Frequently Asked Questions
- Experience – IINH has led the field in nutrition education and training since 2002. Richard Burton, our founder, has over four decades of experience in nutrition research, teaching and clinical work. Together, our team of primary tutors bring almost 100 years of experience in functional nutrition and teaching!
- Reputation – New learners each year are often referrals from former students. Before Covid forced all our courses online several overseas students moved to Ireland to study with us.
- Innovation – The first ever Nutrition & Health Coaches graduated from IINH in summer 2011, armed with a brand-new, internationally recognised qualification (BTEC Advanced Diploma in Nutrition & Health Coaching). All our courses emphasise ‘nutrition in practice’ – learning to teach others why and how to make smarter, healthier food & lifestyle choices – and get them to stick! Unlike most nutrition courses, this practical focus is prioritised in all our programmes.
- Accreditation – IINH is a registered Training Provider for:
- PEARSON – Pearson is the largest accrediting body for education awards on the planet – including our new level 4 (=level 6 Ireland) BTEC Diploma in Professional Nutrition & Health Coaching.
- PCI – The Personalised Care Institute is a virtual organisation, accountable for setting the standards for evidence-based training in personalised care in England.
- Crossfield’s Institute – CI is an official UK awarding body and research institute for social innovation, focused on education, professional practice and leadership to facilitate transformative ways of life and working practices. CI accredits our level 6 programme in Nutritional Therapy: Crossfield’s Institute Diploma in Nutritional Science & Therapeutics. The course is Ofqual-regulated and awarded by CFI awarding.
- NTOI – Nutritional Therapists of Ireland is the country’s thriving and fast-growing professional body for Nutritional Therapy practitioners.
- FNTP (The Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners) is the largest and fastest growing professional organisation for practitioners of Nutritional Therapy in Europe.
- The UK & International Health Coaching Association promotes and supports accredited Health Coaches in their vital work of educating, motivating and guiding others towards improved health and quality of life.
- Students and Graduates are eligible to apply for CMA Membership as they have demonstrated their commitment to excellence by choosing to train with IINH.
- Degree opportunities – IINH Nutritional Therapy graduates have progressed to MSc programmes in Nutritional Therapy, Nutritional Science, and Public Health Nutrition, among others, at UK and Irish Universities. CNELM, a UK college specialised in nutrition education (cnelm.co.uk) offers to fast-track IINH graduates to a BSc Hons or Masters programme (awards by Middlesex University) with flexible study options.
- This will depend on what you would like to do with your career, speak with our admissions team and they can discuss your personal goals with you can guide you in the right direction.
- Many of our students opt to do our Nutrition & Health Coaching course ahead of Nutritional Therapy, as this allows them to begin practicing as a coach after just 10 months and they can earn while they learn for the remaining 3 years they study Nutritional Therapy.
- Our Nutrition & Health Coaching graduates are also offered an exclusive graduate discount off the cost of the Nutritional Therapy Diploma. They are also not required to complete the self-guided Fundamentals of Nutrition section of the course as the knowledge they will have gained on the Nutrition & Health Coaching course will have exceeded this.
You don’t need prior knowledge of the subjects taught, but level 2 base knowledge at Junior cert level/GCSE or equivalent is required.
You will need to be reasonably competent in spoken and written English and have basic computer skills. Students should be at least 18 years old at enrolment.
No. Many of our students left school – long ago – without science subjects, and our courses are designed to accommodate them. So there’s no need for any prior science knowledge.
With certain types of prior learning it is possible to enter the Nutritional Therapy programme, without the requirement to complete the self-guided Fundamentals of Nutrition section. Speak to our admissions to see if this is applicable for you.
All courses are delivered online.
We now use the Flipped Classroom’ approach – described under Q. ‘What is Flipped Classroom….’, below.
Special college in-person days will take place from time to time to enable our students to meet one another, network and attend talks from guest speakers in the nutrition & wellness industry.
