MS/DI Program (MS-PD)

The MS/DI program is a graduate degree program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The MS/DI program is called the MS-PD: Master of Science in Nutrition-Professional Dietetics. Upon successful completion, graduates are eligible to take the RD registration exam.

The program accepts up to 12 interns per year. The MS-PD is a 22-month program that includes 1200 hours of supervised practice hours in professional work settings. The MS-PD is a hybrid program, with the majority of the coursework delivered online and the supervised practice rotations located in the Mid-Willamette Valley in Oregon. The supervised practice hours are completed during the second year of the program. Interns are not required to move to Oregon until spring/summer of their first year in the program. 

The MS-PD program has 2 concentration areas in senior nutrition care and community/primary care nutrition practice. Each intern also participates in rotations in the traditional venues of foodservice, clinical, and community. The program comprises 30+ rotation sites and 55+ preceptors.

OSUDI Program

The OSUDI is a non-credit, non-degree, post-baccalaureate program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Upon successful completion, graduates are eligible to take the RD registration exam.

The OSUDI consists of a 9.5 month, full-time supervised practice program commencing mid-September and running through June.

This internship focuses on senior nutrition care, and community and primary care nutrition practice, but also features experiences in traditional venues (i.e. food service, management and clinical). Comprised of numerous rotations in different healthcare settings under the supervision of 56+ qualified preceptors, this internship prides itself on its diversity.

Why is this program unique?

• Broad-based exposure to dietetic practice; each intern will be placed in 6-7 rotations.
• More independent counseling/motivational interviewing opportunities than other internships (at primary care sites and OSU faculty/staff counseling sessions).
• Opportunity to participate in the future models of healthcare delivery in patient-centered medical homes (physician offices and clinics) including: Metropolitan Pediatrics and Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic; both sites provide nutrition care services of prevention in addition to traditional medical nutrition therapy.

Intern’s professional development is our focus

The dietetic internship exists to provide high quality supervised practice experiences for interns in order to attain the ACEND educational competencies. The dietetic internship does not exploit interns for personal gain in the workplace and the focus of the rotation is learning. Interns may perform day-to-day work activities in a rotation but only in the context of completing an assignment or gaining experience, not to replace an absent employee. Thus, efforts are taken to encourage interns to develop professionally, engage in opportunities to become independent practitioners, develop leadership and gain exposure to mentors, to initiate the development of professional networks and to realize the value of engagement with the profession and with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Program prepares for RD exam

Following completion of the accredited didactic program in dietetics (DPD), the dietetic internship is a supervised practice program fulfilling the next step in the required educational process established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to prepare entry-level RDs. After successfully completing the dietetic internship, the student is qualified to take the Registration Examination to become an RD. Interns must be an RD in order to apply for state licensure; the State of Oregon has licensing for the RD credential.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligible students will have graduated (or are about to graduate) with at least a bachelor's degree and have completed requirements from an ACEND-accredited program called a "Didactic Program in Dietetics." Applicants come from all over the country.

All applicants must participate in the formal matching process managed through D&D Digital. More information about detailed selection criteria, qualifications and characteristics sought are available in the Selection Criteria link.

Additional information

• Program Philosophy, Concentration, Goals and Non-Discrimination
• Program Description, Schedule, Rotations, Program Outcomes, and Completion
• Program Costs, Financial Aid/Loan Deferments
• FAQ
• Selection, Qualifications, and Application

Accreditation Status

The dietetic internship is a fully accredited dietetics internship by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, 1-800-877-1600 ext. 5400. The ACEND site visit for continued accreditation occurred in Spring, 2018.

Contact

We appreciate hearing from prospective interns via email.
Feel free to contact us with your questions after reviewing our website.

We discourage in-person visits from prospective interns for several reasons:

1. Most of our out-of-state interns end up in rotations outside of Corvallis (Salem/Portland areas) so there is no need to visit the OSU campus and Corvallis community.
2. We believe visiting in-person potentially creates an unfair advantage as many prospective interns are unable to dedicate the time and money to visit programs.
3. We conduct Skype interviews with all of our applicant finalists (even Oregon students) to ensure fairness in selection, and this also gives us an opportunity to meet you face-to-face during the selection process.

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Dietetic Intern Erica conducts a nutrition consult with Oregon State University staff member.