The academic requirements for a student entering the Dietetic Internship Program are:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Successful completion of knowledge requirements in a didactic program in dietetics as stated in the CADE* requirements of The American Dietetic Association.
- Admission to the School of Graduate Studies. (See application forms)
- If a student has had several years lapse between issuance of the verification statement and application for the dietetic internship program, there will be a requirement to evaluate current knowledge in the discipline. If coursework/verification statement is older than four years, the applicant must complete a written comprehensive examination. If the applicant does not achieve a minimum passing score of 80%, the following courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the internship courses: Diet and Disease I and II (6 credits), Nutritional Biochemistry (3 credits), Food Systems Operations (3 credits), other courses if deemed necessary.
- The degree and all course work must be completed before the internship begins.
- The student must provide an official transcript verifying degree was conferred and a verification statement from Didactic Program Director prior to beginning the internship program.
- Since enrollment is limited, admission is largely based on the academic record of the candidate (minimum 3.0 GPA), previous related work experience, letters of reference and the application essay. The applicant pool varies annually but is always very competitive.
- For applicants who have obtained degrees from outside the US, please refer to the information on the ADA website concerning requirements for obtaining degree and course equivalency validation. This is required before applying to the ETSU dietetic internship program.
If your undergraduate degree is in a non-related field, chances are that you will need to take certain undergraduate prerequisite classes mandated by CADE* before you are eligible for admittance into the program. These classes could fall into the general ed. core, nutrition and foods core, and/or nutrition and dietetics path depending on each student's background.
Review the undergraduate didactic program (DPD) requirements to assess the classes you have not taken. Contact the program director and arrange an advisement meeting. The advisor will tell you exactly what classes you need to take to achieve your educational and career goals.
*Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) is located at: American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 20000 Chicago, IL 60606; 800-877-1600, ext. 5400.
