We are currently pursuing approval for this programme with the UK and International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) enabling graduates to apply for professional membership.

CNELM, an early adopter of combining coaching within its educational and nutritional practitioner programmes since 2001 is delighted to launch the HDCD programme that places coaching as the central practitioner outcome alongside robust bioscience, nutrition and business practice outcomes.

Why become a health and diet coach? Many of us are aware of the obvious and hidden challenges of adopting and sustaining lifestyle change that have the potential to improve our health and wellbeing. An effective health coach empowers their client to draw upon their own resilience to adapt to, and sustain change over time. Becoming a health and diet coach is a dual role. The services can be combined within a client consultation or separated.

If you are looking to become a nutritional therapists then please review the Personalised Nutrition Practice Diploma (PNPD) that includes coaching within the programme.

The HCDC course embeds the Dietary Educator Course (DEC) that enables graduates to inform and educate their clients and groups about food and health and dietary change. The HCDC training will enable you to demonstrate skills required for the dual application of becoming a dietary educator and a health coach. This level of the course is accredited by the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

The revised HDCD is due to launch in January 2026. Applicants interested in this programme can start now with chemistry and human biology Bioscience Entry Modules (BEC) in preparation for starting the rest of the HDCD in January 2026. 

The HDCD course also embeds the NLP Practitioner Certificate course and the Why Weight Practitioner (WW8) plus a Business Development module taken from the Personalised Nutrition Practice Diploma (PNPD) programme called Nutrition Enterprise. 

The programme is assessed across Levels 4-6.

Qualifications, Accreditations and Validations

• Health and Diet Coach Diploma- CNELM is currently pursuing approval for the HDCD with the UK and International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) 
• Dietary Educator Course (DEC) – Federation of Holistic Therapists
• NLP Practitioner Certificate – UKCPD and ANLP

• currently pursuing approval with the UK and International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) for January 2026 launch
• 100% Distance Learning
• Available to study part-time up to 4 years.
• Opportunities to start biochemistry and physiology at any time throughout the year.
• Flexible study plans that can be adapted after starting studies, to better suit any changing needs
• students completing the course will gain the Dietary Educator Course (DEC) for practice as a Dietary Educator.
• students completing the course will gain the NLP Practitioner Certificate
• Start practising as a Dietary Educator and NLP Practitioner prior to full qualification.

Entry Requirements:

• • Bioscience Entry modules chemistry and human biology, unless the applicant holds prior qualifications that may exempt them from one or more of the four modules e.g. GCSE and ‘A’ level, or equivalent qualifications.  Please see the Bioscience Entry Course (BEC)

• • GCSE in mathematics, or equivalent, OR CNELM’s Maths Foundation module

• • GCSE in English Language or equivalent

• • IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL equivalent is the standard requirement for applicants where English is not their first language

• • Basic computer skills including word processing, internet browsing and use of email

Please note that GCSE and ‘A’ level, or equivalent qualifications accepted within a 5-year currency or demonstrating continued application in the workplace.

The HDCD is designed to develop the knowledge and skills to offer health coaching and diet coaching and dietary education. 

Biochemistry and physiology provide a basis for understanding public health nutrition and personalised dietary education. You will have the opportunity to develop skills to write and present about food and health for the public and to offer one-to-one dietary educator consultations. You will have role-play and experiences of offering dietary educator consultations with clients in our supervised teaching clinic. Coaching Practice will introduce you to fundamental coaching skills to apply as a Dietary Educator. You will have a clear understanding of the scope of practice for a Dietary Educator as well as increasing your scope of practice as you progress through the rest of course. After successfully completing level 4 modules you will be able to practice as a Dietary Educator within a defined scope of practice, integrating key coaching skills in your work with the public. You will be able to apply for professional membership with the Federation of Holistic Therapists. 

Building on the Dietary Educator Certification you will focus further on developing advanced coaching skills including coaching techniques that leads to NLP Practitioner Certification as well as gaining the knowledge to practice as an NLP Practitioner. You will see clients with supervisory support under your own insurance as an NLP practitioner and membership of the Association for NLP and prepare case notes and reports. You will explore research approaches and methods for coaching practice and dietary education and will develop the knowledge and understanding of a variety of challenges as a health coach and revisit the scope of practice for a health coach. 

The course culminates with a focused module on weight management and you will have the opportunity to offer health coaching and health coaching with dietary education as part of our supervised teaching clinic. Finally, you will have the opportunity to review your market potential and create a business plan for your work as a Health Coach and Dietary Educator in preparation for your future aspirations and goals. 

On completion of the course, subject to UKIHCA approval you will be able to join the association as a professional health coach. 

• Student Finance Options
• Key Policies & Statements

Please review our Key Policies including the Payment, Charges and Refund Policy

• Course Fees

• Full Prospectus

Qualifications, Accreditations and Validations

• • Nutrition and Health Coach Diploma – CNELM is currently pursuing approval for the NHCD with the UK and International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) 

• • Dietary Educator Course (DEC) – Federation of Holistic Therapists

• • NLP Practitioner Certificate – UKCPD and ANLP 

From the point of application to graduation we aim to provide you with robust support.

Module Leaders are there to support and guide you through each module. Alongside co-markers, Module Leaders are there to provide quality feedback in a timely and developmental manner.

If you need to review your study plan, you can meet with the Programme Manager. You can request to slow down your pace of study, or increase your pace of study. The Programme Manager would meet with you if you need to pause your studies for a period of time.

Our Student Support Manager is there to provide pastoral support, Students can schedule a time to throughout the academic year to discuss concerns they might have that are impacting upon their studies.

Students can be referred to meet with our Coach Mentor, if considered an appropriate means of support for a student.

Applicants with a diagnosed learning need, or students that develop a learning need can meet with the Student Support Manager and our Learning Needs Support Manager.

IT and Administrative support is ongoing throughout studies.

Students that might meet a financial challenge, can arrange to speak with our Finance Team.

CNELM is committed to recognising prior certificated and/or experiential learning.

The HDCD is based on 240 credits. Students irrespective of prior learning must complete a minimum of 80 credits. Mandatory modules are:

1. Preparation for Coaching Practice (level 5) 30 credits
2. *Challenges in Coaching Practice (level 5) 20 credits
3. Why Weight Practitioner (level 6) 30 credits

*Applicants who hold an NLP Practitioner Certificate must attend this module but the cost of the module would be reduced based on RPL. All other modules can be applied for exemptions based on RPL which would be assessed as part of course interview requirements. 

Students and Graduates of the MSc or PGDip in Personalised Nutrition can apply for exemptions for Biochemistry, Physiology, Research Methods and part exemptions for Public Health Nutrition and Personalised Dietary Education. 

If adding the NHCD following CNELM PNPD studies application for RPL can be made for Business Development and full exemption for Public Health Nutrition and Personalised Dietary Education.