Dietetic Internship Courses

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This DI is a post-baccalaureate program, leading to a Graduate Certificate in Dietetic Practice with a concentration in Business Leadership and a Master’s in Business Administration.  It is a 14-month program, part time that starts in July and ends the following August. The program accepts 10 interns each year. Supervised practice will include rotations in: Medical Nutrition Therapy, Community Nutrition, Food Systems Management, and Leadership. Supervised practice hours are 24-32 hours/week.  The program includes 1,050 hours of supervised dietetic practice experiences and 160 hours of alternate supervised experiences.

Students will need a laptop and reliable internet connection to complete online components of their classwork through the Blackboard learning platform.

 

Didactic Required Courses (Face to Face):

HMD 583 Foodservice Systems Management (3)
HMD 584 Community Nutrition (3)
HMD 585 Medical Nutrition Therapy in Practice (3)
HMD 587 Seminar in Concepts and Methods of Dietetic Practice (3)

MBA Required Courses (Hybrid or Online):

BA 510 Advanced Organizational Behavior (3)
BA 511 Applied Micro Economic Theory (3)
BA 513 Information Technology & Data Analytics (3)
BA 515 Managerial Accounting (3)
BA 517 Advanced Marketing (3)
BA 519 Advanced Managerial Finance (3)
BA 590 Strategic Business Concepts and Applications (3)
*Concentration - 9 hours (fulfilled by the classes required for the Certificate of Dietetic Practice)

Total Hours: 33

 

Graduation and Program Completion Requirements 

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate and Verification Statement are only granted under the following circumstances (receipt of the Verification Statement allows a graduate to apply to take the written exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionists):  

1. Completes 1210 supervised practice hours/alternate supervised practice experiences as evidenced by signed time sheets and completed academic work.
2. Meets performance standards and receives a minimum satisfactory score (3/5) on all CRDNs.
3. Completes and receives a satisfactory score (70%) or above on all course assignments
4. Maintain professional and ethical standards as outlined in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Code of Ethics 
5. Completion of all required coursework with an average GPA of 3.0 or greater.
6. Conferral of the Master of Business Administration degree (an intern may be exempt from this requirement if they have already conferred a master’s degree, exemption can only be granted by the program director.)
7. The dietetic intern has discharged all indebtedness to Western Kentucky University.

 

All dietetic interns must complete an Application for Graduation in the WKU Office of the Registrar.    

 

Verification Statement Procedures 

Upon successful completion of graduation requirements, the Internship Director will electronically notify the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) that the intern has met the graduation requirements. The Internship Director will issue the intern a “Verification Statement” documenting completion. CDR will notify the intern within 15 days of their eligibility to take the national registration exam for dietitians.