To apply to KU’s dual master's degree/dietetic internship program you must fill out an online application through the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS), a service that aids in the process of applying to dietetic internship programs. This system allows you to upload information and supporting documents to one centralized location and then select from participating programs. 

The program starts fall semester in August. Students complete a total of five semesters, graduating in May of the second year. The application deadline for applications is Oct 6 for fall applications and January 19 for spring applications. Students applying to either the fall or spring application cycle will start the dietetic internship program in fall 2025. 

Before You Begin

Review the eligibility and program admission requirements, including information for international students, to ensure you are ready to apply.

Read the nonacademic technical standards carefully. If matched to KU's dietetic internship graduate certificate program, applicants will be asked to indicate if the standards can be met with or without accommodation.

Gather the information below before beginning your online DICAS application.

• References: Have available the names and contact information of three references, including email addresses for each person. Recommendation letters may be from faculty, advisors, employers or others who are familiar with your work and character. Make sure references are willing to submit the reference for you online to DICAS.
• Verification statement: A verification statement or declaration of intent form is required. This form is completed by your didactic program director and must have an original signature. Please confirm this with your program director, as they will upload this document directly to DICAS. If matched, the original verification statement document must be submitted to KU.

• Personal statement: You will be asked to complete a personal statement of no more than 1000 words. Questions to be addressed in the personal statement include the following:
  o Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
  o Discuss experiences that have helped to prepare you for your career.
  o What are your short-term and long-term goals?
  o What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?

• Transcripts: Students must request transcripts of all college coursework be sent from past academic institutions and have them forwarded directly to DICAS. Please send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to the following address:
  DICAS-Transcript Dept., PO Box 9118, Watertown, MA 02472
  
  Transcripts need to verify a bachelor's degree (with the date received) and all prerequisite coursework has been completed. For applicants matched with KU who had not completed a degree or all prerequisites at the time of DICAS application, a second set of official transcripts will need to be provided to KU closer to the start of the program to verify all requirements have been met.

• English language proficiency: If English is a second language for you, applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and arrange for scores to be sent directly to the KU Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. A satisfactory score on the TOEFL must have been obtained within the previous two (2) years (see guidelines for TOEFL).  Students from outside the U.S. and those who are not U.S. citizens can find more information at the KU Medical Center's Office of International Programs.

Questions? Jeannine Goetz, Ph.D., program director, may be reached at 913-588-1449 (711 TTY) or jgoetz@kumc.edu.

Step One: DICAS Application

The program uses the online Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS) and you'll submit yours at dicas.liaisoncas.com. A DICAS application fee must be paid by the applicant.

Questions about DICAS?

Online training materials and a phone number are available for students with questions about accessing and using the centralized application service, DICAS. See EatRightPro.org for details.

Deadline

The online application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on October 6 (for fall application cycle) or January 19 (for spring application cycle).

Step Two: KU Online Supplemental Application and Fee

Once DICAS materials have been received and verified, students will receive an email from the program director to begin the final steps of the application process. This KU supplemental application will be submitted through KU's online application platform.

The deadline to provide supplemental documents and KU application fee is October 30 for the fall application cycle and February 24 for the spring application cycle.

Applications are not reviewed until the KU supplemental application fee and all of the requested information is received by the University of Kansas.

Inquiries or updates 

Please call the department at 913-588-5355 (711 TTY) or email us at dietetics@kumc.edu for inquiries about the application process or to check the status of a submitted application. Program-specific questions may be directed to Jeannine Goetz, Ph.D., program director, at 913-588-1449 (711 TTY) or jgoetz@kumc.edu.

Applicant notification and application decision dates

The program will notify you of its decision (accept, waitlist or decline) by no later than November 1, 2024, for the fall application cycle or March 1, 2025, for the spring application cycle.

If an applicant receives an acceptance offer, they must contact the program director via phone (913-588-1449) or email (jgoetz@kumc.edu) by November 15, 2024 with their decision for the fall application cycle or March 15, 2025 for the spring application cycle.

Should a student receive a waitlist offer during the fall application cycle, they may accept this waitlist position and the program will move their DICAS application to the spring application cycle pool.

If the program does not accept or waitlist a student during the fall application cycle, the student can work to further develop their application and resubmit during the spring application cycle.

If the KU dietetic internship program has not filled their cohort by March 15, the program will continue offering spots to those on the waitlist and will reopen DICAS enrollment starting March 16.

If you have not previously submitted an application to KU:

• Check the program's eligibility and requirements to ensure the minimum admission criteria are met.
• Release DICAS materials to "University of Kansas Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program."
• Once a complete application is received in DICAS, applicants will receive an email prompting them to complete the KU supplemental application via the KU online application platform and to pay the application fee.
• An online interview may be requested.

The program will continue offering acceptance to individuals on the waitlist or to new DICAS applications until all positions in the next cohort are filled (or by July 15, 2025, at the latest).

Seat Fee

If admitted to the program, students will receive directions to provide a non-refundable deposit of $400. This amount will be applied toward your fall semester tuition and fees if you enter the program. If you change your plans and you decide not to enter the program at any time, your deposit will not be refunded.

Acceptance 

The program director sends accepted applicants a letter verifying acceptance of the dietetic internship position at KU and additional information needed for admission. KU's Office of Graduate Studies will later notify applicants of the conditions of admission and admission status.