Master’s of Science/Distance Dietetic Internship (MS/DI)

We know there are so many programs to choose from and it’s a big decision – it can be scary. We can help you to be a successful entry-level RDN while gaining unique experiences in school nutrition and grantsmanship.  If you don’t choose Marshall it’s hard to get this experience on your own. Let us be the ones to help provide you valuable, unique learning opportunities.

Interested in learning more about our program? Watch our 2024 Open House recording below. It’s easy: 1) learn about our program, 2) apply to our program, 3) succeed in our program.

2024 Open House Recording Video

Admission Standards

The following standards are used to make admission decisions:

• Completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics. Admitted interns are required to provide a Verification Statement and transcript showing final degree confirmation prior to beginning the internship.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is preferred.
• A personal statement of 1000 words or less.
• Documented volunteer or paid work experience in foodservice and/or nutrition care is preferred.
• Three letter of recommendation (completed through DICAS).
• Completion of an online personal interview.
  • Details are provided within the DICAS application.
• For more information on international student requirements, visit http://www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/international-admission/.

If you do not meet all of the minimum or preferred requirements, but believe you would be a good candidate for Marshall’s Dietetic Internship, you are encouraged to apply. All applications will be considered.

Students, accepted to the dietetic internship program (either on-site or distance), who complete their undergraduate degree and verification statement more than 5 years ago will be required to successfully pass a dietetics content refresher exam before they can begin internship rotations. To help these students better prepare for clinical rotations, medical nutrition therapy rotations should be scheduled in the second half of the dietetic internship.

Vaccination, Laboratory Testing, & Certification Requirements

Please note that our internship rotation facilities require documentation of various vaccinations, laboratory testing, and certifications before beginning rotations. At this time, here are the general requirements for the distance internship. Please note that all facilities have different requirements and some facilities may require more than listed. Please check your facilities to be sure you have all requirements completed before rotations begin.

• Infant, child, and adult CPR certification for health care providers from any reputable agency (certification must be valid during entire internship)
• Measles, mumps, rubella (documentation of 2 vaccines or titer proven immunity)
• Varicella (documentation of 2 vaccines or titer proven immunity)
• Proof of vaccination (3 dose series) or signed waiver for Hepatitis B
• Proof of vaccination or signed waiver for current season of influenza. (October 1st of each year)
• Full immunization records
• Tdap within last 10 years
• Freedom from tuberculosis evidenced by either a current PPD or chest x-ray
  • 2, two step PPD’s or 1 TB blood screening within the last year. Usually the PPD tests are conducted one or two weeks apart—at max, 3 weeks.
  • If student has a positive skin test, confirm with blood test. If blood test is positive, will need a chest x-ray showing no active TB.
• Background check
• Drug screen
• Proof of COVID 19 vaccination or signed declination form
  • Marshall University does not require the COVID-19 vaccination(s), but does encourage them. Currently, vaccinations are required for many facilities and internship completion requires experiences in many different facilities. Distance interns must check with their facilities about COVID-19 vaccination requirements. If required, you must receive the vaccinations or make alternative plans to find another facility to complete the required rotation.
• Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Membership Card

More information will be discussed after acceptance into the internship, but if you have questions, please contact Dr. Tim Bender (tim.bender@marshall.edu).

Application Requirements

The Distance Dietetic Internship location includes supervised practice completed at facilities that the intern secures anywhere within the United States.

The intern is responsible for identifying the preceptors and facilities in the area where they wish to work. (For example, an intern living in Seattle, Washington may complete all rotations in the Seattle area.)

Distance interns are responsible for locating supervised practice locations and preceptors.  The distance internship coordinator reviews and approves facilities and preceptors for distance interns. The internship coordinator will assist in providing ideas and supporting interns as they make contact with sites, but it’s ultimately the intern’s job to find and contact sites. The coordinator can provide support for how to find preceptors, sharing previous preceptors for the program, and brainstorming to help interns find appropriate rotations/preceptors.

All preceptors and practice facilities must be identified by the applicant prior to submitting the application. The Find-A-Preceptor Database is a helpful tool to find preceptors in your area.

• For information regarding the selection of preceptors and facilities, click here.
• To plan your internship rotations, contact the Distance Internship Coordinator, Tim Bender at tim.bender@marshall.edu to receive a copy of the Marshall University Rotation Schedule Form.
• It is preferred that you have your Rotation Schedule Form submitted with your application, but not required.

NOTE: For anyone who applies for the Distance Dietetic Internship in the vicinity of Marshall University, the following facilities are reserved for on-site students only. No distance dietetic intern will be granted permission to complete any rotations at these facilities.

Gainful Employement Disclosure

Application Procedure

DICAS

The Marshall University Dietetic Internship participates in the online Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service (DICAS) process.

DICAS will be available August 5, 2024 for the spring 2025 application cycle; more information may be found at http://dicas.liaisoncas.com. The online application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on February 1, 2025. (Please note: all dietetic internship programs have different application due dates/requirements, so be sure to check deadlines for each program you are applying to.) In addition to a complete application, submission of transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended, letters of recommendation, and a verification or intent to complete statement must be included. It is recommended that you begin the online application process well in advance of the February deadline to allow time for request, submission, and receipt of these items. The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application and $25 for each additional application.

