NUTRITION

School of Health and Human Sciences

Overview: Graduation and Program Completion Requirements

UNCG Dietetic Internship Program Requirements

After being matched/accepted into the UNCG DI program, all interns/students must:

  • Apply for admission to the UNCG Graduate School for the Post-BS Certificate – Dietetic Internship Program at UNCG. Instructions will be provided to the student by the DI Director in early May.
  • Provide final official transcript(s) from the Registrar of an accredited University or College documenting that a minimum of a baccalaureate degree has been conferred BEFORE the beginning date of the DI program at UNCG. (overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 required)
  • Provide a signed original Verification Statement documenting completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) after 1987 to verify completion of all undergraduate dietetics education knowledge requirements. Date of completion on the signed DPD Verification Statement must be BEFORE the beginning date of the DI program at UNCG. In addition, the UNCG DI program requires that signed DPD Verification Statements must be no more than five (5) years old (see Recency of Education policy).
  • Provide proof that immunizations are up to date. Some health care facilities may require additional immunizations in order to procure placement at their site. (Intern responsible for costs of immunizations)
  • Provide proof of health insurance coverage. (Intern responsible for costs).  UNCG, The Department of Nutrition, and/or the Dietetic Internship Program and its agents are not liable for injury or illness while in a facility for supervised practice.
  • Have a car, valid driver’s license, and sufficient automobile insurance as required in North Carolina. Supervised practice facilities are located throughout North Carolina and public transportation is lacking or limited in most areas. (Intern responsible for all transportation and liability costs).  UNCG, The Department of Nutrition, and/or the Dietetic Internship Program are not liable for safety in travel to and from rotation sites.
  • Obtain housing. (Intern responsible for her/his own living arrangements and costs)
  • Obtain Student Professional Liability Insurance. Must apply for this prior to beginning supervised practice placement. (Program pays costs)
  • Obtain a criminal background check (CBC) immediately prior to beginning supervised practice experience placement. Some facilities also require a urine drug screen test. (Program pays costs)
  • Fall semester: Register for and complete NTR 602 (Supervised Preparation for Professional and Community Engagement) and NTR 693 (Supervised Preparation for Practicum in Clinical Dietetics); 3 student credit hours each. (Intern pays tuition and fees and purchases all textbooks and handbooks). Achieve grade of B or better in each.
  • During fall semester, work with DI program faculty to obtain interviews and subsequent placement in facilities with instructional agreements with DI program for supervised placement assignments.
  • Submit a Plan of Study listing the coursework that comprises the Post-BS Certificate-Dietetic Internship program at UNCG to the Graduate School for approval. This form must be signed by the intern, the DI program director, the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. A signed copy is kept in the intern’s file and a copy is also provided to the intern by the DI Director.
  • Spring semester: Register for and complete NTR 606A (Practicum in Clinical Dietetics: Management), NTR 606B (Practicum in Clinical Dietetics: Clinical), and NTR 606C (Practicum in Clinical Dietetics: Community); 3 credits each. (Intern pays tuition and fees). Achieve overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 for graduation. Apply for graduation through the Graduate School according to your plan of study (May for August graduation). MS students must also apply for MS program graduation.
  • Note: Placement facilities reserve the right to refuse placement to an intern who has a positive CBC report incident or who fails the urine drug screen. If the intern is unable to be placed for one or more required rotations, she/he will not be able to complete the DI program.
  • Additionally, interns must have access to the internet, access to a computer with Blackboard supported browser and plug-ins as needed to complete assignments and projects.

Procedure for Determination of Start and End Dates for Site Placement

The planned program length is 9-12 months and includes a minimum of 1000 supervised practice hours, completed via part-time campus-based alternate supervised experiences (up to 200 hours) and full-time supervised practice hours completed in the work setting (800  hours).

The campus-based experience lasts for 10 weeks from approximately mid-August to mid-October.  Dietetic interns will be placed in their first rotation in the work setting after completion of these 10 weeks of part-time alternate supervised experiences which include simulation, role-playing and case studies.

The typical time frame for an intern’s placement in her/his first work setting rotation is between November and January.  All work setting rotation start and end dates are determined by the supervised practice sites.  While intern preferences may be noted and/or considered during the site placement process, the UNCG DI program is unable to guarantee site placement start and end dates.

Interns placed in the work setting starting in November generally complete program requirements in May while interns who begin in January generally complete the program in July.

UNCG Dietetic Internship Program Completion Requirements

  • Completion of NTR 602 (Supervised Preparation for Professional and Community Engagement) and NTR 693 (Supervised Preparation for Practicum in Clinical Dietetics) with a grade of B or better in order to progress to the supervised placement experience component of the program.
  • Completion of all supervised practice rotation competencies for management (NTR 606A), clinical (NTR 606B), and community nutrition (NTR 606C) as delineated in the UNCG Dietetic Internship Policies and Procedures Handbook.
  • Completion of all assignments associated with the specified core competencies for RDs to be completed during supervised preparation and supervised practice rotations. Each assignment must be reviewed and approved by the intern’s preceptor or program faculty member.
  • Completion of a minimum of 1000 hours of supervised practice.
  • Submission to the UNCG program director of all required documentation including completed supervised practice hours log, performance evaluation forms – at least six (6) completed Student Evaluation: Performance and Practices Forms – which are to be completed during the various supervised practice rotations.  Each evaluation form must be signed by the intern’s preceptor and/or DI Director and the intern. These evaluations are kept as part of the DI program records for at least 5 years. In addition, students must complete at least six (6) of the same evaluations as a Self-Evaluation. Each must be signed by the student and one of her/his preceptors or DI program Faculty.
  • Completion of an exit interview with UNCG DI Director.
  • Completion of Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR) documents required for submission to CDR for assessment of intern’s eligibility to apply to take the national Registered Dietitian examination
  • Upon completion of all requirements of the Dietetic Internship program, each intern will be issued an official Verification Statement by the DI Director. (see UNCG Dietetic Internship Verification Statement Policy)