The Distance Dietetic Internship is a nine-month Graduate Certificate program that provides 12 hours of graduate credit through internship seminar courses and supervised practice experiences during rotations in Clinical, Community, and Food Service.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

Illinois State University is proud to offer an online Master of Science in Nutrition pathway that can be completed during or after the distance dietetic internship certificate program. Visit the Sequence of Courses page for more details.

Program Overview

The program prepares students to be competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists and lifelong learners in the community by providing a variety of opportunities to increase their capacity for inquiry, logical thinking, critical analysis, synthesis, and leadership as they apply theory to practice. Individuals will develop skills in the areas of clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and food service management.

As a participant in the certificate program, you'll have the flexibility to establish your experience anywhere in the U.S. with the approval of the program. The Distance Dietetic Internship program has a growing preceptor pool across the nation to help support you as you build your supervised practice schedule.

This certificate program is approved to match 50 interns. The program may preselect applicants who are already taking graduate courses in our department. 

This program uses the online centralized internship application, Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application Service (DICAS).

An on-campus visit or video conference is always encouraged.  Please feel free to contact Dr. Schumacher, Mrs. Byrd, or Mrs. Kollmann to arrange a time to discuss the exciting opportunities at Illinois State.

This program is designed for someone who has their undergraduate degree, completed a didactic program in dietetics and possess a DPD verification statement. Alternate dietetic pathways at Illinois State University include a Master of Science degree in Nutrition or a combined Master of Science degree in Nutrition with a Dietetic Internship.