We have trained professionals from around the world for over 30 years and are the UK’s longest running training provider of nutritional therapy diplomas.

 

We prepare you for a range of rewarding careers by enabling students to become fully qualified registered Nutritional Therapists. The Nutritional Therapy Diploma Course (NTDC) will equip you with a comprehensive understanding of the components of food, their role in human biochemistry and physiology, the importance of dietary and environmental factors on human health, as well as the biochemical and physiological imbalances that can cause health problems.  

Ultimately, this engaging and academically rigorous course will give you a thorough understanding of the therapeutic effects of foods and nutrients, and the ways in which you can address health and wellbeing issues through nutrition and lifestyle management. 

 

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Why choose NTDC at ION?

Our flexible course nurtures students through each subject in a way which makes it meaningful, building your confidence and enabling you to develop your critical thinking, analytical ability and communication skills, ready for your next step into professional practice.  

As an ION student, you’ll be able to take advantage of sector leading developments in e-learning. You will have 24/7 access to our virtual campus which provides a wide range of resources, video and audio materials, a full-text scientific database, student chat rooms, tutoring forums and more, enabling you to study when and where suits you. 

• ION is uniquely dual-accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Education Council (NTEC) and the British Accreditation Council (BAC), and the Nutritional Therapy diploma is endorsed by Qualifi
• Fully accredited by NTEC, so that successful completion enables you to become a BANT registered Nutritional Therapist and apply for Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) registration
• Flexible in-class or online study options which make it easy for you to balance the course with work and personal commitments 
• Clear module by module structure that enables you to study over three to six years so that you can fit studying into your current lifestyle   
• Expert personal tutors that are available via email and during scheduled weekly call times to provide you with ongoing guidance and support  
• Innovative teaching that is fully supported by a range of interactive tools and materials via RelION our virtual learning tool 
• Our Optimum Nutrition Clinic provides “real-world” opportunities to observe practice and build your clinical skills under expert supervision 
• Each course has student representatives who feedback to us via the Student–Staff Liaison Committee. You can also communicate directly with the Dean via our Have Your Say facility. 
• As an ION alumnus you will have access to our extensive range of short courses to ensure your continuing professional development. Plus we have extensive links with the profession and employers to help you achieve your career goals. 

 

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Accreditation, membership and further study

NTEC accreditation means the courses meet the requirements for the nutritional therapy and lifestyle science industry and are subject to external review through the external examiner system, ensuring professional body requirements.  Both attendance and eLearning options are fully-accredited. 

The BAC provides a comprehensive quality assurance scheme for independent further and higher education in the UK, and their accreditation is recognised as the clearest mark of educational quality in the private sector.

Qualifi is an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation and ION is an Accredited study centre of Qualifi.  Qualifi currently endorses ION’s (final year) of the Nutritional Therapy Diploma (DipION) programme. As such this qualification is a non-regulated and non-credit bearing study programme. However, Qualifi has determined that each of the year 3/final year modules align with Ofqual Level 6 descriptors and thereby in line with Ofqual’s subject benchmark guidelines

BANT is a professional body for Nutritional Therapists that have completed NTEC accredited courses, or have demonstrated having met the NTEC Core Curriculum and National Occupational Standards set by Skills for Health for nutritional therapy. Practitioner members of BANT are required to register with the CNHC.

CNHC is the voluntary regulator for complementary therapists including Nutritional Therapists. Following successful completion of one of our accredited routes to nutritional therapy practice you will be eligible to apply to register with CNHC as a Nutritional Therapist.

The Northern College of Acupuncture recognises the Nutritional Therapy Diploma Course (NTDC) at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition as degree-equivalent prior learning for admission to the MSc Advanced Nutrition (Research & Practice) for NTDC graduates who do not hold an initial honours degree.