Dietetic Internship Program (DIP)

The Dietetic Internship Program is a post-baccalaureate, supervised practice program that qualifies graduates for the examination for registered dietitians. NC Central's Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

Full-time interns will be able to complete the Dietetic Internship Program in 45 weeks, including completion of 15 semester hours of graduate credit in nutrition and dietetics. The internship starts in August of each year with a week of orientation. 

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Program Description

The Dietetic Internship Program (DIP) at NCCU is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (The Academy; address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; phone number 312-899-0040, email: ACEND@eatright.org; website: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend). ACEND is a specialized accreditation body recognized by the United States Department of Education as a Title IV gatekeeper. ACEND is also a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and abides by its code of good practice. 

The Dietetic Internship Program is a post-baccalaureate, supervised practice program. The DIP provides the 1,200 supervised practice hours required to meet the performance standard for an entry-level dietitian nutritionist, and students who complete the Dietetic Internship are eligible to take the CDR registration examination to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. The internship provides learning experiences in medical nutrition therapy for entry-level clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and food service management. These experiences lead to proficiency in delivering nutritional care to a wide range of clients. Class lectures, seminars, and supervised activities in the community, hospitals, and other health care facilities provide a variety of experiences to students.

Interns will be able to complete the Dietetic Internship Program in 45 weeks, which includes the completion of 15 semester hours of graduate credit in nutrition/dietetics. These 15 credit hours are a component of the Dietetic Internship Program at NCCU. For students wishing to continue their studies at NCCU, the 15 semester hours may be used towards the Master of Science graduate degree program now offered online. The internship starts August of each year, with a week of orientation, and ends in June of the following year.

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 North Carolina Central University 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. View more information about state licensure requirements.

View more information about educational pathways to become a RDN.

Mission of the Dietetic Internship Program

The mission of the Dietetic Internship Program is to recruit, develop, and empower entry-level dietetic internship graduates as registered dietitian nutritionists to provide leadership in principles of medical nutrition therapy in a variety of settings through the practice and promotion of health, prevention, and treatment of diseases to diverse communities.

This Dietetic Internship Program is committed to the concept that the quality of life for individuals and families can be improved through proper nutrition. DIP blends theory and practice experiences that will lead to the development of students' professional skills. The ongoing review of the DIP has resulted in updated and restructured goals and objectives to satisfy the ACEND 2017 accreditation standards.

Internship Facilities

North Carolina Central University is located in Durham, NC, which is recognized as the City of Medicine, USA. The dietetic internship facilities are located within the world-renowned Research Triangle Park and surrounding area, with a high concentration of biomedical research facilities and universities.

Contact

Dietetic Internship Program
Department of Human Sciences
North Carolina Central University
PO Box 19615, Durham, NC 27707
919-530-6359 (DIP director)
919-530-7138 (faculty preceptor)
919-530-6477 (Department of Human Sciences)
919-530-7983 (fax)
c/o Dr. Lisa Best

Applicants to the Dietetic Internship Program must meet the following requirements:

1. Successful completion of a bachelor's degree with a GPA of greater than or equal to 3.00 (cumulative), greater than or equal to 3.00 (nutrition courses) and greater than or equal to 3.00 (biological/physical sciences).
2. Graduate School requirements, including GRE completion.
3. A signed verification statement or declaration of intent to complete the program signed by the program director from an ACEND-accredited/approved Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). NCCU does not accept verification statements older than 4 years.
4. Official transcripts from all universities and post-secondary institutions of learning showing day, month, and year of graduation.
5. Electronically submit application and fee via DICAS (https://portal.dicas.org). Applications will be reviewed by the Dietetic Internship Committee and will be screened based on the above requirements and the following:
   • Work experience, academic honors, and volunteer and community service
   • Personal and/or telephone interview
   • The applicant's letter of application
   • References
6. Submit Supplemental Application materials to NCCU postmarked no later than February 15. The Dietetic Internship Program at NCCU participates in computer matching through D & D Digital System. Only candidates who have registered with https://www.dnddigital.com/ D & D Digital System will be considered for the DIP at NCCU. Admission into the Dietetic Internship Program is considered without regard to sex, race, color, age, religion, handicap, or national origin.

D & D Digital is an online dietetics internship matching service for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  The address and telephone number for D & D Digital are shown below.

D & D Digital A SIGLER Company
3100 South Riverside Dr.
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-292-0490

Schedule

The internship begins in August and continues through June of the following year.

Curriculum

The curriculum is composed of the following:

1. The didactic part of the curriculum consists of three graduate courses (9 credit hours), which are completed between August and November each year:
   • NSCG 5910 - Nutrition through the Life Cycle (3 credits)
   • NSCG 5920 - Special Problems in Dietetics (3 credits)
   • NSCG 5930 - Applied Medical Nutrition Therapy (3 credits)
2. The site rotations are completed from November through June and account for 6 credit hours:
   • NSCG 6000 Dietetic Internship (6 credits)

Program Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of courses with a grade of B or higher
• Completion of all internship experiences and rotations with a satisfactory rating from faculty and clinical preceptors
• Participation and the attainment of a minimum grade of 85% on the dietetic internship exit examination

An application fee of $50.00, payable to North Carolina Central University DIP, is required with the supplemental application and application checklist. Upon acceptance of an appointment as a dietetic intern, there is a one-time acceptance fee of $500.00 required. The acceptance fee secures the intern's position in the program. The application fee and the acceptance fee are non-refundable. Tuition and fees for 2020–2021 for in-state residents of North Carolina are estimated at $8,924.79; for out-of-state residents, it is $20,319.54.   For future and current tuition and fees as well as the policy on deferment, click on the following two links:

• Financial aid, bill payment, and deferment
• Current tuition and fees for graduate students

Additional costs for parking, books, housing, food, medical exams, drug testing, background checks, uniforms, travel to sites, and attendance and travel to professional meetings and other program specific costs/fees in additional to any institutional fees are not included in this estimated amount. These additional expenses are estimated between $5,000.00 and $9,000.00 but will vary with your choices.