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General Information

• Mission Statement
  Through excellence in teaching, research, and service, the º£½ÇÉçÇø (UNF) combined Master of Science and Dietetic Internship Programs (DI and ISPP) will provide a high-quality supervised practice experience and related graduate coursework that prepare competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist for positions in all areas of practice in dietetics and to pursue professional development and service.
• Program Goals & Outcomes

  GOAL #1: To prepare graduates to be competent, entry-level dietitians possessing the skills necessary to practice in a variety of food and nutrition-related practice areas.

  • Program Objectives for Goal #1:
    • 1.1 “The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist is at least 80%”.
    • 1.2 “90% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion”.
    • 1.3 “Of the graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation”.
    • 1.4 At least 80% of graduate responses will indicate scores of “3” or higher where “3= adequate”, “4= more than adequate” and “5= Excellent” on survey question related to preparation for entry level practice in dietetics on a one-year post graduation survey.
    • 1.5 “At least 80% of MS/DI program interns complete program/degree requirements within 24 months (150% of program length)”.
    • 1.6 “At least 80% of ISPP program interns will complete program/degree requirements within 30 months (150% of the program length)”.
    • 1.7 At least 90% of responding employers will rate entry-level performance of program graduates as a 3 or higher where 3 = “adequately skilled”, “4 = highly skilled or “5 = Outstanding” on employer surveys (based on a 5-point scale).
     

  GOAL #2: The program will prepare graduates for professional leadership in the field of dietetics or nutrition related areas. 

  • Program Objectives for Goal #2:
    • 2.1 100% of graduates will indicate via survey that they are participating in leadership activities at their place of employment or in the community (e.g., committee work, presentation).
    • 2.2 50% of graduates surveyed will indicate active participation in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
     

  Program Outcomes

  UNF’s MS/DI program has an ongoing assessment process on the outcome of its program. Data on outcomes are available. To obtain information on available program outcome send a written request to the Program Director. Please contact Dr. Jill Snyder at jill.snyder@unf.edu to request data.

• Accreditation
  The Dietetic Internship at the º£½ÇÉçÇø has been granted Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, (Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL  60606-6995, Phone: (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400. Email: ACEND@eatright.org Website: ). The MS Nutrition Dietetic Internship option is approved to admit 15 students each Fall semester to the four-semester full-time program. Students must complete both the Master’s Degree and the Internship experience in order to receive a verification statement and be eligible to sit for the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists.
• Tuition and Estimated Cost of Attendance

  The º£½ÇÉçÇøMS/DI program is approved for standard tuition. The tuition and fee assessments for these programs are shown on the º£½ÇÉçÇøTuition & Fees page Tuition and Fees- Graduate*. For information regarding state tuition waivers, please see our page on University accepted waivers.

  For more information, please contact the MS Dietetic Internship Director, Dr. Jill Snyder at (904) 620-1468 or jill.snyder@unf.edu

  Estimated Additional Costs

  Expense	Cost
  Housing Estimated $1,000/month	$16,000
  Travel to Sites Estimated $300/month	$4,800
  Books	$2,000
  Health Insurance	$150
  Liability Insurance Per year	$100
  Background Checks	$150
  Professional Membership	$50
  Technology PC Mac Webcam	$600-$1,000
  Testing Fees	$100
  Lab Coats	$50
  Total Estimated Costs	$24,000-$26,000

• Technology For Students

  Visit UNF's Information Technology Services

  Students, faculty, and staff have access to a number of  that provide remote connection and collaboration. These resources will help make sure you are set up for success in working remotely.

Course Specific Information

• Course Descriptions
  View the º£½ÇÉçÇøCourse Catalog for detailed descriptions of our graduate courses.
• Curriculum & Sample Schedule

  The program is 16 months or 4 semesters in length. The internship rotations are coordinated with the graduate coursework. All classes are delivered via a hybrid or distance learning format and interns are in the rotation Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Interns will also provide nutritional education and counseling several Fridays each semester at health clinics for the medically underserved.

  The first semester is spent gaining valuable supervised practice experience in Foodservice Management. The rotation includes food production and procurement, food service systems, personnel management, and employee education. The experiences culminate into an intern planned and supervised theme meal. The coursework completed in the fall is Nutrition & Metabolism, Methods of Nutrition Assessment, Clinical Nutrition, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics. 

  Clinical supervised practice rotations are completed in the Spring semester. Interns will gain experience in a variety of areas including medicine, surgery, cardiology, and diabetes. Together with the clinical practice rotation (internship), the coursework completed includes Nutrition and Dietetic Research, Nutrition Education and Counseling, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics.

