Program Overview

KU offers an exceptional dietetic internship program with a medical nutrition therapy emphasis. The program requires the completion of 24 graduate credit hours and 1,200 hours of supervised practice in a variety of practice settings.

The practice experiences include clinical and community nutrition, food and nutrition management and a culminating practice area of interest experience designed by the intern to meet personal professional and educational goals. Interns are able to choose from a variety of practice sites for each experience and are encouraged to submit ideas for new practice sites to the program director.

Students completing the dietetic internship program receive a graduate certificate from the University of Kansas. They are eligible to apply for approval by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to take the national Registration Examination for Dietitians.

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What is a dietitian?

An essential member of the modern health care team, a registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to qualify for the RD credential. Learn more

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Why Choose KU's Dietetic Internship Program?

KU's program stands apart from others in many ways, from the outstanding faculty to the opportunity for training with the latest technology and interventions in a leading academic health center. Customized practice experiences match the student’s individual interests. Located within an academic health center, KU provides students with ample opportunities to experience cutting-edge practice and research in an urban setting serving diverse populations in the region.

There are more than 45 clinical education affiliations in the metropolitan Kansas City and surrounding areas as well as opportunities for international experiences. Practice sites include The University of Kansas Hospital, KU Weight Management, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, VA Medical Center, KU Athletics, grocery stores, public schools, health departments, and others.

KU has a proven record in producing top-level professionals, as evidenced by the consistently high first-time pass rate by KU graduates on the national Registration Examination for Dietitians. The first-time pass rate for KU graduates of the past five years (2015-2019) is 96.2%. One hundred percent of graduates passed the exam within the first year of program completion.

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Convenient Option for Master's Degree

Students are strongly encouraged to enter KU's master's degree program upon completion of the dietetic internship graduate certificate program. Graduates of the dietetic internship program need an additional 16-19 hours to finish the master's degree. See details on the curriculum page.

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Accreditation

The University of Kansas Dietetic Internship graduate certificate program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600, ext. 5400; ACEND@eatright.org. The program outcomes data are available upon request to prospective students and the public. Documents relating to accreditation may be obtained from the department office.

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Graduates of KU's dietetic internship graduate certificate program are eligible to take the registered dietitian examination offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. All U.S. states with licensure and certification requirements currently accept the registered dietitian credential for state licensure and certification purposes. The Commission on Dietetic Registration provides information on specific state licensure requirements.