dietetic Frequently asked questions

Admission is competitive, with a limited number of spots available based on the number of second-year MS/DI students. Openings will be prioritized for qualified University of Delaware students over non-UD graduates.

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 undergraduate GPA and major GPA of at least a 2.75 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: 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 are not accepted into an internship program, 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 exemptions 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.

Most of the interns are placed in the northern part of the State (New Castle County) since the majority of practice sites are located in northern Delaware. We survey local interns to identify preferences, but internship faculty ultimately determines your rotation sites. Please note, your rotations will be in and around the State of Delaware.

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 internship to study for the registration exam. All interns are required to complete assignments using RD Exam preparation materials. 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.