For those students who have already completed both a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) program and a graduate degree, KU offers a nine-month dietetic internship graduate certificate program which consists of 16 hours of graduate coursework (8 hours of didactic coursework and 8 hours of practicum) along with approximately 1,073 hours of supervised practice experience.

We also offer a dual master's degree/dietetic internship program. This 22-month program is completed over five semesters and is designed for those students without a current graduate degree and consists of 38 graduate credit hours (30 didactic coursework and 8 practicum) along with a minimum of 1,073 hours of supervised practice in a variety of practice settings. Learn more about the combined program.

Practice Experiences

Practice experiences include clinical nutrition, community nutrition, food and nutrition management, and a culminating practice area of interest experience designed by the dietetic intern to meet personal, professional and educational goals.

Here is a sample of potential supervised practice experience locations:

• The University of Kansas Health System
• Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics
• Various St. Luke’s Hospital facilities
• VA Medical Center
• Advent Health
• KU Athletics
• KU Weight Management
• Cray Diabetes Center
• Eating disorder facilities
• WIC
• Grocery stores
• Public schools
• Health departments
• Hospital food service facilities
• And many more!

Faculty and Format

As a student in KU's fully accredited program, you will train with outstanding faculty at a world-class academic health center featuring the latest technology and interventions with ample opportunities to experience cutting-edge practice and research in an urban setting serving diverse populations in the region. 

For those students who already have a graduate degree, the dietetic internship graduate certificate track will consist of both graduate coursework and supervised practice experience simultaneously across nine months (two total semesters).

The program starts fall semester in August and ends the following May (two semesters total). Visit our curriculum page for details about rotations and the class schedule. 

After Completing the Dietetic Internship

Students completing the dietetic internship graduate certificate program (who already have a graduate degree) will receive a graduate certificate as well as a verification statement which will allow the student to be eligible to take the national Registration Examination for Dietitians.

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 (2019-2023) is 93.8%. Of those graduates, 97.92% (47 of 48) passed the exam within one year of first attempt.