the organisation of health promotion and education and a critical understanding of the role and theoretical bases of public health interventions;
- demonstrate appropriate knowledge of working environments in different contexts of the dietary profession, collaborating with colleagues and other operators to achieve common therapeutic objectives;
- integrate the understanding of ethical questions and the code of conduct with dietetic interventions in specific situations/cases.
Assessment methods: (written and oral) exams in course units on:
- prevention sciences and first aid;
- healthcare management.


Internship
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding during the internship, in particular:
- having acquired the ability to use computer systems to gather and archive data, process dietary tables and menus, gather and selection of bibliographical material, for managing information flows on the activities performed in a service;
- Ability to recognise and assess the bromatological and organoleptic features of raw foods and processing through preservation and cooking;
- Ability to visually assess weights and volumes of foodstuffs;
- have attended model school, hospital and collective catering facilities, following all the phases involved in the preparation of menus and special diets;
- be able to calculate the nutritional needs of different age groups and design food rations with lists of alternatives;
- be able to perform a dietary case history and apply different methods of investigation to measure food consumption habits;
- participate in the drafting of a food education project, including: analysis of the situation, definition of objectives, programming, implementation, evaluation of the results;
- be able to assess the nutritional state of healthy and sick individuals applying different methods (1st and 2nd level anthropometric assessment);
- be able to run disease-specific nutritional projects including: description and assessment of the case, definition of objectives, drafting of diet protocols, evaluation criteria;
- be able to communicate the dietary treatment to patients (clinical interview and/or role playing in the classroom);
- be able to establish individual and/or group treatment programmes, in cooperation with the therapy team, including the definition and verification of objectives and the implementation of procedures.

Assessment methods:
- written and oral exams, project-work, simulations of clinical cases;
- monitoring of internships performed by the students through the application of evaluation sheets (see degree programme website);
- written and oral internship exams in years 1, 2 and 3.