Program Completion Requirements
Completion of DPD requirements prior to enrolling in Viterbo's internship and completion of supervised practice as part of the internship are required to be eligible to take the exam to become a registered dietitian (R.D.).
The dietetic internship with thesis Masters at Viterbo lasts 14 months with 10 months of supervised practice or clinical rotations. For the 2024-25 academic year, the clinical portion of the internship begins Aug. 25, 2025, and is completed on May 8, 2026. For the master's degree portion of the program classes will start online May 12, 2025, and run through June 26, 2026. The internship provides at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice in both community and medical dietetics as well as food service management. Supervised practice is 30 hours per week Monday through Friday.
In order to complete the dietetic internship, successful completion of at least 1,000 hours is required. All competencies must be completed and the intern must consistently abide by all policies and procedures including those related to HIPPA requirements and the Academy's standards of professional responsibility.
Specific requirements for each course within the internship + thesis option:
| Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 540* – Nutrition, Disease, and the Inflammatory State | 3 | |
| NUTR 520* – Systems Approach to Obesity Prevention | 3 | |
| NUTR 630 – Medical Nutrition Therapy III | 3 | |
| NUTR 550* – Nutrigenomics | 3 | |
| NUTR 545 – Advanced Nutrition Counseling | 3 | |
| NUTR 640 – Research I Methods | 3 | |
| NUTR 530 – Evidence Analysis and Systematic Reviews Evidence Analysis Project | 3 | |
| NUTR 641 – Research II Analysis | 3 | |
| NUTR 567 – Health Assessment and MNT Review | 4 | |
| NUTR 592 – Supervised Practice in Health Promotion | 6 | |
| NUTR 593 – Supervised Practice in Health Management | 6 | |
| TOTAL | 40 | |
|
*Example of elective – interns would have choice of elective option depending on their declared emphasis: MNT, sports nutrition, or community management |
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Program costs
| DICAS online application fee | $20–45 |
| Activity fee | $95/semester |
| Technology fee | $250/semester |
| Internship tuition $700/credit x 38 credits | $26,600 |
| Phase I summer session – 10 credits (May 12-Aug. 15, 2025) | $7,000 |
| Phase II fall semester – 15 credits (Aug. 25-Dec. 12, 2025) | $10,500 |
| Phase III spring semester – 12 credits (Jan. 12-May 8, 2026) | $8,400 |
| Phase IV summer session – 3 credits (May 11-June 26, 2026) | $2,100 |
| Liability insurance | $24 |
| RD exam review binder | $300 |
| Academy student membership | $35 |
| Housing costs ($500/month average) | varies |
| Resource material (books, lab coat, calculator, etc.) | $200 |
| Car transportation to and from clinical sites per semester | $300 |
Internship Handbook (Track 3)