Become a qualified nutrition coach, studying online in under 12 months.
You'll learn the nutrition science, the coaching skills to make it stick with real clients, and the business side of charging for it. Study at your own pace, entirely online.
Nationally recognised qualification delivered by FEO Academy RTO #45428
The Certificate IV in Nutrition Coaching (11396NAT) is a nationally recognised qualification you can finish online, at your own pace, within 12 months. It's $1,997 upfront, or $54 a week over 52 weeks, which totals $2,808. It covers 11 units, and there's no work placement to organise.
FEO Academy (RTO #45428) delivers it, and you get one assessor from start to finish. It suits beginners and career changers as much as personal trainers and coaches: you don't need a fitness qualification or existing clients to start, and you'll learn to talk about food confidently without stepping outside your scope.
You start with the nutrition science, covering macronutrients, micronutrients and energy balance. The rest of the course is about coaching: screening clients, running assessments, and helping people change habits they've had for years. Three of the eleven units are business units, so you also learn how to charge for the work.
This is the question we get asked most often, so here it is in plain terms.
One fee covers the qualification, every assessment and six CPD courses. The table below lists the things worth checking with any training provider, including us.
Or $54 a week for 52 weeks on a payment plan, totalling $2,808.
| Worth checking | Typical industry practice | Fitness Education Online |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment re-sits | Often charged per attempt | Included in the course fee |
| CPD to stay registered | Bought separately after you graduate | Six included, 50+ available after |
| Who marks your work | Whoever is next in the support queue | One designated assessor for the whole course |
| Practical hours | Set hours, often on-site or by placement | No set hours. Tasks with practice clients |
| Study pace | Term dates and fixed intakes | Start today. Self paced within 12 months |
| Changing your mind | Varies. Check the refund terms | 7 days to change your mind. The $250 deposit is retained |
“Typical industry practice” describes arrangements commonly seen across Australian RTOs; terms vary by provider. Always confirm the details with anyone you're considering, including us.
The course is delivered by several presenters from across the Fitness Education Online team, and you're assigned one assessor who marks your work from start to finish. The two people who started FEO in 2014 still run it, and still present.
Co-Founder & Director
Jono founded Fitness Education Online in 2014 and grew it into one of the world's largest providers of online continuing education for fitness professionals. He's an international speaker and presenter, a best-selling author, and an award-winning educator recognised by AUSactive in Australia and Exercise New Zealand.
Co-Founder & Director
Travis co-founded Fitness Education Online with Jono and is a director of the business. He has a degree in Education, which shapes how the courses are structured and assessed, and more than 15 years working in the fitness industry. He also co-hosts the FEO podcast.
The course itself was written by a panel of General Practitioners, Accredited Dietitians, Nutritionists, Exercise Physiologists and working nutrition coaches.
The hardest part of a self-paced course isn't the content, it's staying at it when nobody's expecting you on a Tuesday night. Here's what you get to stop that happening.
The same assessor marks your work for the whole course, so you're not re-explaining yourself to whoever picks up the ticket.
Past, present and future students, plus tutors. It's the fastest place to get an answer, and the easiest way to see what the job actually looks like before you're doing it.
A live webinar once a month on a different industry topic, think nutrition, business, coaching, or training, with a guest expert from that field.
Your enrolment includes a $250 deposit, which covers administration and is retained if you withdraw. If you decide within seven days that the course isn't for you, let us know and everything you've paid beyond that deposit is refunded.
The course guide lists every unit, how each one is assessed, and the full fee and payment plan options.
The rest of the detail, grouped so you can open just the parts you need.
HLTAAP001Recognise healthy body systems
NAT11396001Conduct nutrition screening and initial client assessment
NAT11396002Apply nutrition fundamentals in nutrition coaching settings
NAT11396003Plan for the specific nutritional requirements of women
NAT11396004Create and develop meal plans for specific body composition goals
NAT11396005Support nutritional behaviour change
NAT11396006Provide nutrition and supplementation strategies
CHCCOM006Establish and manage client relationships
SIRXSLS001Sell to the retail customer
SIRXCEG006Provide online customer service
BSBESB301Investigate business opportunities
The content comes as video lectures, an online textbook and audiobooks. It's the same material in three formats, so you can read it at a desk or listen to it on the drive to work.
Multiple choice questions, case studies and short answer questions, based on how you'd handle the situation with a client.
You complete a set number of practical tasks with practice clients. Friends or family are fine. There are no fixed practical hours and no work placement to organise.
Most students finish well inside the 12 month limit. Some get through in a few months if they've got the time.
The formal career outcome is Nutrition Coach. In practice that covers a fair bit of ground, and most graduates end up doing two or three of these at once.
Gyms, studios, wellness clinics, health centres
Run consultations and assessments, write meal plans, and check in with clients face to face. This is where most graduates start, usually inside a gym they already work at.
Remote, with your own client base
Coach over video calls and digital programs. You're not limited to clients who can get to you, which is why one of the units covers online customer service.
Added to an existing PT business
If you already train clients, this is usually the quickest return. Nutrition questions come up constantly in PT sessions, and at the moment you're either answering them for free or referring them on.
Bootcamps, studios, online communities
Run six or eight week nutrition challenges for a group rather than one client at a time. It's a common way to take on more people without adding more hours.
Workplace health and wellbeing programs
Deliver nutrition workshops and staff coaching for employers, usually contracted per program rather than per client.
Self-employed
Three of the eleven units cover the business side: investigating opportunities, selling, and online customer service. They're there because a lot of graduates go out on their own.
You'll be qualified to work as a Nutrition Coach. This qualification does not make you a Nutritionist or a dietitian, and it isn't a pathway into clinical practice. See what sits inside and outside your scope for the detail.
Graduates can also register with industry bodies such as AUSactive, Physical Activity Australia or FITREC on the strength of their fitness qualifications.
Rated 5.0 across Google reviews.
“I recently completed the FEO Cert IV in Nutrition Coaching and have nothing but good things to say about the experience. Course was set up and structured well, online portal worked well and staff assistance was prompt when required. Anyone interested in further education in the nutrition space should look into FEO. You won't be disappointed.”
“I'm a Pilates Instructor and perimenopausal woman from Perth. I highly recommend this training for everyone in the fitness industry working with women. Great content. Thank you guys.”
“As someone new to the fitness industry I know I can rely on FEO to provide a huge array of CPD courses that cover a wide range of subjects. I find the courses to be a wonderful source of valuable knowledge that broadens my skills as a PT.”
“It was easy to navigate the course materials and learn at my own pace, and it was all to the point and didn't waste my time. The course instructors were professional and impressively available for questions and exam feedback.”
“Very informative, delivered in a simple to understand manner underpinned by current and contemporary information. I have finished many FEO courses and found them value for money and ease of learning. At 67 years young you can never stop learning.”
“The course was easy to understand. The facts were beautifully covered with pictures and demonstrations.”
Enrol now and you'll have access straight away. If you'd rather read the detail first, the course guide has the full curriculum, fees and payment options.
Seven-day cooling-off period. Refunded apart from the $250 deposit.