  Coursework completed during the summer semester includes Sociocultural Nutrition, and Advanced Concepts of Nutrition. Interns will complete Professional Seminar, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics in the fall semester. Community rotations are completed in the summer or last semester and include the WIC program, Feeding Northeast Florida, Meals on Wings, Florida Department of Agriculture º£½ÇÉçÇøHealth Promotion & Wellness, Community Wellness, advanced rotations are completed in the summer or fall semester and include clinical staff relief, pediatrics, diabetes, critical care, sports nutrition, bariatrics and renal. Rotations will be adjusted according to interns' areas of interest. Students have an option to study abroad.

  Throughout the program, each intern will focus on a research area. Interns need complete case studies and course assignments in their research area. The coursework supervised practice, and research area will culminate in the final semester as part of the Professional Seminar class when interns present on their research at a professional meeting.

  Program Info

  Variable	Fall	Spring	Summer	Fall
  Internship Rotation Tuesday-Thursday each week	Food Service Management	Clinical	Advanced Clinical or Community	Community or Advanced Clinical
  Program of Study   All classes are taught using hybrid or distance learning models	DIE6248 Clinical Nutrition Assesssment (3 credits) DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics I (3 credits) HUN6249 Nutrition and Metabolism (3 credits)	HUN6910 Nutrition & Dietetics Research (3 credits) HUN6612 Nutrition Education and Counseling (3 credits) DIE6941 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics II (3 credits)	HUN6916 Advanced Concepts in Nutrition (3 credits) HUN6123 Sociocultural Nutrition (3 credits)	HUN6911 Nutrition and Dietetics Seminar (3 credits) DIE6942 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics III (3 credits)
  Total Hours	9	9	6	6

• Program Completion
  Program completion is reached when the intern has successfully satisfied all rotation learning objectives, supervised practice hours and graduate coursework. Graduates are eligible to receive a verification statement and take the examination to become a registered dietitian. The CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics 
• Transportation
  Due to travel distance between affiliated facilities and the university, interns are required to have a reliable form of transportation, a valid driver's license, and liability insurance.

Application Procedure

• Requirements

  A maximum of 15 interns are selected annually. Applicants must meet the following minimum criteria:

  1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited DPD didactic program in dietetics (DPD) 
  2. DPD verification statement
  3. Minimun 3.0 GPA
  4. GRE: Please note, as of Fall 2021, the º£½ÇÉçÇøMS/DI program no longer requires the GRE.
• Application Process

  The application is a two-step process:

  1. Apply to the º£½ÇÉçÇøMaster of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietetic Internship Program via the Graduate School. 
  2. Apply to the º£½ÇÉçÇøMS Dietetic Internship through the . º£½ÇÉçÇøDietetic Internship participates in the online centralized internship application, DICAS, which is also found at . The online application must be completed by January 15. The fee to use DICAS is $45 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application. You must include the following materials in your DICAS package: 
     • Application letter. Three pages, typed, double spaced, with 1-inch margins, your letter should describe your professional goals, why you are an excellent candidate for a combined Master's degree and internship program, and how your personal attributes would contribute to the program and the profession. (Note: The MS coursework uses the hybrid and DL learning model, but the supervised practice/dietetic internship activities will be mainly in Jacksonville, FL, and in nearby areas.)
     • Official transcript(s) from all universities and colleges attended.
     • Declaration of Intent to Complete a Degree and Didactic Program in Dietetics or Verification Statement of Program Completion.
     • Three references submitted on Academy standard recommendation forms. References should be from two professors and one work reference.
       • Watch on the DICAS Recommendation Form
  3. GRE: Please note, as of Fall 2021, the º£½ÇÉçÇøMS/DI program no longer requires the GRE.

  For additional program requirements and how to apply please visit the Graduate School

• Application Review

  Applications of qualified candidates will be reviewed by a committee and scored on GPA, work experience, volunteer experience, reference letters, and letter of application.

  DI Director and selection committee will process the applications prior to the ACEND deadline. Top candidates will be notified about the next steps in the admission process.

• Second Round Match Instructions

  How do you apply? The º£½ÇÉçÇø will accept your application through on a first come first serve basis. GRE is not required. Interested students should contact Dr. Jill Snyder, (jill.snyder@unf.edu; 904-620-1468). 

Interviewing

• Interview

  Top candidates will be interviewed in person, by phone, or zoom using a performance-based interviewing tool.

  
  

Appointments

• Appointment Procedure

  Appointees to the º£½ÇÉçÇøDietetic Internship Program are to contact the Dietetic Internship Director to accept or reject the appointment by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on appointment day.

Resources

• Application Checklist
  To stay organized, use the MS/DI Application Checklist. Note: GRE Scores are no longer required, please disregard this section on the form.