Program Overview

Certificate in Dietetics

The Certificate in Dietetics (Dietetic Internship Program) provides supervised practice experiences as well as graduate coursework for individuals seeking the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. For students who do not already possess a graduate degree, the internship program will be taken in conjunction with the M.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences degree. Completion of a dietetic internship program and a graduate degree are required for eligibility to take the RD exam, starting on January 1, 2024.

Overview

Only students who have completed or are near completion of a baccalaureate degree and a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) are eligible to apply for this certificate. For more information about the requirements to become an RD, please refer to the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) guidelines.

Eligibility

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree and a Verification Statement from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) are required prior to the program start date of July.
• Completion of a graduate degree by the program start date or eligibility to enroll in the San Francisco State University's M.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences degree.
• All courses required in the applicant's DPD program must be completed with a minimum of a "C" grade prior to the dietetic internship program start date. Additionally, the DPD GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
• Applicants must participate in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (AND) Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Process (DICAS) WebAdmit.
• A separate application fee for SFSU must also be submitted online.
• Recency of coursework: Applicants with a DPD Verification Statement from greater than three years before the program start date must re-take a clinical nutrition/MNT course and a physiology course and receive a grade of C or better for both.
• GRE is not required for admission.

Criteria for Selection

• Applicant must meet all deadlines for submitting materials and fees to DICAS and the program.
• All DPD courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. A minimum overall GPA of 2.7 and a minimum DPD GPA of 3.0 is required.
• Successful applicants typically have significant work/volunteer experience. Dietetics-related experience is most valuable, but any experience that would help an intern to be successful in an internship will be considered.
• DPD GPA and dietetic work/volunteer experience are the criteria that are the most important during the initial review of applications, but all of the following are subsequently reviewed and evaluated:
  • DPD coursework grades
  • other non-dietetics work and/or volunteer experiences
  • overall undergraduate GPA (and graduate coursework if applicable)
  • science coursework GPA
  • letters of recommendation
  • personal statement specific to SFSU
  • example of Academic work
  • Zoom interview (applicants who are being considered for admission will receive an email to schedule an interview)
  • preference may be given to SFSU DPD graduates whose qualifications are competitive with non-SFSU graduates
  • other criteria that may be considered include honors, awards, leadership experience, scholarships, second language(s), graduate degree
  • G.R.E. exam is not required, but a score of 4 on the writing portion (can take after admission) allows a student to opt out of a graduate writing course

Evaluation of Applications and Acceptance

• A committee composed of dietetics faculty and others will review applications based on established criteria.
• Applicants will be notified by the program director if they are matched to the program, waitlisted, or not admitted.
• Matched applicants must then officially apply to San Francisco State University via Cal State Apply for the Graduate Certificate in Dietetics and apply to the M.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences in Spring of the following year (if they have not completed a master's degree).

Program Description

Each cohort class consists of 14 interns. The program requires summer, fall, and spring enrollment (one year). The Certificate is 24 units – 12 units of didactic coursework and 12 units of internship. To be eligible to take the RD exam, interns also need to complete the M.A. in Family & Consumer Studies or another graduate degree.

Advising Notes

Supervised practice experiences (NUTR 881) are completed under the direction of a dietitian, foodservice manager, or other qualified professional in a facility or program serving infants, children, adults, older adults, or the general population in a healthcare, community, non-profit, or business setting.

Program Completion Requirements

• Achieve an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 with a minimum of "C" in all required academic courses and credit in all of the supervised practice internship components of the program.
• Meet all ACEND competencies for supervised practice as evidenced by activities, assignments, case studies, and papers.
• Evaluation forms – interns must demonstrate dietetics competencies in all three of the following areas: foodservice systems management, clinical/patient care, and community nutrition with a minimum evaluation score of a 3 (satisfactory) or better on all competencies on evaluation forms.
• Competency to be able to function as an entry-level dietitian is demonstrated by satisfactory performance completing staff relief for a minimum of two weeks.
• Interns admitted into the program who already have a graduate degree are expected to complete the program in 11 months.
• Interns with a graduate degree who are unable to meet completion requirements within 17 months of start date may be terminated from the program unless there are extenuating circumstances.
• Interns admitted into the program without a graduate degree will be required to complete the M.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences. Expected completion time for both the Dietetic Internship program and the M.A. is 18 months.

Dietetics, Certificate — 24 units

Course List Code | Title | Units
---|---|---
NUTR 751| Seminar in Nutritional Assessment Across the Lifespan| 3
NUTR 755| Seminar in Human Nutrition and Metabolism| 3
NUTR 758| Seminar in Foodservice and Nutrition Program Management| 3
NUTR 785| Seminar in Medical Nutrition Therapy| 3
NUTR 881| Internship in Dietetics| 12