Why Choose the Institute of Health Sciences?
Choosing a course is the first step to a new career or a new way of life so it is important that you choose the college that will provide you with the best training to suit your needs and will support you throughout your studies. At IHS we pride ourselves on the support that we offer our students throughout their time with us and also after they graduate.
When researching different training providers it can be difficult to ascertain who will best meet your education requirements. We have therefore put together a series of questions that will help you to determine which college and course is the best for you. Any training provider should be prepared to offer you as much information as possible regarding their courses, costs, course material, lecturing team and course recognition. At IHS we aim to offer total transparency to all potential students so that you can make an informed decision on the courses we offer:
Course Material – What is provided to assist me in my studies?
It is important that you receive comprehensive and structured course material and supporting documents. Examples should be available to you from any prospective training provider. IHS provides Student Handbooks, Study Skills Guides, Lecture Notes, Home Study Notes, Module information (including all learning outcomes a student is expected to meet) and relevant research papers as part of the course material. Our lecture notes are referenced so that it is easy for you to complete extended reading without having to search these resources yourself. You receive your course disc at the beginning of the academic year for Semester 1 and again in January for Semester 2 which includes all course notes plus assessment information to allow you to organise your study timetable in advance. We also provide all clinical practice paperwork and handbooks required for each year. We make available student research projects e.g. literature reviews, sample exam papers, sample assessments and collate assignments such as client fact sheets on different foods, supplements etc so all members of a class can benefit from each other’s efforts. We also have an extensive library including books and industry journals and magazines onsite at the Education and Research Centre.
Standard of Course: Has the course material been externally validated?
It is important that you are confident of the quality of the course, course material and training provider when making a decision to study. External validation by a respected and independent body of experts can help ensure you make the right decision. Accreditation and validation should only be conducted by independent bodies with expertise in education and the nutrition industry. Your prospective training providers and their accreditation/validation partners should be transparent with the procedures used and any affiliations which may compromise their impartiality.
In our drive to have the diploma in Nutritional Therapy accredited as a degree programme, IHS has had our course validated by an independent team of top UK and Irish academics in conjunction with the Institute of Technology Carlow. We are still working towards final accreditation with HETAC or alternatively a UK university and are committed to gaining a formal degree accreditation for the diploma course. Our certificate courses in Dietary Coaching and Anatomy and Physiology have been reviewed and accredited by ITEC.
Lecturing Team – Who will be teaching me?
There should be a good variety of lecturers, with whom you will have regular contact throughout your chosen course, each expert in their own areas with good lecturing experience. At IHS we have a passionate and committed team of educators, highly qualified and respected in their fields. We ensure that students have contact with the whole IHS team as each member has their own style of practice and teaching to help broaden our student’s skills and knowledge. Before studying with IHS we are happy for you to speak to any member of our lecturing team so you can verify their experience and their regular and continued involvement with the college. At IHS we have a policy of only using lecturers and supervisors with several years of clinical experience to teach subjects related to the practice of nutrition. This ensures that ALL our teaching and clinical supervising team have valuable clinical experience which can be passed to IHS students.
Student Support: How will I be supported in my studies?
As a student you need to know that you will receive ongoing academic support and mentoring during your studies. Specific details of the support you will receive should be outlined by prospective training providers. IHS provides group tutorials at every lecture weekend, monthly online tutorials and assigned personal tutors for every student. Both directors, Suzanne and Anneliese, are directly involved in the day to day running of the college and in supporting students throughout their time with IHS. At least one of the directors attends each lecture weekend so as to be available to students for queries, concerns etc. Caroline Noonan, IHS Administrator, is also a recent graduate and gives exceptionally valuable support to students in terms of providing advice on assignments, clinics etc. IHS have a quarterly newsletter and a web blog that updates our students on latest developments in the arena of clinical nutrition, alternative medicine and nutritional therapy.
Clinical Practice: How many clinics hours are provided?
Clinical practice should be an integral part of any practitioner training course you choose. Ask for details of the number of clinical hours included on any course you choose and the scope of clinical practice i.e. how exactly will they prepare you for practice. IHS believe that clinical practice is the most important element of training to become a nutritional therapist as we believe that the hands-on application of theory provides the best learning experience. We require our students to have 250 clinic hours by the end of their studies. These hours are reached by attending relevant lectures and clinical practice observation weekends, through in-class role plays, case study based assignments, video linked live cases and then through supervised clinical practice in Year 3 and 4. We begin our clinical practice for students in Year 1 which ensures that they are very familiar and competent with the practice of nutritional therapy by the time they have to take patients in Year 4.
Student Satisfaction: How do I know that you really are the best?
The most direct way to learn about student satisfaction with a college is to talk to students that are studying with the college to determine how satisfied they are with the quality of service. We offer all prospective students the opportunity to come to a lecture and meet with our current students. We constantly monitor student satisfaction by conducting anonymous student satisfaction surveys. This ensures IHS maintains and constantly improves upon its high standards. Many of our graduates also agree to speak with prospective students to help advise them on our courses but also opportunities after graduation.
