Dietetic internship applicants are often unsure of the best program to meet their needs. Marshall Dietetics provides an efficient one-year MS/DI program that results in the knowledge needed to become a successful entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at an affordable price.

Gain nutrition education experience in our unique teaching kitchen by completing your dietetic internship though Marshall. This is a niche area of dietetics and an opportunity to learn the role of RDN’s in teaching kitchens.
Add more value to your future employer in community nutrition, which can accelerate your career in this area of dietetics.
Ideal applicants for our program are motivated and ready to begin working in the next 12-18 months.

Interested in learning more about our program? Watch our 2026-2027 Open House session on the Admissions page. It’s easy: 1) learn about our program, 2) apply to our program, 3) succeed in our program.

Program Schedule and Length of Rotation

Interns will complete 24 hours of supervised practice weekly in the fall and spring semesters. In order to meet supervised practice hours (ACEND requires a minimum of 1000 hours, but our program’s required minimum is 1070 hours), rotations are scheduled during some University holidays. Throughout the summer, interns will participate in rotations 40 hours per week. Rotation facilities are within an 80 mile radius of Huntington.

Marshall’s Master’s of Science & Dietetic Internship is accredited by

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
(312) 899-0040 ext. 5400
https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend

Mission

The Dietetic Internship’s mission is to develop successful, entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who are able to promote optimal nutrition and health to individuals, groups, and communities by providing a variety of nutrition experiences in urban and rural areas.

Program Goals and Outcome Measures

Goal 1: Graduates will apply knowledge and skills obtained in this program to promote optimal nutrition and health in urban and rural areas.

Upon completion of the DI, 85% of interns will express satisfaction with the comprehensiveness of experiences in all rotations
90% of DI alumni will rate the program as “satisfactory” or higher on items related to comprehensiveness of experiences during the internship.
90% of DI alumni will identify they were prepared for entry-level practice as a registered dietitian nutritionist after program completion.

Goal 2: Graduates will be prepared to become competent entry-level practitioners.

Upon final evaluation of each rotation, 100% of interns will receive a performance rating of Meets Expectations or higher on all knowledge requirements for dietetic interns.
At least 80% of program interns complete program/degree requirements within 1.5 years (150% of planned program length).
At least 85% of program graduates will take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
Of graduates who seek employment, at least 85% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
90% of DI alumni will rate the program as “satisfactory” or higher on items related to preparation for competence as an entry-level practitioner.
90% of employers of program graduates will rate the program as “satisfactory” or higher on items related to competence of the graduate as an entry-level practitioner.

Outcome data for programmatic goals are available upon request.

General Description of Internship Rotations

During this rotation, interns will gain valuable experience in a healthcare/school foodservice setting. Because of previous “hands on” foodservice experiences as undergraduates, interns will be familiar with stages of procurement, production, distribution, and service; therefore, the rotation will focus more on the complex duties and skills required of a foodservice director/manager. Upon completion of the rotation, students should be able to function independently with little direction from the preceptor.

This rotation will provide interns with assignments, case studies, and a case study presentation to prepare them for entrance into their clinical rotations.

Introduction to Clinical Practice is designed to provide the intern with the experience necessary to begin the major clinical portion of the internship. Many interns have little or no hospital experience and will initially be exposed to things such as the diet office, screening of patients, and obtaining food preferences during the rotation. After completing this rotation, interns should be comfortable educating patients individually or in groups, assessing nutritional needs and intervening as necessary, presenting a case study, and communicating with other health care professionals.

This rotation is designed to provide interns with an introduction to clinical practice in the long term care setting. This experience will include a variety of experiences in a LTC facility and through simulation. Interns will learn from LTC professionals and resources, as well as complete LTC case studies. The Long Term Care rotation will enable students to examine facilities with a longer length of stay, as well as furnish invaluable experience with the geriatric population.

This rotation is designed to provide students with a more in-depth look at programs delivering nutrition education in the out-patient setting. Sites utilized include hospital out-patient services and diabetes centers. During the rotation, students are given the opportunity to develop skills in nutrition screening and assessment, as well as individual and group education and counseling.

