NEW starting for internship class of 2024-25: Apply for "Assessment of Prior Learning" to reduce your internship by up to 220 hours. See below for instructions on how to apply.

• The curriculum is delivered in several ways:
  • There is a mandatory online orientation that takes place prior to beginning supervised practice hours. The orientation provides interns with administrative details and other important aspects of the program.
  • For MSDI students, the first 2 years of the program consists of online coursework. Graduate courses must be completed prior to the start of the internship portion of the program. 
  • For dietetic interns not completing the MSDI: Two online graduate review courses in medical nutrition therapy and foodservice management totaling four academic credits. These courses are completed in the two weeks prior to orientation. The courses are designed to orient interns to the program standards of practice and to ensure that each intern has the resources to attain competence in each area of study / practice.
  • An online pre-assessment is completed at the beginning of the program to provide interns with the opportunity to evaluate their basic knowledge and to assist in improving their test-taking skills.
  • The Competencies and Learning Activities must be completed by all interns. 

  • A minimum of 1000 practice hours are completed in four different areas: clinical, food service, community, and area of concentration. Rotations must provide learning activities to attain the breadth and depth of the core competencies and concentration competencies. Learning activities throughout the rotation areas must prepare interns to implement the Nutrition Care Process with various populations and diverse cultures across the life cycle including infants, children, adolescents, adults, pregnant/lactating individuals and older adults. Learning activities must use a variety of educational approaches necessary for delivery of curriculum content to meet learner needs and facilitate learning objectives.

    • A minimum of 300 hours (maximum 400 hours) must be completed in a clinical rotation(s). Your clinical preceptor(s) must be an RD. At least one hospital must be JCAHO or DNV approved with 80 or more beds, and this is where the majority of your clinical hours should be completed. Rotation experiences should prepare interns for professional practice with patients/clients with various conditions, including, but not limited to: overweight and obesity; endocrine disorders; cancer; malnutrition; and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and renal diseases.

    • A minimum of 300 hours (maximum 400 hours) must be completed in a food service rotation. Examples of food service facilities are: hospitals, school nutrition programs, non-profit organizations, LTC facilities, and educational institutions.

    • A minimum of 300 hours (maximum 400 hours) must be completed in a community rotation(s). Examples of community facilities are: WIC, Head Start, Senior Nutrition program, Corporate/Employee wellness, Public Health Department, etc.

    • A minimum of 100 hours (maximum 200 hours) must be completed in an area of concentration. You will choose one of the following: Nutrition Education & Counseling, Management, or ICU

    • A minimum of 40 hours (maximum 80 hours) must be completed in a Long Term Care (LTC) facility as part of your clinical hours OR your foodservice hours.

  • Homework hours are not considered part of the required 1,000 supervised practice hours and all interns are required to complete specific assignments outside of practice hours.
  • Of the 1,000 practice hours, a total of 200 hours may be completed remotely in virtual rotations (not including orientation). The remaining supervised practice hours must be completed in-person.
  • Interns are expected to reside in the United States and complete their supervised practice in the country. 
  • Domain Examinations are taken online in order to assist in preparation of the Registered Dietitian Certification Exam.
  • Completion of on-going surveys of the UNC dietetic internship will be expected throughout your experience.
  • Student handbook available upon request. 

• Assessment of Prior Learning (APL)

  Apply for APL to reduce your internship by up to 220 hours!

  APL Application Instructions
  APL Competency Checklist
  APL Supervisor Checklist

  APL informational video:
  

• Graduation requirements
  • Completion of the online orientation (last week in June)
  • If you attended the MSDI, the Master of Science degree in Dietetics will be awarded after completion of the entire program, including graduate coursework and the internship year. 
  • If you did not attend the UNCO MSDI, you will complete two online review graduate level classes, FND 510 (Foodservice management) and FND 512 (Medical Nutrition Therapy)
  • Completion of all required credit hours of FND 592
  • Complete a minimum of 1000 hours of supervised practice
  • Tuition paid in full
  • Successfully complete all competencies (score of 3 or higher)
  • A confirmed graduate degree if you did not attend UNC MSDI
  • Uphold the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice
  • Completion of an exit survey