Obtain your credentials with the IUP Dietetic Internship
Accomplish the next step toward becoming a registered dietitian: complete the one-year IUP Dietetic Internship Certificate Program while earning 18 graduate credits.
This certificate program is open to students who have a bachelor's degree and a verification statement from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The IUP dietetic
internship is accredited to admit 12 interns.
The dietetic internship provides students with practice skills in nutrition education, nutrition intervention, clinical nutrition, and management (food service and community).
After completing the internship certificate program, you may apply to the online MS in Food and Nutrition program. This program is 100 percent online and can be completed from any location. For those interested, the Department of Food and Nutrition takes applications (in the spring) for graduate assistantships. Students who are accepted into an assistantship position are required to be on campus.
Requirements to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides complete information about the requirements to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
(RDN) and lists all of the accredited programs that exist. The following criteria must be met to earn the RDN credential:
-
A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, and
-
Coursework in dietetics from a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and a verification statement from an accredited dietetics program, and
- Completion of an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program, and
- Passing a national examination that is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (PDF) are eligible to be licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Licensure may be a requirement
for some positions.
The IUP Food and Nutrition Dietetic Internship is a supervised practice program that is accredited by ACEND.
Certificate Program Features
- A 12-month dietetic internship with a concentration in Intervention and Community Education (ICE)
- All interns meet the required ICE competencies by the bridge coursework and the Intervention and Community Education rotations. This concentration helps interns to:
- Refine public speaking skills, including formal, extemporaneous,and small group.
- Interpret and incorporate current research in teaching pedagogy.
- Provide nutrition education in the academic setting.
- Create effective nutrition education messages which are likely to result in behavior change.
- Develop an intervention program assessment, implementation, and outcomes evaluation plan.
- Conduct counseling and education for patients/clients with complex needs.
- Complete a dietetic internship, while earning 15 graduate credits applicable to the Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition and a subsequent opportunity to finish the program online at your own pace.
- Located in the semi-rural community of Indiana, Pennsylvania, just 60 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Many interns elect to complete the remaining MS degree requirements immediately following the dietetic internship certificate program. The IUP dietetic internship includes 18 graduate credits, of which 15 may be applied to your MS degree. Thirty six credits
are required for the completion of the Master of Science in Food and Nutrition. By 2024, all new registered dietitians will be required to have a master’s degree, making the IUP master’s program an excellent choice in order to compete with future
registered dietitians.
Supervised Practice Rotations
Our program features three rotations which provide diverse supervised practice experiences.
- Nutrition Intervention and Community Education
- Clinical
- Management
Selection Criteria
Successful candidates must meet the following requirements in order to be considered as a candidate for a dietetic internship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
- Strong undergraduate academic record
- Professional experience in the field of dietetics (volunteer or paid).
- Application using the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS)
- Computer matching with D & D Digital
- Three letters of recommendations
Dietetic internship appointments are awarded without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability, or military service. Marital status, age, and geographic area of the applicant are not considered.
See Admissions Requirements and How to Apply for more information.
Graduation Requirements
The purpose of the Dietetic Internship is to educate interns to achieve a successful career in the field of dietetics. The program director, faculty, and site supervisors work with each intern to ensure successful completion of the program. Nevertheless,
it is the full responsibility of each intern to satisfactorily complete the program, as described on this website. Successful completion of the program ensures that interns will receive a Verification Statement, which is required to take the national registration exam.
For a full description of policies and procedures, review the Dietetic Internship Certificate Handbook.
Accreditation
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Dietetic Internship Certificate Program has been granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics until December 31, 2021.
The next Accreditation Review is scheduled for the fall of 2020.
ACEND may be contacted at:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2190
Chicago,
Illinois 60606-6995
Phone: 1-800-877-1600, ext. 5400; 312-899-0040, ext. 5400
Email: acend@eatright.org
DI Virtual Open House
The Dietetic Internship Virtual Open House will be held on Monday December 16, 2019. Two one-hour sessions will be offered: the first at 10:00 a.m. and the second at 1:00 p.m. Using Zoom technology, you will be able to connect via your laptop, desktop,
or phone with the dietetic internship director and other faculty members. They will discuss the key points of IUP’s DI program and answer any of your questions.
If you are interested in attending IUP’s Dietetic Internship Virtual Open House, please RSVP no later than December 11, 2019, to food-nutrition@iup.edu. Please specify which session
you will be attending.
Contact Us
For additional information regarding the Dietetic Internship Certificate Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, please contact:
Jodie Seybold, MS, RDN, LDN
Dietetic Internship Director
911 South Drive
Ackerman 102
Indiana, PA 15705
724-357-1395
jseybold@iup.edu