Program Overview

Introduction to the Dietetic Internship Program

The Dietetic Internship Program at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) is a two-year program that combines graduate coursework with supervised practice in the greater Los Angeles area. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and is designed to prepare students for a career as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).

Program Description

The program is a part of the Master of Science in Nutritional Science and is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in nutrition and dietetics. The program includes both classroom instruction and supervised practice, and is designed to prepare students to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam.

Program Requirements

To be eligible for the program, students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and must have completed an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and must submit an application to the program through the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS).

Curriculum

The program curriculum includes a total of 36 units of graduate coursework, including courses in nutrition science, research methods, and statistics. Students also complete a supervised practice component, which includes rotations in clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and food service management.

Course Requirements

The following courses are required for the program:

• NUTR 530A: Macronutrients
• NUTR 530B: Micronutrients
• NUTR 531: Advanced Community Nutrition
• NUTR 696: Research Methods
• NUTR 697: Directed Research
• NUTR 591A: Professional Practicum in Dietetics
• NUTR 591B: Seminar in Dietetic Practice

Supervised Practice

The supervised practice component of the program includes rotations in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community organizations. Students work under the supervision of experienced registered dietitians and are responsible for providing nutrition counseling and education to patients and clients.

Rotation Requirements

The following rotations are required for the program:

• Nutrition Therapy (10 weeks)
• Outpatient (2 weeks)
• Community Nutrition (4 weeks)
• Head Start (1 week)
• Nutrition Education (2 weeks)
• Pediatrics (1 week)
• Food Service (6 weeks)
• School Nutrition Service (2 weeks)
• Business/Entrepreneurship (1 week)
• Leadership (1 week)
• Professional Development (1 week)
• Nutrition Across the Life Cycle Communication (1 week)

Concentration

The program features a "Nutrition Across the Life Cycle Communication" (NALCC) concentration, which is designed to provide students with advanced training in nutrition communication and education. The concentration includes coursework and supervised practice in nutrition education and counseling, and is designed to prepare students to work with diverse populations across the lifespan.

Program Completion and Graduation Requirements

To complete the program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete all required coursework with a grade of "A" or "B"
• Complete the supervised practice component with satisfactory performance
• Complete a thesis or directed project
• Pass an oral defense and poster presentation of the thesis or directed project

Accreditation and Licensure

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is the accrediting agency for education programs in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).