Program Schedule

Supervised practice rotations are completed over the course of 10 months for non-degree option, or 18 months for the MS/DI option, with holidays and breaks included.

Interns have two schedule options for the Diversify Dietetics Internship Program, based on their qualifications.

  • Non-degree option: 10-month program, starting in late August. This option is available for interns who earned a graduate degree before beginning the supervised practice program.

  • MS/DI Option: 18-month program, starting in June. This option is available for interns who have not earned a graduate degree before beginning the supervised practice program. Interns complete their graduate coursework at the University of Alabama’s online Master of Science in Nutrition program while completing their supervised practice experiences. Interns who are also enrolled in the MS/DI option will begin their graduate school courses at the University of Alabama in the June, before the start of the supervised practice on-site orientation. See Graduate Degree Program Option below.

Sample Supervised Practice Rotation Schedule

Holidays and Vacations

Holidays or breaks are incorporated into the internship schedule, which is provided at orientation. Diversify Dietetics official holidays will be observed (unless it interferes with supervised practice rotation requirements).

Observed Holidays

  • New Year’s Day

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

  • President’s Day

  • Memorial Day

  • Juneteenth

  • Independence Day

  • Labor Day

  • Indigenous People’s Day

  • Veteran’s Day

  • Thanksgiving Day

  • Christmas Day

Additionally, there will be a fall holiday break; a two-week winter holiday break; and a weeklong spring holiday break. The DDIP coordinator will coordinate schedules with interns and preceptors with respect to holidays and vacations, which will include religious observations.

Detailed rotation schedules, including holidays, are provided to interns upon acceptance to program.

Graduate Degree Program Option

All DDIP interns will be required to earn a graduate degree to be eligible to sit for the registered dietitian credentialing exam. DDIP has partnered with the University of Alabama and Georgia State University to provide interns with graduate degree options.

University of Alabama

This is an online, 30-credit-hour Master of Science program, with a concentration in Human Nutrition.

Program Features

  • Out-of-state tuition rates are waived

  • Financial aid for the graduate degree program is available

  • GRE scores are not required

  • Students can request the transfer of up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses taken at other institutions

Interns enrolled in this program will begin their graduate program courses in the summer before the start of the supervised practice rotations.

Sample Graduate Program Schedule

Course Titles

  • POPH 522 Biostatistics

  • NHM 509 Research Methods

  • NHM 530 Advanced Nutrition Counseling

  • NHM 550 Advanced Community Nutrition I

  • NHM 555 Maternal & Infant Nutrition

  • NHM 558 Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease

  • NHM 561 Advanced Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism

  • NHM 562 Metabolism of Energy Nutrients

  • NHM 566 Advanced Clinical Nutrition

  • NHM 567 Nutrition Support of the Critically Ill

  • NHM 585 Clinical Nutrition Management*

  • NHM 587 Integrated Food Systems Management

  • NHM 588 Advanced Food Service Systems Management*

*Integrated with Supervised Practice—interns will need to be in rotations to take these courses (bolded in options above)

For more information about the University of Alabama graduate program, including details of tuition and financial aid, see the MS in Nutrition webpage.

georgia state university

This is an online, 36-credit-hour Master of Health Science program, with a concentration in Human Nutrition.

Program Features

  • Financial aid for the graduate degree program is available

  • GRE scores are not required

  • Students can request the transfer of up to 6 credit hours of graduate courses taken at other institutions

Interns enrolled in this program will begin their graduate program courses in the summer before the start of the supervised practice rotations.

GSU Course Schedule

Summer 1

  • CNHP 8010 Leadership in Healthcare

  • NUTR Elective

Fall 1

  • CNHP 6000 Research Methods for Health Professionals

  • CNHP 8000 Trends Affecting Health Policy

  • NUTR 6104 Advanced Normal Nutrition

Spring 1

  • NUTR 7280 Nutritional Genomics

  • NUTR 7101 Nutrition Issues

Summer 2

  • NUTR 6101 Nutrition Research Methods

  • Capstone *

Fall 2

  • NUTR 6102 Nutrition Intervention

  • NUTR Elective

  • Capstone *

*Capstone options: Thesis (6-9), Master’s Project (6), Specialty Coursework (9), Comprehensive Exam (3)

Note: Students who select a Thesis will likely require a third capstone course; Students who select the Specialty Coursework will take one elective; Students who select the Comprehensive Exam will need to take one additional elective

For more information about the Georgia State University graduate program, including details of tuition and financial aid, see the Master of Health in Nutrition webpage.