Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

• Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so by the time of program matriculation.
• Submit unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term.
• If admitted, official domestic transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 208 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.
• If admitted, official international transcripts can be emailed directly from the international institution to InternationalAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, International Admissions, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Graduate School Admission Requirements.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

• Complete at least a Bachelor's degree.
• Have a preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
  • The Grade Point Average (GPA) of all undergraduate credentials earned in the United States that are used for graduate degree admission evaluation is calculated by the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. International credentials are evaluated by using cumulative GPA (CGPA) in lieu of the GPA from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
• Complete a didactic program in dietetics (DPD) with a DPD verification statement.
• Be on track to complete their graduate degree within a maximum of three months following the completion of the dietetic internship; or have completed a graduate degree. Students following the Illinois State MS in Nutrition/Distance Dietetic Internship course plans meet this criteria.

Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service (DICAS)

Illinois State University participates in the online Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service (DICAS) process. To apply, you will need to create an account in the DICAS portal and add our program to your list. Please note that the dietetic internship program at Illinois State has different options, each tied to specific applications in DICAS. Please ensure you are applying to the specific program you intend to complete. 

• Illinois State University Distance Dietetic Internship and online Master of Science in Nutrition- This application is intended for students who plan to complete their distance dietetic internship and graduate degree requirements online at Illinois State University.
  • Applicants will be asked to designate their preferred pathway for completing their graduate degree at Illinois State University. See ‘Sequence of Courses’ to review optional course plans. 
• Illinois State University Distance Dietetic Internship Certificate Program- This application is intended for students who will complete their distance dietetic internship at Illinois State University but already have a graduate degree or are working towards their graduate degree at another institution.
  
  • Applicants who are working towards their graduate degree at another institution will be asked to provide signed documentation from their graduate advisor stating remaining degree requirements and timeline for degree completion. Please use this template and upload supplemental documentation into the DICAS portal. 

The centralized application will require you to complete your personal information, academic history (includes sending official transcripts to DICAS), supporting information, and program materials.

If you need assistance with the centralized application, please contact DICAS customer support at 617-612-2855.

Recommendations

In the DICAS portal, you will be prompted to enter the name and email address for each of your chosen recommenders. This will prompt an email request to be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Our program requires 2 recommendations.

• One academic recommendation (ex: DPD director, faculty/staff, academic advisor)
• One professional recommendation (ex: employer, volunteer coordinator, supervisor of professional practice experiences)

You are encouraged to choose recommenders who can speak to your ability to be successful in a distance learning program.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to highlight your unique qualifications, experiences, and commitment to your academic and professional goals. Because we understand each student is unique, we do not have any required writing prompts. Instead, we encourage you to use this statement to demonstrate why you’re a strong candidate for our program. Please limit the personal statement to 1,000 words.

Application Fee

Our program's application submission fee is $35 for each internship track (if applying to both tracks, submit $70). These funds are distributed back to admitted students to assist with funding conference attendance, projects, etc.  We accept online payments.

Submit your application fee.

Application Timeline

At this time, Illinois State University participates in the Spring application cycle with the program starting in the fall.

• Application Opens: August 5
• Priority Deadline: January 15 at 11:59 pm CST
• Program Decision Date: March 1
• Applicant Decision Date: March 15

You may submit your application materials via DICAS anytime after August 5. Our team will conduct a holistic review of applications on a rolling basis. Suitable candidates will be invited to complete an interview process. Once our team has made an admission decision, you will be notified via email of your application status (no later than March 1). Students will have until March 15 to accept or decline an offer.

Application review and program admission will be completed on a rolling basis until all available slots are full. You are encouraged to follow the priority deadline of January 15, however any applications submitted after this date will be reviewed accordingly, as space in our program allows.

Our program is committed to following the ACEND Programs Code of Conduct and Traffic Rules. You are expected to follow the ACEND Code of Conduct and Traffic Rules for Applicants.

Applying to the Graduate Program

In an effort to reduce the time and cost associated with applying to dietetic internships, only the DICAS application is required for admission consideration to Illinois State University. All admitted student will be required to provide official transcripts to the Graduate School before the start of the dietetic internship program.

How to Apply as a Current Illinois State Student

Students who are currently enrolled in the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) program at Illinois State are eligible to apply for early admission into the dietetic internship program. This includes students in our undergraduate and graduate sequences. 

A student applying to this program must meet the admission requirements outlined above and complete the appropriate application in DICAS. Students that want to be considered for the accelerated master’s sequence and the distance dietetic internship program will apply to both using one application in the DICAS portal. 

Our program will review early admission applications twice per year. Students are encouraged to apply for early admission 3 semesters before they intend to complete their DPD undergraduate program. 

• Application Opens: August 5
• Fall Priority Deadline: September 21
• Fall Applicant Decision Date: October 25
• Spring Priority Deadline: February 1
• Spring Program Decision Date: March 5
• Spring Applicant Decision Date: March 15

Our team will conduct a holistic review of applications after the priority deadline each term. Suitable candidates will be invited to complete an interview process. Once our team has made an admission decision, you will be notified via email of your application status. Students will have until the applicant decision date to accept or decline an offer.
Eligible applicants are encouraged to follow the priority deadlines, however any applications submitted after this date will be reviewed accordingly, as space in our program allows.

Students accepted for early admission into the distance dietetic internship will need to submit their supervised practice schedules to the program for approval in early April, the spring before they start the distance dietetic internship.

Eligible students who are not selected are encouraged to reapply to our program using the DICAS application timeline for external applicants. Additionally, students can apply to other internships through DICAS.

If you have individual questions about your eligibility for early admission, please direct questions to the Illinois State University DPD director, Dr. Julie Schumacher.

Global Access to Online Degree Programs

When applying, international students applying to a fully online program must agree to  our international online and hybrid programs disclosure and disclaimer statements. Due to limited on-campus courses, immigration documentation cannot be issued for students seeking F-1 or J-1 status.

Graduate Coordinator