Dietetic Internship Certificate Program

Graduates of a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) who meet the minimum admission requirements are invited to apply to the Georgia Southern DI programs. A maximum of 20 interns are admitted annually to the Georgia Southern DI programs; 4 seats are available in the DI Certificate program and 16 in the combined MS-DI program. Up to 10 internship positions are reserved for graduates of the Georgia Southern DPD program.

Important Application Submission Deadlines:

January 15, 2024: Pre-Select Option for past grads

Submit:

1. Past Georgia Southern graduates, for preselect option, you need to submit a DICAS application by January 15 for review. No need to submit GRE score or graduate application.
2. Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) application and fee

February 15, 2024: First Round Matching Application deadline

Submit:

1. Georgia Southern Graduate School Office of Graduate Admissions document and fee
2. Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) application and fee
3. D & D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service fee

April 10, 2024: Second Round Selection Opens 

Review of applications will start April 10, 2024. Closing date is when all openings are filled or May 1, 2024, whichever comes first.

Submit:

1. Georgia Southern Graduate School Office of Graduate Admissions documents and fee
2. Add Georgia Southern University as a designated program to your Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) application.

Specifics Regarding the Application Submission Deadlines:

Pre-Select Process for Georgia Southern University Students Only 

Past Georgia Southern graduates submit Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) applications but do NOT submit GRE scores or admission interviews. Students will complete a College of Graduate Studies application (fee waived) if accepting direct admission.

All Pre-Select applicants will receive written notification of acceptance or rejection no later than January 31. An applicant who accepts a Georgia Southern University DI Program Pre-Select opening may not participate in the D & D computer matching process.

Students who decline preselect/direct admission into the Georgia Southern DI program can apply to the Georgia Southern DI program following DICAS and participate in computer matching.

First Round Matching Process 

February 15, 2024: The College of Graduate Studies Application,  the Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) application and D & D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics registration and fee are due February 15. 

April 7, 2024: On April 7, 2024 at 6 p.m. Central Time, applicant matching results will be posted on D & D Digital.

April 8, 2024: Appointment day. As per DICAS, “Matched applicants must contact the Dietetic Internship program by telephone, FAX or e-mail on or before 6 p.m. (time zone of the program), April 8, 2024, to confirm acceptance of the MATCH. After this time, the program is under no obligation to hold the opening for the matched applicant.”

April 9, 2024: On April 9, 2024 beginning at 6 a.m. Central Time, “Dietetic Internship program directors may contact unmatched applicants who were originally entered on their list on the D&D website. If contacted, these appointments must be confirmed by April 9, 2024, by 8 p.m. Central Time.”

April 10, 2024:  Second round selection starts. See below.

Second Round Selection Process 

You must have participated in first round selection process to be eligible for the second round selection process.

April 10, 2024:  At 11 a.m. Central Time, DICAS will post the names of internship programs that have not filled their positions.  Unmatched applicants will be able to submit their applications to the open programs beginning at that time.

April 10, 2024: Applicants should submit a College of Graduate Studies application, and add Georgia Southern University as designated internship site to your DICAS account information.

The College of Graduate Studies application should include 1) unofficial college transcripts and 2) results of a criminal background check. If you use PSI, the customer code is CUST_983 and product code GSUN for background check only. Official transcripts can be submitted to College of Graduate Studies after provisional acceptance to the program. The Graduate Studies application must be completed prior to May 1, 2024 for summer start date.

Review of second round applications and selection will start on April 2024. Georgia Southern DI Certificate program application deadline is May 1, 2024. Dietetic Internship Certificate program starts on May 13, 2024. For the Dietetic Internship Certificate program, you must have completed your graduate degree by May 13, 2024.

*Please note:  While the College of Graduate Studies requests references, Letter of Intent and Verification Statement, these are not needed as long as they are available in DICAS.

• Hold an advanced degree (masters or doctoral in any subject) or the equivalent from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or a degree from a non-U.S. institution of higher education that is judged equivalent to a U.S. masters or doctoral degree by the College of Graduate Studies
• Completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education of Nutrition & Dietetics, the accrediting agency of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, with coursework completed within the last 5 years; submission of an Intent to Complete or Verification of Completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics
• Cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) calculated from the cumulative course grades from each college or university previously attended
• A minimum of a C in prerequisite DPD, math and science coursework
• Dietetic related volunteer and work experience, in the fields of nutrition, food science, health, laboratory or clinical research, food service, food industry, nutrition education or health promotion
• TOEFL iBT score of 80 with a minimum score of 20 in each of the four exam sub-sections (international students);
• Admission to the Georgia Southern University College of Graduate Studies
• Submission of results of a criminal background check at the federal, state and local levels.  Clearance must be sufficient to participate in programs in all rotations used in the program.

*Meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Georgia Southern DI.

1. Complete the on-line Georgia Southern University  College of Graduate Studies Application, which requires submission of the following:
   • Transcript from each college or university previously attended
     1. Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded to the online application
     2. Following notification of acceptance, official transcripts, designated as official, must be sent directly from the institution(s) previously attended to the Office of Graduate Studies; transcripts marked “Issued to Student” will not be accepted.
     3. Applicants who have attended Georgia Southern University are not required to submit Georgia Southern transcripts.
   • International students submit TOEFL scores
     1. For the TOEFL, the Georgia Southern University School Code is 5253.

