Dietetic Internship - Full Time (7 Month) Internship Option
Program Mission
The purpose of the Dietetic Internship is to provide training in direct care practice for nutrition students who wish to become registered dietitians and to provide optimal nutrition services in a variety of health care settings including rural and reservation sites as well as facilities serving persons with disabilities. Throughout the training and classroom experiences, emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary team process. The mission of the Dietetic Internship coordinates closely with the mission of the Center for Disabilities in its overall focus of providing academic training that prepares dietetic interns to work with individuals with disabilities. Additionally, its emphasis on reaching out to communities with both education and technical assistance and its emphasis on working collaboratively with other professionals further supports the mission of the Center for Disabilities. Through the multitude of available experiences, the interns are able to accomplish the competencies for entry-level dietitians as established by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education.
Concentration Area
Visit our Concentration page for detailed concentration information.
Program Goals
- To prepare dietetic interns to become competent entry-level dietitians.
- To provide experience that will prepare dietetic interns for future work with interprofessional teams.
- To increase the cultural competence of future registered dietitians.
- To prepare dietetic interns to work with children and adults with disabilities.
- To provide research experiences in order to prepare dietetic interns for future research activities.
Program Outcomes
Visit our Program Outcomes page for detailed outcome information.
Program Admission Requirements
- Baccalaureate degree in food and nutrition or dietetics from an accredited college or university or documentation that all required Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) coursework has been completed if baccalaureate degree was in a different area of study.
- Grade point average of 3.0 or higher in DPD coursework.
- Verification statement of DPD completion.
- Master's degree completed in nutrition or nutrition related area with GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Program Completion Requirements
- 1200 hours of supervised practice experiences with satisfactory achievement of program competencies.
- Acceptable documented prior learning experiences may count towards required supervised practice hours.
- Option to take two graduate level courses. If the courses aren't taken, alternative homework and activities will be required to be completed. If similar coursework has been completed prior to the internship, prior learning credit may be available.
- Completion of exit interview with Dietetic Internship Director.
Program Schedule
- Orientation to the program occurs towards the end of May in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Rotation experiences will run from June through December.
- During the internship, the intern will spend time in the following three settings:
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- Clinical,
- Community, and
- Food Service.
Please note - Federal financial aid is only available for students working towards a Ph.D. through South Dakota State University.