Built-in Awards: Can I start to practice while I am studying?
A good course will have appropriate awards built into the course throughout. The IHS Diploma in Nutritional Therapy offers a number of built in awards. After Year 1 you will receive the IHS Certificate in Dietary Coaching and may complete an ITEC exam and case studies to receive an ITEC Diploma in Nutrition for Complementary Therapists. During Year 2, you can complete an ITEC exam to gain an ITEC Diploma in Anatomy & Physiology.
However, it is worth noting that if your ultimate goal is to become a Nutritional Therapist then you should always keep this in mind when choosing your Nutritional Therapy course. Any interim awards offered should not detract from the standard of education you will receive throughout your time at your chosen college. At IHS we do not exclusively teach Dietary Coaching modules as year 1 of our diploma programme as our extensive experience teaching at different Nutritional Therapy training institutes has demonstrated that to understand the effects of nutritional elements on the body it is vital to study the workings of the human body (anatomy and physiology) alongside the nutritional science. We also believe that, by not introducing scientific subjects until year 2, students are not given the space and time required to build their knowledge in these areas prior to graduation.
Therefore, our course structure is based on the UK model where all accredited institutes teach the basic human sciences from year 1 onwards. Although IHS diploma students may gain their qualification in Dietary Coaching after year 1 (with the additional summer boot camp) we do not open the first year of our diploma to those solely wishing to qualify as a dietary coach without progressing their studies further. This is to avoid a situation whereby teaching needs to be pitched below the level appropriate to potential Nutritional Therapy students. Our main aim in all our courses is to meet the needs of ALL those enrolled on our courses.
Course Recognition: Is this course recognised in Ireland?
NTOI (Nutritional Therapists of Ireland) are the only independent professional body that represent nutritional therapists in Ireland. It is important that your qualification allows you to register with a body that is not directly affiliated with any training provider, as this ensures impartiality when setting standards within the industry. The IHS Diploma in Nutritional Therapy is recognised by this body and on graduation you can become a member and gain your professional insurance to start practicing. Contact NTOI directly for their input on the different nutrition courses available in Ireland (www.ntoi.ie). The IHS diploma is written to the standards outlined in the Nutritional Therapy Council (UK) core curriculum. Many of our certificate courses are accredited by ITEC (www.itecworld.co.uk/)and are also recognised as continuous professional deveopment by BTOI, NRRI, and IACST.
What are my career opportunities? What are the college graduates doing now?
It is important that you understand not only what career opportunities are open to you upon graduation but also how you may achieve your goals within your chosen field. At IHS we pride ourselves on qualifying competent and confident practitioners. IHS graduates have not only set up their own clinics, but also write for magazines and national media, work with community based projects, one graduate appears as an expert on the Afternoon Show, one graduate is on the board of NTOI, some of our graduates are working overseas to name a few!
What support does the college offer graduates afterwards?
As many graduates will become either partially or solely self employed it is important to know that you still have a support system helping you achieve your career goals. IHS has a practitioner listing on our website and offer regular Continuous Professional Development courses. We provide all graduates with information on any upcoming jobs and provide them with material to run local talks and workshops on topical subjects to help build their profiles in their local communities. We send regular emails about upcoming events that may be of interest to them and run annual public seminars to promote the practice of nutritional therapy. All IHS students are given group email accounts with which they can communicate with their class and lecturers during their studies. These remain open after graduation to ensure graduates can maintain contact with their peers and that IHS can easily inform them of industry news and events.
Costs of study: What do the course fees cover?
You should understand and be able to budget for all costs associated with a course prior to enrolment. Be sure to ask all prospective training providers about hidden costs associated with their courses so you do not get any nasty surprises once you commence your studies! IHS course fees are listed in the college prospectus and can be obtained by contacting the office. Our course fees include the cost of course materials, monthly classroom and online tutorials, assignment corrections, clinical practice, exam fees (except for repeats), personal tutor support and cooking days. There are no hidden costs. The only other cost to you will be your course books but IHS have chosen books that will be useful to you throughout your studies and later when you are practicing. We also have an extensive library so that you can borrow books throughout the academic year. IHS course fees are all listed in the IHS College Prospectus or by obtained by contacting the office directly.
Study progression: What options are there for further study after this course?
As degree level programmes in nutritional therapy are not currently available in Ireland it is important to know your options in terms of upgrading your qualification to degree level and above should you wish to. It should be made clear to you by prospective training providers whether options available are exclusive to their students or available to graduates of all Nutritional Therapy diplomas. Any claims can be verified by contacting the relevant education providers. Nutritional therapy graduates from all Irish colleges, including IHS, can currently upgrade their qualifications to BSc and MSc level via distance learning modules from UK and other international training providers (specific details can be provided on request). This process currently involves students independently providing evidence of prior learning which exempts them from modules of their chosen degree programme. IHS are actively working with a UK training provider to formally map our course into their degree programme allowing graduates easier progression into degree level education whilst we work towards offering our own degree programme.