     Note: Letter of Recommendations and other Dietetic Internship documents are not required in the College of Graduate Studies Application since these items are available through the Dietetics Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS)

2. Complete the online DICAS application and submit the DICAS application fee; create an account at https://portal.dicas.org/ and submit the following:
   • Applicant information (contact information, personal information, background information)
   • Educational information (colleges attended, session & coursework, tests)
   1. Arrange for official transcripts to be sent to DICAS
   2. List of your DPD and your math and science coursework with corresponding grade
   3. Provide DPD Program Information (DPD Director contact information)
   1. Your director will submit a Verification Statement or Declaration of Intent prior to you submitting your application
   • Awards, experience and volunteer activities
     1. List your volunteer, work experience, in the fields of nutrition, food science, health, laboratory or clinical research, foodservice, food industry, nutrition education, or health promotion is considered dietetic related volunteer and work experience
   • Personal statement (8,000 character limit); address the following items in the personal statement:
   1. Why you want to enter the dietetics profession
   2. Your short-term and long-term goals
   3. Experiences and skills that reflect your ability to be successful in the dietetic internship and as a registered dietitian
   4. An assessment of the qualities, knowledge, and skills you feel you need or wish to improve upon
   5. Other information you consider important for the selection process
   • Resume
   1. Include education, work and professional history, recognitions/awards, membership and participation in professional organizations, dietetic related volunteer experience, other experiences related to the dietetic internship, and contact information for a minimum of three references
   2. Thoroughly describe your dietetic related volunteer and work experience; include specific dates and hours worked and descriptions of key responsibilities and leadership and/or teamwork skills
   • Three letters of reference
   1. Recommendations should be from people who know your commitment to dietetics and who can refer to your skills, education, performance in the field, and your ability to successfully complete a dietetic internship program; at least one reference should be from a supervisor in a dietetics related volunteer or work experience and one from a professor who knows your academic work
   • Application certification
   1. Check the appropriate boxes and sign
   • Program designations
   1. Designate Georgia Southern as one of your preferences
   • Specify the personal statement you’ve written for the Georgia Southern DI
   • Supplemental Information
   1. Upload results of a criminal background check that includes federal, state and local levels. If using PSI, the customer code is CUST_983 and product code GSUN for background check only (background check must be clear of offenses for the previous five years).
   2. Register with D & D Digital matching system at https://dnddigital.com/and submit the D & D Digital registration fee. Pre-Select Georgia Southern University graduates do not register with D & D Digital matching system.
   3. Select Georgia Southern as a priority choice
      1. DI only Certificate Program matching code #103
      2. Combined MS-DI Program matching code #101

Only applications with complete documentation are considered for admission. The Georgia Southern DI Program Director screens all application materials, identifies well qualified candidates, and selects top candidates to continue to the final round in the admissions process, which includes an interview and math quiz.

Candidates are accepted into the Georgia Southern DI based on the following:

• completion of a master’s degree (not required)
• overall graduate GPA
• overall undergraduate GPA
• DPD coursework GPA
• math and science coursework GPA
• personal statement
• resume
• references
• volunteer and work experience
• interview (only top applicants will be invited for an interview)
• math quiz (only top applicants will complete a math quiz)

Dietetic Internship Documentation
Upon acceptance to the Dietetic Internship, copies of all of the following documents are required to be submitted on the first day of Internship Orientation:

1. Original Didactic Program in Dietetics completion verification statement*
2. Upon completion of your degree, official transcript from the institution where your highest degree was awarded must be sent directly to the Dietetic Internship*

The additional required paperwork will be reviewed during orientation. Failure to submit all required documentation will result in dismissal from the program. No later than July 1, 2019 the following documents are required:

1. Updated federal, state, and local official criminal background check and drug screen panel completed through PSI(submitted no earlier than one month prior to the start of supervised practice experiences). The specific drugs to be screened depends on your assigned hospital rotation site.
2. Certificate of Immunization Form–Vaccinations: influenza, Varicella, MMR, hepatitis B and TB testing. Practice sites may require verification of additional vaccinations.
3. Recent physical exam. Most clinical rotation sites require documentation of a recent physical exam.
4. Proof of health insurance. Interns assume full responsibility for health insurance coverage and expenses incurred for health care. Interns are required to enroll in, or waive out of, the Georgia southern University mandatory core health insurance plan. View Information about Georgia Southern’s mandatory plan for students in allied health professional curriculum.
5. Proof of professional liability insurance. Available at Georgia Southern University Marketplace or other appropriate organizations with prior approval from the internship director.
6. Proof of auto insurance. Interns are required to have their own transportation, as travel will be required during several supervised practice experiences. Interns are required to carry automobile insurance.
7. CPR certification by the American Red Cross or American Heart Association (exam must be taken in person).
8. ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification.

*The program must keep on file an ORIGINAL verification statement and ORIGINAL transcript.  We cannot use the copies provided to DICAS or to the graduate school; we must have our own original copies for our program records. Please bring an original DPD verification statement with you to orientation and have original transcripts sent to the program director that shows the award date for the highest degree obtained from an accredited institution of higher education.  Please have the original transcripts sent to:

Dietetic Internship Director, Georgia Southern University, PO Box 8076, Statesboro, GA 30460.