91³ÉÈË

Dietitians help people live healthy and active lives through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Dietitians apply their knowledge base across diverse populations and settings. To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a student must:

1. Complete a minimum of a master's degree granted by a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency or foreign equivalent, and coursework through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Didactic, Coordinated, Graduate or International program.
2. Complete required supervised practice/experience through an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship, Coordinated Program, Graduate Program, or an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway offered through an ACEND-accredited program.
3. Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. For more information regarding the examination, refer to .
4. Meet requirements to practice in your state. Many states have regulatory laws (i.e. licensure) for food and nutrition practitioners. All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure purposes.
5. Stay up-to-date in dietetics through continuing education. After successfully passing the national exam and earning the credential, RDNs maintain ongoing professional development in order to stay up to date on the latest research, recommendations and best practices.

Interns who successfully complete the 91³ÉÈË Dietetic Internship are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN (step 2).

To learn more about State Licensure, you can visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration

You can visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for more information about

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for program admission:

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree from a college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and a minimum DPD GPA of 3.0.
2. Completion or intent to complete an ACEND-accredited didactic program in dietetics (DPD) before starting the program in August. If a verification statement was obtained more than 5 years prior to starting the program, the applicant will need to meet the recency of education criteria.
3. Evidence of a graduate degree by the time of dietetic internship completion.
4. Pay the $25 91³ÉÈË Dietetic Internship Program application fee. Send a check made out to the “91³ÉÈË” to the Dietetic Internship Director by the DICAS application due date. Mailing address is 91³ÉÈË, 4301 Broadway CPO 311, San Antonio, Texas 78209. Write “Dietetic Internship Application Fee” on the Note line of the check.
5. Personal statement that addresses the following:
   1. Why do you want to be a registered dietitian nutritionist?
   2. What personal, unique, or meaningful experience have you had with dietetics?
   3. How will the 91³ÉÈË Dietetic Internship program help you toward the achievement of your professional goals?
   4. What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
6. Three (3) references from: 1) a Nutrition professor, 2) a work or volunteer supervisor, and 3) a professional reference that can speak to either your academic ability or your work ethic
7. Following acceptance into the 91³ÉÈË Dietetic Internship Program, interns will need to complete an application to be enrolled in the Master of Science in Nutrition program, if they are not already enrolled. International applicants will complete the international application. The application fee is $20.

Additional admission and application information can be found on the Application and Admission Requirements page.

Graduates of the Dietetic Internship program are eligible to apply to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). To receive the CDR required Verification Statement, interns must:

1.  A minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours, which includes a minimum of 700 hours in professional work settings and a maximum of 300 hours in alternate supervised experiences.
2.  A minimum grade of “B” in NUTR 6353 Supervised Experiential Learning I and NUTR 6354 Supervised Experiential Learning II.
3.  Demonstrate ability to meet core competencies for the RDN (CRDNs) by receiving a proficient rating or higher on all evaluations and earn 80% or higher on all assignments. The program director will determine on an individual basis when substitutions or modifications in rotations and assignments can be made and will determine when entry-level competency is achieved.
4.  All work must be completed, and competencies met, within 150% of the original time of completion, or 13.5 months.
5.  Proof of completion of a graduate degree, either a previously earned graduate degree or completion of the Master of Science in Nutrition degree from 91³ÉÈË.

Supervised Practice

The 91³ÉÈË Dietetic Internship provides at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice distributed as:

• Clinical (240 hours; 6 weeks)
• Renal Dialysis (80 hours; 2 weeks)
• Foodservice Management (120 hours; 4 weeks)
• Community and Wellness (320 hours; 8 weeks)
• Choice (40 hours; 1 week)
• Graduate Project/Research (80 hours; spread throughout program)
• Leadership and Professionalism (40 hours; spread throughout program)

The majority of hours (960) are in professional work settings and 40 hours are in alternate practice experiences. The program arranges all supervised practice sites for interns. Rotation sites may be assigned anywhere in San Antonio and the surrounding communities. Interns agree to be placed at sites at the discretion of the program. Interns must have reliable transportation to and from sites.

Clinical (Medical Nutrition Therapy)

The clinical experience occurs in the hospital setting. The hospital experience includes medical, surgical, cardiac, diabetes, intensive care, and nutrition support. After completing the clinical rotation, interns gain renal experience in a dialysis clinic.

Foodservice Management

The foodservice management occurs in the hospital foodservice department. During a fall or spring semester, the intern works in a large facility in San Antonio. During this segment, interns are involved in administrative activities, management projects, quality assurance, menu planning, procurement, and personnel management.

Community and Wellness

The community and wellness experience exposes the intern to a variety of populations and agencies. Interns may experience any of the following: food bank/pantry, WIC, child nutrition program, corporate/community wellness, community garden, or other community agencies or facilities.

Leadership and Professionalism

Leadership and Professional activities provide opportunities for the intern to develop leadership skills and professional growth. Professional activities happen throughout the internship and include attendance at professional meetings, participating in public advocacy, and mentor others.

Graduate Project/Research

Interns complete a graduate project with a faculty member on a variety of topics. The project includes a proposal, poster, and final project written/oral report and is completed over the course of the program.

Choice

The choice rotation offers interns diverse options to gain experience in various areas of dietetics. Interns can choose rotations based on their interests, including clinical, food service, community, and wellness settings. Specialized areas include eating disorders and nutrition and food service consulting. Interns also have the option to complete their choice rotation internationally, as part of one of the Faculty-Led programs at 91³ÉÈË. The cost for the international rotation may range from $2000-$9000.

Academic Courses

Each supervised practice rotation is combined with classroom study to complement what interns are experiencing at practice sites. Interns take two dietetic internship courses, one each semester, for a total of six graduate credit hours.