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Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

MS/Dietetic Internship (or Clinical Practicum) Program

Overview

The Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic Internship option enables graduates from ACEND-accredited didactic programs in dietetics to fulfill the requirement for a pre-professional supervised practice experience and become eligible to sit for the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists in addition to their program of study.  This program of study is specifically designed for students who wish to simultaneously complete an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship and a Master of Science degree in nutrition that emphasizes the application of advanced nutrition knowledge in clinical, public health, and/or community settings. Fifteen students are admitted each fall to this four-semester full-time program and students must complete both the master’s degree and internship experience in order to receive a verification statement and be eligible to sit for the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists. This is a 35-semester hour program. 

Students who wish to enter the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic Internship option must have an undergraduate degree in Nutrition from an ACEND-accredited program. 

Application Deadlines

Graduate School Application Deadline: February 15
Second Round Graduate Application Deadline: June 15

Admission Requirements

For admission requirements and information on how to apply, please visit

The UNF Graduate School's Website

Master's Degree Requirement Communication

To Prospective Students

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor's degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship program at University of North Florida are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN.

Program Information

  • Mission Statement
    Through excellence in teaching, research, and service, the University of North Florida (UNF) combined Master of Science and Dietetic Internship Programs (DI and ISPP) will provide a high-quality supervised practice experience and related graduate coursework that prepare competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist for positions in all areas of practice in dietetics and to pursue professional development and service.
  • Program Goals & Outcomes

    GOAL #1: To prepare graduates to be competent, entry-level dietitians possessing the skills necessary to practice in a variety of food and nutrition-related practice areas.

    • Program Objectives for Goal #1:
      • 1.1 “The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist is at least 80%”.
      • 1.2 “90% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion”.
      • 1.3 “Of the graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation”.
      • 1.4 At least 80% of graduate responses will indicate scores of “3” or higher where “3= adequate”, “4= more than adequate” and “5= Excellent” on survey question related to preparation for entry level practice in dietetics on a one-year post graduation survey.
      • 1.5 “At least 80% of MS/DI program interns complete program/degree requirements within 24 months (150% of program length)”.
      • 1.6 “At least 80% of ISPP program interns will complete program/degree requirements within 30 months (150% of the program length)”.
      • 1.7 At least 90% of responding employers will rate entry-level performance of program graduates as a 3 or higher where 3 = “adequately skilled”, “4 = highly skilled or “5 = Outstanding” on employer surveys (based on a 5-point scale).
       

    GOAL #2: The program will prepare graduates for professional leadership in the field of dietetics or nutrition related areas. 

    • Program Objectives for Goal #2:
      • 2.1 100% of graduates will indicate via survey that they are participating in leadership activities at their place of employment or in the community (e.g., committee work, presentation).
      • 2.2 50% of graduates surveyed will indicate active participation in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
       

    Program Outcomes

    UNF’s MS/DI program has an ongoing assessment process on the outcome of its program. Data on outcomes are available. To obtain information on available program outcome send a written request to the Program Director. Please contact Ms. Jill Snyder at jill.snyder@unf.edu to request data.

  • Accreditation
    The Dietetic Internship at the University of North Florida has been granted Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, (Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL  60606-6995, Phone: (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400. Email: ACEND@eatright.org Website: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend). The MS Nutrition Dietetic Internship option is approved to admit 15 students each Fall semester to the four-semester full-time program. Students must complete both the Master’s Degree and the Internship experience in order to receive a verification statement and be eligible to sit for the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists.
  • Tuition and Estimated Cost of Attendance

    The UNF MS/DI program is approved for standard tuition. The tuition and fee assessments for these programs are shown on the UNF Tuition & Fees page Tuition and Fees- Graduate*. For information regarding state tuition waivers, please see our page on University accepted waivers.

    For more information, please contact the MS Dietetic Internship Director, Ms. Jill Snyder at (904) 620-1468 or jill.snyder@unf.edu

    Estimated Additional Costs
    Expense Cost
    Housing
    Estimated $800/month
     $12,800

    Travel to Sites Estimated $200/month

     $3,200
    Books  $2,000
    Health Insurance  $150
    Liability Insurance
    Per year
     $35
    Background Checks  $139
    Professional Membership  $100
    Technology
    PC
    Mac
    Webcam

    $950
    $1,500
    $100
    Testing Fees  $100
    Lab Coats  $50
    Total Estimated Costs  $19,624-$20,174
  • Technology For Students

    Visit UNF's Information Technology Services

    Students, faculty, and staff have access to a number of key resources that provide remote connection and collaboration. These resources will help make sure you are set up for success in working remotely.

  • Course Descriptions
    View the UNF Course Catalog for detailed descriptions of our graduate courses.
  • Curriculum & Sample Schedule

    The program is 16 months or 4 semesters in length. The internship rotations are coordinated with the graduate coursework. All classes are delivered via a hybrid or distance learning format and interns are in the rotation Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Interns will also provide nutritional education and counseling several Fridays each semester at health clinics for the medically underserved.

    The first semester is spent gaining valuable supervised practice experience in Foodservice Management. The rotation includes food production and procurement, food service systems, personnel management, and employee education. The experiences culminate into an intern planned and supervised theme meal. The coursework completed in the fall is Nutrition & Metabolism, Methods of Nutrition Assessment, Clinical Nutrition, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics. 

