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Family and Consumer Sciences

Professional Practice Internship

All Family and Consumer Sciences majors are required to complete FCS 398: Professional Practice. This is a 120-hour internship experience, typically completed in a student's junior or senior year. Professional Practices experiences must occur over a minimum of 8 weeks and hours cannot begin until corresponding semester has started.

*Professional Practice for the Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics (FND) student is not the post-graduate dietetic internship required to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (R.D.N). Professional Practice is an opportunity for the undergraduate Dietetics student to gain valuable experiences at a dietetics-related site. Experiences gained through FCS 398, paid work, or volunteering are important to learn more about the dietetics field, and to strengthen your knowledge and experience prior to applying for and beginning the larger dietetic internship that comes after graduation.

Contact

Jenna Kirkwood
jlkirk6@IllinoisState.edu
(309) 438-2517

  • Prerequisites

    In order to qualify for FCS 398, students must meet the following prerequisties:

    • A minimum of 60 hours completed
    • Completion of FCS 300a03
    • Minimum 2.0 GPA

     

  • Applications

    The Professional Practice application is available on the FCS Advising Canvas page.

    Students are responsible for finding an internship site that aligns with their career goals and professional interests. Students may not enroll for FCS 398 on their own and can expect to receive a confirmation email once the applications have been processed.

  • Purpose

    The Professional Practice course has five main purposes:

    • To provide the student with on-the-job work experience that will allow for a variety of management / supervisory learning opportunities.
    • To allow the student to apply his or her capabilities and academic learning on the job.
    • To develop interpersonal skills.
    • To develop positive/professional attitudes.
    • To encourage closer cooperation between the FCS Department and the government, business, agency, or industry with whom the student is working.

  • Professional Practice Areas

    Dietetics students often find internship opportunities in the following areas:

    • Healthcare organizations
    • Medical nutrition therapy
    • Long-term care facilities
    • Rehabilitation centers
    • Private practice
    • Sports nutrition
    • School food services
    • Grocery stores
    • Wellness centers
    • Health departments
    • Government agencies