This rotation is designed to provide the intern with the remaining experience necessary to function as an entry-level dietitian. Interns have gained previous clinical experience during the Long Term Care and Introduction to Clinical rotations and should be adequately prepared to screen, assess, and educate patients. The experience should challenge the interns with more complex cases and make them feel comfortable functioning as a dietitian in a clinical setting. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two weeks’ staff relief.

Interns will plan, implement, and participate in the delivery and evaluation of various nutrition education programs with faculty in our teaching kitchen. This rotation enables students to interact with a variety of populations and ages, improve public speaking skills, and gain a better understanding of developing and implementing nutrition education sessions.

Working with local nutritionists provides interns with a firm foundation in the areas of prenatal, infant, and child nutrition as well as breastfeeding. After completing the WIC rotation, interns will be familiar with the program eligibility requirements, nutrients targeted by WIC, and the areas of nutritional risk identified by the program.

This interprofessional rotation will allow students to study in depth about ALS and participate in the MU ALS clinic. Students will also participate in developing community education regarding ALS and nutrition through the creation of YouTube videos that will be shared with ALS patients and their families.

This rotation will provide students experience in renal dialysis centers and support for these patients through community resources.

This rotation will deepen nutrition counseling knowledge with videos, readings, reflections, and simulations (AI and in person).

This rotation is designed to prepare students to gain experience working in a teaching kitchen with fourth year medical students through a Culinary Medicine curriculum. Students will gain experience in community nutrition through nutrition and cooking education.

In this rotation, students will work in a variety of settings including hospice, palliative care, and adult nutrition through an adult day care program. Most interns don’t get experience in this setting, so this will be a great time to learn about this important phase of life and how nutrition plays a role. Experiences in foodservice, education, MNT, and possibly home-based healthcare are included in this rotation.

Students have the opportunity to choose up to two elective rotations (school nutrition director, sports nutrition opportunities, higher education, head start nutrition, private practice/billing & coding).

Additional Information

Program Completion Requirements

Upon successful completion of the following criteria, the intern will receive a Verification Statement, become eligible to take the Registration Examination, and complete the Master’s of Science degree:

Ten months of supervised practice in selected sites, consisting of a minimum of 1070 supervised practice hours. If expectations and/or CRDN’s are not met within the minimum supervised practice hours, students may have to go beyond these hours. (ACEND requires a minimum of 1000 supervised practice hours, but our program’s required minimum is 1070 hours.)
Documentation of all CRDN’s for entry-level dietitians as described by the 2022 Standards for Internship Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Achievement of competence is indicated with assignment of Meets Expectations or higher on final evaluation of performance by preceptors or by scoring a minimum of 80% on CRDN benchmarks related to coursework.
Self-evaluation of performance and experience after supervised practice rotations.
Submission of online portfolio.
Final program evaluation upon completion of the summer term.
A total of 36 hours of required graduate courses with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
Completion, with a passing grade, of a written and oral comprehensive examination in the final semester.

Our goal is for students to complete the MS/DI program in one year. The maximum timeframe to complete the program, and remain eligible for federal funding, is 18 months (1.5 years). The maximum time to complete the program, per Marshall University policy, is seven (7) years.

Technology Requirements

Student selected for and enrolled in the dietetic internship will complete some required internship courses online. At a minimum, a desktop or laptop computer, reliable Internet access, and a webcam and mic for course work are needed. Students will use Blackboard, Marshall’s Learning Management System, to complete online courses. Students must be proficient in the use of computers, the Internet, browsers, Microsoft Office Word, and other common applications. Blackboard support is available 24/7 and the University’s IT service desk is also available to provide technology assistance.

Academic and Program Calendar

Interns will observe the University calendar for all graduate classes. Class breaks for holidays will be indicated on respective course syllabi. Supervised practice rotations, however, may be scheduled during University holidays in order to attain the appropriate number of hours for program completion. The Internship Handbook is updated annually to reflect these dates and is provided to interns during orientation, which takes place a week before fall classes begin.

Additional Information

Contact Us

Call Dr. Mount, Assoc. Prof. & Director of Dietetics Internship Program

E-Mail Dr. Mount

Corbly Hall

Faculty & Staff