MS/DI Frequently asked questions

The dietetic internship program participates in the preselect round which takes place in January of each year. Only graduates and current nutrition students (in the Didactic Program in Dietetics) at the University of Delaware are eligible to apply during the preselect round of admissions. Admission is on a competitive basis. Once the position is accepted by the student, they cannot apply for other supervised practice programs. We generally place approximately 17 students in the preselect round, leaving approximately 28 positions available for the computer matching round in February.

Our program considers a variety of factors including grades, relevant work or volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and the interview. It is recommended that you have an overall GPA and major GPA of at least a 3.0 in order to be accepted into the internship. Students with a lower GPA may be accepted with strong work or volunteer experience and demonstrated test-taking skills (ex: graduate coursework and/or successful completion of the NDTR exam). Please be sure to investigate the program to which you are applying to assure that it is a good fit for you.

Students have reapplied to our program and have been accepted after implementing suggestions for strengthening their application. If you do not receive an internship match, the best advice is to contact the program director and discuss your application materials.

Yes, it is possible that extensive work experience may be substituted for some rotation hours. We offer partial or rarely full exemption(s) from rotations depending on the type of experience. Once accepted into the internship, instructions for applying for prior assessed learning (PAL) credit are given. No PAL credit will be given for the clinical nutrition rotation.

Yes, but care should be taken to ensure that you are not performing your regular work duties on internship time. They must be kept separate. Internship activities are tracked carefully throughout the internship.

Graduates are able to use the materials they accumulated in their internships to study for the registration exam. All interns are required to complete RD Exam Review Course materials throughout the program. In addition, you will receive information on other resources to help you prepare for the RD Exam.

The Registration Examination for Dietitians is taken after you have successfully completed the dietetic internship. For more information on the exam, visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration website. The registration exam is offered in a computer based format and is administered by Pearson Vue at testing centers throughout the U.S.

No, internship faculty will plan your rotation schedule for you in the State of Delaware.

The program is designed to be completed in 19 months.  Students will complete 27 credits of graduate coursework during the first year (fall, winter, spring, and summer), and complete the dietetic internship, including 1,000 hours of supervised practice, during the second year.

No, due to the condensed time frame of the program (19 months), students are not able to work in assistantships.