    Clinical supervised practice rotations are completed in the Spring semester. Interns will gain experience in a variety of areas including medicine, surgery, cardiology, and diabetes. Together with the clinical practice rotation (internship), the coursework completed includes Nutrition and Dietetic Research, Public Health Biostatistics, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics.

    Coursework completed during the summer semester includes Epidemiology and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics. Interns will complete Nutrition Education & Counseling, Professional Seminar, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics in the fall semester. Community rotations are completed in the summer or last semester and include the WIC program, Duval County Schools, private practice dietitians, UNF Health Promotion & Wellness, Community Wellness, extended care, and Cooperative Extension. Advanced rotations are completed in the summer or fall semester and include clinical staff relief, pediatrics, diabetes, critical care, and renal. Rotations will be adjusted according to interns' areas of interest. Students have an option to study abroad.

    Throughout the program, each intern will focus on a research area. Interns need complete case studies and course assignments in their research area. The coursework supervised practice, and research area will culminate in the final semester as part of the Professional Seminar class when interns will present on their research at a professional meeting.

    Program Info
    Variable Fall Spring Summer Fall

    Internship Rotation

    Tuesday-Thursday each week

    Food Service Management Clinical Advanced Clinical or Community Community or Advanced Clinical

    Program of Study

     

    All classes are taught using hybrid or distance learning models

    DIE6248 Clinical Nutrition Assesssment (4 credits)

     

    DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)

    HUN6249 Nutrition and Metabolism (4 credits)

    HUN6910 Nutrition & Dietetics Research (3 credits)

    PHC6050 Public Health Biostatistics I (3 credits)


    DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)

    HUN6916 Advanced Concepts in Nutrition (3 credits)


    DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)

    HUN6612 Nutrition Education and Counseling (3 credits)

    HUN6911 Nutrition and Dietetics Seminar (3 credits)

    DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)

    Total Hours 11 9 6 9
  • Program Completion
    Program completion is reached when the intern has successfully satisfied all rotation learning objectives, supervised practice hours and graduate coursework. Graduates are eligible to receive a verification statement and take the examination to become a registered dietitian. The CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics https://www.cdrnet.org/
  • Transportation
    Due to travel distance between affiliated facilities and the university, interns are required to have a reliable form of transportation, a valid driver's license, and liability insurance.
  • Requirements

    A maximum of 15 interns are selected during match period annually. Applicants must meet the following minimum criteria:

    1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited DPD didactic program in dietetics (DPD) 
    2. DPD verification statement
    3. Minimun 3.0 GPA
    4. GRE: Please note, as of Fall 2021, the UNF MS/DI program no longer requires the GRE.
  • Application Process

    The application is a two-step process:

    1. Apply to the UNF Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietetic Internship Program via the Graduate School
    2. Apply to the UNF MS Dietetic Internship through the DICAS system. UNF Dietetic Internship participates in the online centralized internship application, DICAS, which is also found at https://dicas.liaisoncas.com. The online application must be completed by February 15. The fee to use DICAS is $45 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application. You must include the following materials in your DICAS package: 
      • Application letter. Three pages, typed, double spaced, with 1-inch margins, your letter should describe your professional goals, why you are an excellent candidate for a combined Master's degree and internship program, and how your personal attributes would contribute to the program and the profession. (Note: The MS coursework uses the hybrid and DL learning model, but the supervised practice/dietetic internship activities will be mainly in Jacksonville, FL, and in nearby areas.)
      • Official transcript(s) from all universities and colleges attended.
      • Declaration of Intent to Complete a Degree and Didactic Program in Dietetics or Verification Statement of Program Completion.
      • Three references submitted on Academy standard recommendation forms. References should be from two professors and one work reference.
        • Watch this video on the DICAS Recommendation Form
      • Applicants must also register for Spring Computer Match online using the D&D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service at www.dnddigital.com (3100 S. Riverside Dr, P.O. Box 887; Ames Iowa, 50010 (515) 292-0490)  and select dietetic internship priority choices by February 15. There is a $55.00 computer matching fee.
    3. GRE: Please note, as of Fall 2021, the UNF MS/DI program no longer requires the GRE.

    For additional program requirements and how to apply please visit the Graduate School

  • Application Review

    Applications of qualified candidates will be reviewed by a committee and scored on GPA, work experience, volunteer experience, reference letters, and letter of application.

    DI Director and selection committee will process the applications prior to the match date. Top candidates will be notified about the next steps in the admission process.

  • Second Round Match Instructions

    If you are a student that did not get matched in the first round of the matching process. The University of North Florida is participating in the second-round application process. 

    How do you apply? The University of North Florida will accept your application through DICAS on a first come first serve basis. GRE is not required. Interested students should contact Ms. Jill Snyder, (jill.snyder@unf.edu; 904-620-1468) or Dr. Jamisha Leftwich, j.leftwich@unf.edu. Application review will begin on April 6 and continue until all positions are filled.

  • Interview

    Top candidates will be interviewed in person, by phone, or zoom using a performance-based interviewing tool.


  • Appointment Procedure

    D&D Digital will provide all applicants their personal matching results via posting on the D&D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service website at www.dnddigital.com/ by April 7th.

    Appointees to the UNF Dietetic Internship Program are to contact the Dietetic Internship Director to accept or reject the appointment by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on appointment day.

Contact the Program Director 

Headshot of Jill Snyder

Ms. Jill Snyder

Director- MS/Dietetic Internship
Phone: (904) 620-1468