College in-person days will take place at Blackrock Education Centre, Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. A96 EW01
IINH has a dedicated cooking school for demonstration classes – The Taste Health Kitchen. Cooking classes for courses are offered online.
In-person cooking days are also offered for those who can added, at an additional charge of €50. The Taste Health Kitchen is situated close to Shankill, Co Dublin.
The Flipped Classroom is a fast-growing trend in education – especially since early 2020. It reverses the traditional teaching familiar to us all, where new content is taught face-to-face in class and homework / assignments then completed independently at home.
What makes Flipped Classroom so different and useful?
At IINH, our flipped classroom system is a type of blended learning. New course materials are released on our learning platform (Brightspace) every 3 weeks or so. Students study this content at home and then bring any questions they have to the live Zoom tutorials, led by the relevant tutor. During these 2-hour sessions, they also discuss concepts and practise skills with others in breakout rooms.. Students can also access a moderated online forum to support their learning and interactions. Assignments are completed independently at home.
In the BTEC Coaching course there is no final exam – student assessment is based on a series of mostly practical assignments throughout the programme, including detailed case studies with four ‘real’ volunteer clients.
In the NT course, assessment includes a variety of assignments, ranging from quizzes on the body systems to written assignments and presentations.
Learners at the later stages of the Nutritional Therapy course join the nutritional therapy clinic for their clinical practice sessions, which currently take place online.
Self-Compassion Training for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) is a 6-week, evidence-based, adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme. MSC is the empirically supported program of Dr. Kristin Neff at UT Austin and Dr. Chris Germer at Harvard Medical School.
This abbreviated MSC training programme was specifically designed for healthcare professionals and is very relevant to all Caregivers. This training aims to improve wellbeing and personal resilience in professionals in the caring professions. It aims to do this by teaching mindful self-compassion skills to deal with distressing emotional situations as they occur at work and at home.
Here at IINH we teach the programme in 6 x 90-minute weekly sessions.
It is rare that a student is able to attend every single session! All tutorials are recorded and available the following day on the learning platform. They can be downloaded and followed on-screen or audio-only. All course materials can be downloaded 24/7, so there is no need to miss anything.
When a busy life makes it hard to complete assignments on time, extra time can be granted when requested from the course coordinator.
Usually just 2 or 3 books are recommended for purchase each year. These can sometimes be borrowed or bought second hand.
All required lecture materials are supplied by IINH at no extra cost.
Please see our enrolment pages for course fees and payment options.
Fees may be paid in one payment, or by monthly instalments.
Please see our enrolment pages for course fees and payment options.
If for any reason you cannot complete the course in the stated time-frame, we will work with you and extend deadlines where possible to facilitate completion within the calendar year.
If you have to defer, you may re-enrol when the next course starts. All successfully completed work and payments will be carried forward to the next course.
The deferral option may only be availed of once and a re-enrolment charge of €350 will be applied.
BTEC Diploma in Professional Nutrition & Health Coaching
All required lecture materials are supplied by IINH at no extra cost.
Course fees include all you need to complete the programmes. This includes your registration with the awarding bodies and the official printed diploma.
There will be a €50 fee to attend an optional special classroom day or in-person cooking demonstration at the Taste Health Kitchen.
Crossfield’s Institute Diploma in Nutrition Science & Therapeutics
There are just 2 books to purchase for the Nutritional Therapy Diploma. There is also a recommended reading list (optional) but these can sometimes be borrowed or bought second hand.
All required lecture materials are supplied by IINH at no extra cost.
Course fees include all you need to complete the programmes. This includes your registration with the awarding bodies and the official printed diploma.
There will be a €50 fee to attend an optional special classroom day or in-person cooking demonstration at the Taste Health Kitchen.
Additional Questions
Need more information? Simply fill out the form below and our team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have.
Speak To Our Admission Team
Speak with our admissions team, with no obligation, by clicking the links below.
- Irish Admissions Team
