Below, you will find information on the overall yearly schedule, a typical week's outline, a sample rotation schedule, and the timing of graduate courses.
Schedules
The dietetic internship is approximately 11 months long. The table below lists the tentative schedule for the 2023-2024 internship cycle. Please note that these dates are subject to change. The internship generally follows the official Texas State calendar for most major holidays and breaks; however, rotations may begin before or end after the academic semesters, as indicated below. This supervised practice schedule integrates with the MS Program in Human Nutrition.
| DATES | ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 7/3/23 – 8/4/23 | Summer II Semester | Classes held Monday – Friday (Spanish for the Nutrition Professional & Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy) |
| 8/14/23 – 8/18/23 | Orientation Week | Case studies, Food Security Learning Community meetings, and rotation preparation |
| 8/21/2023 | Fall Classes Begin | Classes held Mondays from approximately 8:00 am – 3:00 pm (Practicum & Seminar in Nutrition in the Lifespan) |
| 8/22/2023 | Fall Rotations Begin | Rotations are every week, Tuesday – Friday from approximately 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (but hours will vary depending on the rotation). |
| 11/21/23 – 11/24/2023 | Thanksgiving Break | No classes or rotations |
| 12/8/2023 | Fall Classes End | |
| 12/15/2023 | Fall Rotations End | |
| 12/18/23 – 1/5/24 | Semester Break | |
| 1/8/2024 | Spring Rotations Begin | Rotations are every week, Tuesday – Friday from approximately 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (but hours will vary depending on the rotation). |
| 1/16/2024 | Spring Classes Begin | Classes held Mondays from approximately 8:00 am – 3:00 pm (Practicum & Advanced Community Nutrition) |
| 3/11/24 – 3/15/24 | Approximate Spring Break | NOTE: Actual Spring Break dates for each intern may vary by a week or two to accommodate rotation schedules. |
| 5/3/2024 | Spring Rotations End | |
| 5/8/2024 | Spring Classes End | |
| 5/6/24 – 5/10/24 | Exit Week | Role playing, RD exam prep, job prep |
Weekly Schedule
Throughout the supervised practice portion of the MS/DI, interns can expect to be busy for approximately 40 hours per week. During the summer semester, classes are held from about 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday. During the fall and spring semesters, interns are in classes on Mondays from about 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, and in rotations Tuesdays - Fridays from about 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Actual rotation hours vary depending on preceptor and site (for example, most food service rotations begin at 5:00 am), but interns are expected to complete at least 32 hours per week during their rotations.
Supervised Practice Rotations
Rotations are grouped into the following categories: clinical, foodservice business/management, community, and specialty. Interns rotate through 10-15 different organizations over the course of their supervised practice. This exposure provides interns with a broad experience of the role and scope of the Registered Dietitian and facilitates networking for future employment.
Graduate Courses
Typically, interns take the following graduate courses during supervised practice:
- Summer II: Spanish for the Nutrition Professional* and Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy
- Fall: Advances in Nutrition in the Lifespan and Practicum Nutrition
- Spring: Advanced Community Nutrition and Practicum Nutrition
*Fluent Spanish speakers can test out of this course and choose another elective for this semester.
Assessment of Prior Learning
Through assessment of prior learning (APL) and according to the standards described below, interns may be exempted from course work or supervised practice requirements. Requests for APL must be made in writing and must be received by the DI Director prior to the beginning of the internship. Requests for APL will be reviewed by the DI Director and Nutrition & Foods faculty at Texas State.
Spanish for the Nutrition Professional APL
Interns who are fluent in Spanish may test out of SPAN 5322 by passing the final exam for the course with a score of at least 80% (evaluated by the instructor).
Coursework APL
Interns may be exempted from taking elective courses under circumstances including but not limited to those outlined below:
- The intern has previously taken an equivalent graduate-level course at Texas State or another regionally accredited graduate program in human nutrition.
- The DI Director, in consultation with the instructor, will determine course equivalency by comparing course syllabi.
- The intern submits sufficient evidence of successful achievement of the course objectives, as determined by the instructor.
- Examples of evidence might include a course grade, a final paper, or a final presentation. APL for these courses could also occur through written or oral testing administered and evaluated by the instructor.
Supervised Practice Hours APL
Interns may be given credit for supervised practice hours based on prior experience in the field. Credit for supervised practice is awarded at the discretion of the DI Director, according to the following guidelines.
- No more than 200 hours of APL may be granted for supervised practice hours.
- The intern has had significant practical experience in a setting that is similar to one of the internship’s supervised practice sites, and in that setting, the intern:
- engaged in similar activities as occur during the internship rotation; and
- worked at the same level (or higher) as they would during the internship rotation.
- Evidence of the above must include at least the following:
- an official description of the job the intern had (job description); and
- a letter from the intern’s immediate supervisor describing the intern’s job responsibilities and attesting to the intern’s satisfactory job performance.
- If the intern is requesting APL for any rotations that involve pre-test/post-test assessment of knowledge gained, the intern must pass all post-tests with a score of 80%.