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California State University, Long Beach
CSULB Fountain
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Family and Consumer Sciences

Graduate Programs

American Dietetic Association (ADA)
Accredited Dietetic Internship (DI)

The department offers a combined Master of Science in Nutritional Science and DI supervised practice. This experience fulfills the registration eligibility requirements of the ADA to become a Registered Dietitian. Upon successful completion of the DI, the student will be eligible to write the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

The DI requires 1,200 hours total. The DI focuses on nutrition during the lifecycle and is divided into four emphases: nutrition therapy, foodservice systems management, community and business/entrepreneurial nutrition. The Seminar in Dietetic Practice constitutes 96 hours of the DI. The supervised practice is conducted off campus at a variety of excellent contracted facilities. Opportunities exist in acute and long-term health care sites, as well as in teaching, research, community, governmental agencies, nutrition evaluation and planning for infants, children, youth, adults, and seniors. Students will receive training in general dietetics with experiences that expose them to various specialty areas.

Admission Requirements

See www.csulb.edu/dieteticinternship

  • 1. Completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics as stipulated by ADA with an original verification statement from a Didactic Director;
  • 2. Earned baccalaureate degree;
  • 3. GPA 3.0/4.0 scale required on the last 60 units of courses completed;
  • 4. Related volunteer or work experience in the United States;
  • 5. Graduate status in the CSULB Master of Science, Nutritional Science program;
    • Note: Dietetic internship applicants must apply on or before February 1st to the MS Nutritional Science degree program to coincide with the Fall admission to the DI program.
  • 6. Application materials to Dietetic Internship Director by February 1st including a $45 application fee, a GPA worksheet, and work experience sheet.
  • 7. Personal interview with Program Director and review committee.
  • 8. All other application materials are processed via the ADA Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System. (Three letters of recommendation, formal ADA application, and all college transcripts)

Program Requirements

Upon satisfactory completion of the Supervised Practice in Dietetics: FCS 591A, the Seminar in Dietetic Practice: FCS 591B, and the completion of two of the three core graduate courses, FCS 530A, 531 or 636 or equivalent with a grade of "A" or B", the student will be eligible to take the Registered Dietitian (R.D.) exam sponsored by the American Dietetic Association.

The 6 units of required graduate courses, the 2 units of 591B and 6 units of 591A are applicable toward the M.S. degree in Nutritional Science. Completion of the M.S. degree is not a requirement for completion of the Dietetic Internship. Students can view details of this program at www.csulb.edu/dieteticinternship.
Career opportunities include: clinical dietitian; consultant entrepreneur; community nutritionist; foodservice manager in hospitals, schools, universities, airlines, businesses; manager in restaurant, hotel, or lodging industries; researcher in the medical, food or nutrition industry, and government inspector in the food industry.