Dietetic Internship Program

The Simmons Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by ACEND and provides at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice. Students graduate with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to be eligible to take the Registered Dietitian (RD) examination administered through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Satisfactory completion of both the coursework and the supervised practice components is required to receive a dietetic internship verification statement, stating the program graduate is eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration's RDN exam. 

After successfully passing the RDN exam, the individual can use the RDN credential and is then required to maintain credentialing though continuing education as required by CDR. Dietitians may have to maintain licensure for their state, if applicable. 

For more information about DPD and Dietetic Internship programs, go to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.

The Simmons University Dietetic Internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

ACEND® can be contacted by:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
Mail: 120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995

The MSDI program begins in the fall with graduate courses during the first academic year. In September of the second year, you’ll transition into the supervised practice schedule that matches the standalone internship program. Some additional graduate courses may also be required during your second year.

The standalone internship runs from September through early May. You’ll complete supervised practice rotations on a schedule set by the internship directors, which is different from the regular Simmons University Academic Calendar. Each May, you’ll receive a Welcome Letter with your start and end dates, winter break schedule, and other details. A two-week vacation is scheduled for the last week of December and the first week of January.

During the internship, you’ll be at your supervised practice site five days a week, approximately 36 hours per week. You’ll also:

• Register for Nutrition 451a (fall) and 451b (spring), which include supervised practice, weekly internship classes, review days, and joint classes with Boston-area programs.
• Take Nutrition 452: Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation in the fall semester as an evening course.

Verification statements will be provided to interns upon graduation when all of the following have been completed to the satisfaction of the internship faculty:

• Completion of required rotations, including related projects and assignments, and make-up of any days missed or sick days.
• Documentation of at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice.
• Completion of all core competencies and program concentration competencies required by ACEND.
• The recommendation is that the intern is prepared for entry-level practice from all primary preceptors. The final recommendation may also be from an alternate preceptor in the case where entry-level standards had not been met at the initial site/rotation.
• For interns in the stand-alone DI track: a “B” or better in the required graduate-level course Nutrition 452: Nutrition Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.
• For interns in the MSDI program: a “B” or better in each of the required graduate-level courses.
• Attendance at all scheduled Monday afternoon internship meetings for NUTR 451 at Simmons University. Interns may be excused from a scheduled class if they are able to provide a valid reason, such as need to attend a required orientation for a field site, medical emergency, jury duty, etc. Permission to miss class should be obtained before class if possible. Interns are responsible for any missed material and should take steps to obtain information from a classmate.
• Completion of a formal evaluation by the student’s primary preceptor at each rotation.
• Completion of a formal evaluation by the student of each rotation.
• Completion of any assignments associated with rotations or NUTR 451, the weekly internship course. Assignments should be submitted by uploading to Moodle, the Simmons University web-based platform. Each assignment must achieve the standard of “met” competency or a “B” for that assignment as graded by the internship faculty. Interns will be required to redo any work that does not meet this threshold.
• Participation in a review session for the RD exam.
• Participation in exit interviews at the completion of the 35-week internship experience.

Upon completion of all dietetic internship requirements as listed above, information for all interns will be submitted to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for eligibility to sit for the RDN examination.

Simmons Dietetic Internship Program Mission

To prepare interns to be competent, ethical entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who build on evidence based research and standards of practice and standards of professional performance to provide nutritional care, health promotion and disease prevention that is culturally and economically sensitive. Our graduates will develop an appreciation for life-long learning to increase knowledge and enhance professional development.

Simmons Dietetic Internship Program Goals

Since the profession of dietetics is built on a conceptual framework that is constantly changing as a result of the discovery of new operational principles, evidenced based research and standards of practice, the dietetic internship's goals are:

Simmons University Program Goal #1
Graduates will be prepared for a career using their intellectual and clinical skills to competently function as entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

Program Goal #1 Outcome Measures

• Objective 1 – 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion
• Objective 2 - 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%.
• Objective 3 - Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• Objective 4 – At least 80% of employers will rate graduates as superior or strong in nutritional knowledge and professional skills compared with other entry level dietetics professionals.
• Objective 5 - (DI Program) At least 80% of program students will complete the program requirements within 12 months (150% of planned program length). (MSDI Program) At least 80% of program students will complete the program requirements within 31.5 months (150% of planned program length).
• Objective 6- 100% of graduates will rate themselves as being at least adequately prepared for the nutrition-related aspects of the position.

Simmons University Program Goal #2
Graduates will be prepared as entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to participate in continuous learning and professional development activities, and exhibit leadership.

Program Goal #2 Outcome Measures

• Objective 1: 80% of graduates seeking acceptance to graduate programs in place of employment will enroll within 6 months of program completion.
• Objective 2: 50% of graduates will indicate that they exhibit leadership skills by being actively involved in a professional organization or by implementing initiatives in their employment.

*Program Outcomes data are available upon request.