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to DICAS. More information on how to send transcripts can be found in the application. 

When completing the application, applicants must include the name and contact information (specifically an email address) for each reference.  This will trigger an email message to that person requesting completion of the electronic reference form which will be sent directly to DICAS.  Marshall University requires three references, and prefers a minimum of two from Dietetics faculty.

As part of the centralized application, students will be asked to complete a personal statement in 1,000 words or less. Questions to be addressed include:

• Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
• What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you for your career?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?
• Why are you interested in Marshall’s Dietetic Internship?

Marshall MU/DI overall application timeline:

• Application due date: February 1st 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time
  • Students can submit their DICAS application any time before February 1st.
  • Please note: our program’s due date is February 1st, but DICAS is still available through February 15th. If you have missed our February 1st deadline, we encouraged you to still submit your application as we have a rolling admission until all slots are filled.
• Program Decision date: Once your application and video interview have been submitted, your application will be reviewed. Once a decision has been made (you will hear from us no later than March 1st), you will receive email communication from our director/coordinator. The program director/coordinator will make offers before March 1st, as applicable
• Applicant decision date: You will have until March 15th to accept/decline our program’s offer. Please contact us if you have an issue making a decision by this date.
• If we have not filled our internship slots, we will continue a rolling admission until slots are filled.
  • Please note: DICAS will not allow applications to be submitted after February 15th; however, you can still update your application after this time. If we continue to have openings available, we will re-open our DICAS application to accept additional applications, staring March 16th.
• Our program’s goal is to fill slots before June 1st.

Our program complies with the Dietetics Applicant and Program Code of Conduct and Traffic Rules and expects our applicants to do the same.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for qualifying students. After match day, if an applicant is admitted to the distance dietetic internship he or she will receive instructions regarding formal application to Marshall University’s graduate school and for financial aid.

Assessment of Prior Learning & Experiences

Individuals with significant, relevant work experience may be eligible for Prior Assessed Learning credit (PAL). PAL is designed to grant internship credit in specific rotations of the internship based on the qualified applicant’s previous work experiences.

Requirements are as follows:

• Utilizing the Learning Outcomes for Supervised Practice, identify the area (Medical Nutrition Therapy, Community, Foodservice Management, or School Nutrition) of which credit is sought and write a detailed description of how the respective competencies were met.
• Examples of activities or projects must be described or included.
• Verification by a supervisor or manager must be provided.
• Submit the description and documentation by May 1 of the year acceptance into the internship is sought.
• PAL will not be provided for undergraduate coursework, projects completed as part of undergraduate coursework, or volunteer experience.

Credit for hours and competencies will be determined on an individual basis by the dietetic internship faculty and interns will be notified of the decision by June 1. Regardless of prior experience, all interns are required to complete a minimum of 1000 supervised practice hours.

If you are planning to submit PAL information for review, please contact Tim Bender (tim.bender@marshall.edu) for additional forms/information.

After Acceptance

Following acceptance, the Distance Internship Coordinator will provide the intern with a Supervised Practice Facility Information Form that must be completed for each facility the intern completes/plans to complete supervised practice. If the facility form has been completed for a previous Marshall University intern, the form doesn’t need to be completed again (the Distance Internship Coordinator can provide these details).

In addition, the Distance Internship Coordinator will provide the intern with a Preceptor Information Form. This form must be completed by each preceptor providing supervised practice experiences for the intern. This does not need to be completed for past MUDI preceptors.

A Marshall University Dietetic Internship Affiliation Agreement will be completed and signed by a representative of the facility and by a representative of Marshall University once the intern is accepted into the program.

New Entry Level Requirements

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 a supervised practice program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship at Marshall University are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

Successful completion of the Marshall University Dietetic Internship (DI), and subsequent issuance of the DI Verification Statement, meets requirements set forth by the WV Board of Licensed Dietitians to apply for WV licensure. Please contact the West Virginia Board of Licensed Dietitians for more information. In addition, you can view additional licensure information and full licensure determination for our program here. Students who will be working in another state after completing their supervised practice program should contact their state licensure board or Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Affiliate for more information. For more information about state licensure requirements click here. More information regarding this will be provided to you upon admission to the University.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here. The Marshall University Masters of Science/Dietetic Internship programs (on-site and distance programs) are accredited by ACEND and provide post-baccalaureate coursework to complete an MS degree and supervised-practice experiences to complete internship requirements. Students can complete all requirements to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in our Department.

Additional Information

Nutrition and Dietetics faculty members are committed to ensuring timely completion of the internship program.

Questions pertaining to the Distance Dietetic Internship should be directed to:

Tim Bender EdD, RDN, LD
Distance Dietetic Internship Coordinator
Marshall University
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755
Phone: 304-696-6431
tim.bender@marshall.edu