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Dietitians help people live healthy and active lives through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Dietitians apply their knowledge base across diverse populations and settings. To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a student must:

1. Complete a minimum of a master's degree granted by a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency or foreign equivalent, and coursework through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Didactic, Coordinated, Graduate or International program.
2. Complete required supervised practice/experience through an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship, Coordinated Program, Graduate Program, or an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway offered through an ACEND-accredited program.
3. Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. For more information regarding the examination, refer to .
4. Meet requirements to practice in your state. Many states have regulatory laws (i.e. licensure) for food and nutrition practitioners. All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure purposes.
5. Stay up-to-date in dietetics through continuing education. After successfully passing the national exam and earning the credential, RDNs maintain ongoing professional development in order to stay up to date on the latest research, recommendations and best practices.

Interns who successfully complete the ÃÛÖ­TV Dietetic Internship are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN (step 2).

To learn more about State Licensure, you can visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration

You can visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for more information about

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for program admission:

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree from a college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and a minimum DPD GPA of 3.0.
2. Completion or intent to complete an ACEND-accredited didactic program in dietetics (DPD) before starting the program in August. If a verification statement was obtained more than 5 years prior to starting the program, the applicant will need to meet the recency of education criteria.
3. Evidence of a graduate degree by the time of dietetic internship completion.
4. Pay the $25 ÃÛÖ­TV Dietetic Internship Program application fee. Send a check made out to the “ÃÛÖ­TV” to the Dietetic Internship Director by the DICAS application due date. Mailing address is ÃÛÖ­TV, 4301 Broadway CPO 311, San Antonio, Texas 78209. Write “Dietetic Internship Application Fee” on the Note line of the check.
5. Personal statement that addresses the following:
   1. Why do you want to be a registered dietitian nutritionist?
   2. What personal, unique, or meaningful experience have you had with dietetics?
   3. How will the ÃÛÖ­TV Dietetic Internship program help you toward the achievement of your professional goals?
   4. What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
6. Three (3) references from: 1) a Nutrition professor, 2) a work or volunteer supervisor, and 3) a professional reference that can speak to either your academic ability or your work ethic
7. Following acceptance into the ÃÛÖ­TV Dietetic Internship Program, interns will need to complete an application to be enrolled in the Master of Science in Nutrition program, if they are not already enrolled. International applicants will complete the international application. The application fee is $20.

Additional admission and application information can be found on the Application and Admission Requirements page.

Graduates of the Dietetic Internship/Supervised Practice Experience Program are eligible to apply to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). To receive the CDR required Verification Statement, interns must:

1.  A minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours, which includes a minimum of 700 hours in professional work settings and a maximum of 300 hours in alternate supervised experiences.
2.  A minimum grade of “B” in NUTR 6353 Supervised Experiential Learning I and NUTR 6354 Supervised Experiential Learning II.
3.  Demonstrate ability to meet core competencies for the RDN (CRDN) by receiving a proficient rating or higher on all evaluations and earn 80% or higher on all assignments. The program director will determine on an individual basis when substitutions or modifications in rotations and assignments can be made and will determine when entry-level competency is achieved.
4.  All work must be completed, and competencies met, within 150% of the original time of completion, or 13.5 months.
5.  Proof of completion of a graduate degree, either a previously earned graduate degree or completion of the Master of Science in Nutrition degree from ÃÛÖ­TV.

Supervised Practice

The ÃÛÖ­TV Dietetic Internship/Supervised Practice Experience Program provides at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice across several different practice areas. Rotations include:

Foodservice

Interns will spend time at either a hospital- or school district-based foodservice operation.

Acute Care Clinical

Interns will gain clinical experience providing medical nutrition therapy and following the nutrition care process within a hospital setting.

Choice Clinical

Interns have the opportunity to select from a range of secondary clinical placement opportunities to further their skills in medical nutrition therapy and the nutrition care process. This allows interns to engage with their specific areas of interest while learning what other clinical roles are available for dietitians outside of a traditional acute setting. Placement options may include areas such as acute and outpatient telehealth, private practice, pediatrics, and dialysis settings.

Research

Interns will be paired with a faculty mentor to assist with a research project.

Urban Agriculture

Interns will work with a local gardening nonprofit to learn the basics of urban agriculture and its role within sustainable food systems.

Community Nutrition & Food Organizations

Interns complete two placements in this rotation. One exposes interns to some of the foundational nutrition-related programs where dietitians are often a cornerstone to curriculum development and service delivery (e.g., WIC, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Meals on Wheels, food banks). The second is with a community or nonprofit organization connected to food, health, or nutrition for interns to utilize their knowledge and skills in nutrition to support the organization’s health-related mission. These community organization rotations are excellent opportunities to add depth/breadth in an area of interest (e.g. breastfeeding/lactation support), develop management skills (e.g., create standard operating procedures), and strengthen education skills (e.g., develop nutrition-related programming, deliver nutrition-related classes).

Skills Lab/Simulation

These hours are spent in lab-based and simulation activities that prepare interns for clinical rotations and future practice — building hands-on skills in a low-stakes setting before applying them with real patients and clients.

International Rotation Option

Interns have the option to complete an international rotation. This experience includes:

• A full week on-site at an international location

• 2–3 weeks of preparatory or debrief work surrounding the week-long experience

This option can fulfill the community/nonprofit organization component of the internship. Interested interns should discuss timing and planning with the Program Director at time of acceptance, as international scheduling has unique lead-time requirements.