Dietetic Internship

Mission of the Dietetic Internship

To prepare competent, professional, and compassionate entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists who deliver evidence-based nutrition with a holistic approach and respect for environmental stewardship.

Program Goal 1 – Program graduates will be completed entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists prepared to work in a variety of settings.

Program Objectives for Goal 1

Program Goal 2 – Program graduates will promote sustainability in their nutrition and dietetics career.

Program Objectives for Goal 2

Objective 2.1 At least 50% of employers will report they ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that the graduate has promoted sustainability with their employer or within the community.

Program outcomes data are available upon request.

Dietitians help people live healthy and active lives through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Dietitians require a strong knowledge base and excellent skills. 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 CDR's website.
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 University of the Incarnate Word 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 State Licensure site.

You can visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for more information about becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Estimated Expenses are correct at time of handbook publication (spring each year). All expenses subject to change.

Official cost of attendance for UIW can be accessed on the UIW Business Office Website: https://my.uiw.edu/business-office/tuition-fees.html. Housing costs and meal plans can be found on the UIW Residence Life Website: https://my.uiw.edu/housing/index.html.

Please note costs below are for the 2025-2026 year.

Employment

Due to the time commitment involved with the Dietetic Internship, outside employment may be difficult. Interns may be employed if the hours do not conflict with supervised practice rotations and classes. Some graduate assistant positions may be available.

NOTE: All expenses listed here are subject to change

The UIW Internship has ten (10) openings per year.

The UIW Dietetic Internship participates in an early admissions process for students on track to receive a verification statement from the UIW Didactic Program in Dietetics.

Early admission deadline to submit DICAS application is October 15. Applicants will be notified on or before November 1 confirming their acceptance status in the program. Applicant must notify the program director of decision to accept or decline appointment no later than November 15.

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 verification statement was obtained more than 5 years prior to starting the program, applicant will need to meet the recency of education criteria.
3. Completion of a graduate degree or evidence of completing a graduate degree by completion of the dietetic internship program.
4. GRE scores not required.
5. Pay the $25 UIW Dietetic Internship Program application fee. Send a check made out to the “University of the Incarnate Word” to the Dietetic Internship Director by the DICAS application due date. Mailing address is UIW, 4301 Broadway CPO 311, San Antonio, Texas 78209. Write “Dietetic Internship Application Fee” on the Note line of the check.
6. Completion of the DICAS application.
   1. Complete an application in the DICAS Online Applicant Portal at https://dicas.cas.myliaison.com/applicant-ux/#/login by January 15 at 10:59 pm CST (11:59 pm EST)
   2. Upload your Personal Statement that addresses the following:
      1. Why you want to be a registered dietitian nutritionist.
      2. What personal, unique, or meaningful experiences have you had with dietetics?
      3. How will the UIW Dietetic Internship program help you toward achievement of your professional goals?
      4. What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
   3. For your references, one should be from a Nutrition professor, a second should be from a work or volunteer reference, and a third professional reference that can speak to either your academic ability or your work ethic.
   4. Follow the DICAS guidelines for submitting official transcripts from all colleges and universities. Price will vary depending on institution.
   5. DICAS charges $50 for the first program you apply to and $25 for each additional program.
   6. Deadline for submission of your DICAS application is February 1. Applicants will be notified on or before March 1 confirming their acceptance status in the program. Applicant must notify the program director of decision to accept or decline appointment no later than March 15.
7. Following admission to the UIW Dietetic Internship Program, interns will complete the UIW graduate school application to be enrolled in the Master of Science in Nutrition program. International applicants will complete the international application. Application fee is $20.

Recency of Education Requirements

University of the Incarnate Word’s Dietetic Internship requires that applicants who have obtained a verification statement more than five (5) years before application to this internship will need to document recency of education.

If a period of five (5) to nine (9) years has lapsed since graduation from an ACEND-approved program, additional coursework is required. Please see the required courses and credit hours below.

• Minimum 6-credit hours of medical nutrition therapy. (NUTR 5476 - MNT I and NUTR 5477 - MNT II at UIW)
• Minimum 3-credit hours of food service/systems management. (NUTR 5323 – Food and Nutrition Services Management at UIW)

Courses taken to satisfy the requirements must be completed at an ACEND-approved program. An official transcript verifying completion of the courses with a grade of “B” or better, must be provided to the dietetic internship director.

If a period of over nine (9) years has lapsed since graduation from an ACEND-approved program, please contact the dietetic internship director.

Graduates of the Dietetic Internship 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 63XX Supervised Experiential Learning I and NUTR 63XX Supervised Experiential Learning II.
3.  Demonstrate ability to meet core competencies for the RDN (CRDNs) 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 UIW.

Hardware: A computer that can run Microsoft Office, reliable internet access, and webcam and mic are needed. Laptops are highly recommended for portability to class and rotations and for use with online learning systems as many do not work with tablets or Chrome Books. Laptops can be checked out from the University Library on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check-out details can be found through the library technology site. UIW has WiFi networks available for intern use on main campus.

Software: Microsoft Office 365 is required to submit assignments. The University provides this FREE to students. The package includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and more. Details are found at https://my.uiw.edu/tlt/available-software1/available-software-for-students.html.

Storage: The University provides access to OneDrive (with Microsoft Office). This provides storage and privacy using UIW credentials to access.

Significant paid work experience, comparable to a planned internship experience, could fulfill part of a rotation requirement. Interns must demonstrate proficiency in rotation related competencies (CRDNs) to obtain prior learning credit. Coursework or experiences required by a Didactic Program in Dietetics will not be counted towards prior learning credit. No core program classes or assignments will be waived. Only a portion of rotation hours in each rotation category may be awarded.

The following credit criteria will be applied.

• Community: 1+ years (full-time or equivalent) work experience in child nutrition (school or WIC), health department, commodity associations, etc. = up to 2 weeks prior learning credit
• Foodservice management: 1+ years (full-time or equivalent) work experience in a food service management role = up to 2 weeks prior learning credit
• Clinical: 1+ years (full-time or equivalent) work experience as a clinical dietitian in another country, in a trauma 2 equivalent or higher level hospital = up to 3 weeks prior learning credit.

After acceptance into the program, interns may consult with the Program Director regarding work experience. This consultation must occur at least one month prior to starting the program. The program director will provide the intern a list of competencies (CRDNs) for the rotation to be evaluated. The intern must provide documentation/verification of the experience, competencies demonstrated, and hours. The documentation should include the following:

• Letter from employer verifying employment, indicating name and address of facility/organization, the dates worked, and job title. The program may contact the employer for further information if needed.
• A portfolio to demonstrate competence in the area for which learning credit is requested. The portfolio should contain the following items:
  • A narrative describing your experience and responsibilities. Include a description of the facility/organization, number of hours worked, and explain how you demonstrated the CRDNs in your position/role.
  • Documentation of competency and learned experience. Documents can be samples of presentations, projects, client education, trainings, webinars, menus developed, reports, writing samples, job descriptions, records of promotion/performance evaluation, records of completed training, certificates, and letters from employers, clients, co-workers. Each document should include a description of the purpose of the document and how the material demonstrates you have met specific CRDNs.

The Dietetic Internship Director will review documentation of experience, competence demonstrated, type of facility, hours, and responsibilities to determine if any credit will be granted. Additional evidence may be required. Interns will be notified of the decision to award credit or not prior to the start of fall rotations. Documentation and decision will be kept in the intern’s file.