Introduction
The Department of Nutrition offers a Dietetic Internship which provides the required supervised practice hours (minimum 1,200) to fulfill the experiential requirements to be eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians and earn the Registered Dietitian/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN) credential.
Accreditation
The program is currently granted Candidacy for Accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, (800) 877-1600 ext. 5400.
Mission
The mission of the Dietetic Internship is to prepare culturally diverse and competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists to serve varied populations within urban settings through the promotion of optimal nutrition, health, and well-being.
The program aims to produce Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) who:
- provide quality service that is culturally sensitive and based on customer expectations and needs
- serve the profession and urban communities
- engage in lifelong learning
Dietetic Internship Application
To be eligible for admission to the Dietetic Internship, applicants must:
- submit a Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS) application (Part A below),
- register for computer matching through D&D Digital (Part B below),
- submit a $50 processing fee to the MSU Denver Dietetic Internship (Part C below), and
- submit a graduate admissions application to MSU Denver (Part D below).
Part A | DICAS Application
The MSU Denver Dietetic Internship participates in the on-line centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed at https://portal.dicas.org (email: DICASinfo@DICAS.org). The DICAS application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15th. The fee to use DICAS is $40 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application.
Part B | D&D Digital Registration
Applicants must also register online for computer matching at https://www.dnddigital.com/ and select dietetic internship priority choices by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15th. There is a $50 computer matching fee. Instructions can be found at the D&D Digital website.
Part C | MSU Denver Dietetic Internship Processing Fee
In addition to the DICAS and D&D Digital fees, which applicants must submit separately to those organizations, the MSU Denver Dietetic Internship also requires a non-refundable $50 processing fee payable to MSU Denver Dietetic Internship. If matched with the MSU Denver Dietetic Internship, this will be credited towards your graduate application fee. The processing fee can be paid online at https://commerce.cashnet.com/MSUDenverEM_NUTM or via check. If paying by check, please mail your processing fee (postmarked by February 15th and including your DICAS number in the memo line) to:
MSU Denver
Department of Nutrition
Attn: Dietetic Internship Director
Campus Box 33N, PO Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362
Part D | MSU Denver Graduate Admissions Application
After matching with the Dietetic Internship, the following items must be submitted to the MSU Denver Office of Admissions:
- Graduate admissions application
- Graduate application fee
- Official transcripts - Students must submit official transcripts from each college or university attended (transcripts from MSU Denver are not required). Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the previous colleges/universities in a signed, sealed envelope. Institutions may also send official electronic transcripts to transcripteval@msudenver.edu.
Admission Requirements
Program acceptance requires the following:
- Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited university
- minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- minimum 3.0 GPA in Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) coursework
- DPD verification statement
Only complete applications will be reviewed. Applicants will be notified via email of their application status. Applicants may be accepted, accepted with conditions, waitlisted, or denied admission.
Additional Documentation for Interns Accepted to the Dietetic Internship
Additional documentation, including a background check, drug screen, proof of health insurance, proof of immunizations, and proof of professional liability insurance is required for accepted interns. Please read about the required additional documentation and deadlines in the Dietetic Intern Handbook at https://www.msudenver.edu/media/content/departmentofnutrition/documents/ISPPHandbook11.30.17.pdf.
International Applicants
Additional documentation is required for international graduate applicants. In addition to the application requirements listed above, international applicants must:
- obtain a minimum score of 80 on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the paper-based TOEFL (PBT), or 6.5 on the IELTS
- submit the required immigration documents for issuance of an I-20
Foreign transcripts must have an official English translation done by a certified translator, if applicable, and a professional, course-by-course evaluation showing equivalency to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. World Education Services (https://www.wes.org/) or Educational Perspectives (https://www.edperspective.org) are recommended professional transcript evaluation service providers.
Please also visit the International Student Admissions webpage at https://msudenver.edu/admissions/student-types/internationalstudents/.
Transfer Students
The MSU Denver Dietetic Internship does not accept transfer students or transfer credits.
Prior Learning Assessment
In general, no credit is given for prior learning experience derived from employment or other life experience.
Readmission
Students not enrolled for three (3) consecutive semesters, including summer, must reapply to the University. Students requesting readmission must be in good academic standing and must submit their application for readmission to the master’s program in which they have been enrolled.
Financial Aid
Financial aid may be available for graduate students. Visit https://msudenver.edu/financialaid/graduate/ for information.
Academic Standing Policies
All students accepted into the program must adhere with the following academic policies:
- Students must complete the required coursework with a Satisfactory (S) notation each time the course is taken.
- No notation lower than a Satisfactory (S) counts toward completion of the internship. Students receiving an Unsatisfactory (U) notation will be required to repeat the internship rotation in which the “U” was earned.
- Students may enroll in no more than 15 credits per semester for fall and spring semesters without departmental approval. The maximum load for a two-week Winterim or Maymester term is 3 semester hours, excluding short-term study abroad courses.
- No course may count toward both a graduate certificate and a bachelor’s degree.
- Students must complete the internship within two (2) calendar years from their initial enrollment term.
