Dietetic Internship
Gain the supervised practice experience to become a registered dietitian.
The dietetic internship (DI) program is step two of earning the RD credential. Prospective interns must have a verification statement following the completion of the undergrad degree. The application process is highly competitive and not all who apply will be placed.
The nine-month certificate program provides varied and enriching supervised practice experiences that can form the broad basis for a career in dietetics. Accommodating up to 10 interns each year, the internship begins with an orientation in mid-August and ends in early May of the following year, with two weeks off in late December/early January.
Dietetic interns rotate among clinical, community, and food service sites in Massachusetts and southern Vermont, where they’ll gain experience in nutritional care, food service management, and community nutrition activities with individualized attention. Interns also meet one to three times per month for seminar and other academic and networking sessions.
Upon completion, interns can sit for the Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians to become a registered dietitian/nutritionist (RDN) and licensed dietitian/nutritionist (LDN) in Massachusetts or any state.
Benefits list
UMass Amherst DI Open House 2024
The UMass Amherst Dietetic Internship program will hold a virtual Open House on Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 6:00 pm EST. Join us to learn more about the program!
Individualized Attention
Dietetic interns spend most of their time at field sites, where a one-to-one intern:preceptor ratio enables individualized attention. Many affiliated sites offer a wide selection, including a 64-hour specialty rotation (two 4-day weeks) working in an area of personal interest.
Three Rotations
Interns complete three rotations in one facility: clinical, food service/management, and community. All interns spend two weeks at the VA Medical Center in Northampton/Leeds to focus on outpatient counseling. A one-week rotation in long-term care helps meet clinical competencies.
ACEND Accreditation
The DI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. To successfully complete the DI, interns are expected to meet all of the specific competencies established by ACEND.
Featured faculty
Christy Maxwell
Director, Dietetic Internship Program
Focus on micronutrients, telomeres, gerontological nutrition, nutritional epidemiology
Claire Norton
Undergraduate Program Director, Nutrition
Didactic Program in Dietetics Director, Nutrition
Focus on dietetics and eating disorders
Nutrition
Offering an interdisciplinary approach to the study and application of the relationship between diet, foods, and health.
Accreditation
Each graduate of the UMass Amherst Dietetic Internship is prepared to sit for the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian/nutritionist (RDN) and is qualified to be a licensed dietitian/nutritionist (LDN) in the state of Massachusetts, or another state that recognizes licensure for registered dietitians. Please contact the program director, Christy Maxwell, at cmaxwell [at] umass [dot] edu with any questions.