Program Description
The Dietetic Internship Program at Lehman College is a full-time program. The goal of the program is to provide access to a high-quality internship over a three-semester period (12 months). The internship placements require a minimum of 1,100 hours of supervised practice, to be completed over the course of three consecutive semesters with a range of 30 - 37.5 hours of supervised practice per week (Monday to Friday), for a total of 12 months. In addition, interns will also complete up to 200 hours of alternative practice activities. There is a provision for interns who need to work to spend no more than 15 hours each week in paid employment.
Interns are required to take twelve (12) graduate co-requisites and register for three (3) credits of the Seminar in Concepts and Methods of Dietetic Practice (DFN 731, also known as "Seminar") and three (3) credits of Supervised Preprofessional Practice (DFN 730) for each of the three semesters of the Dietetic Internship. The co-requisite graduate courses are either fully online or hybrid. Seminar for all three semesters is hybrid.
The internship class enrolls a maximum of fourteen students each year. We accept applications every year in February for an end of August start date. We participate in DICAS, the Dietetic Inclusive Centralized Application System.
The Dietetic Internship Program has a Medical Nutrition Therapy emphasis, giving interns an opportunity to experience nutrition assessment, diagnosis, and interventions for increasingly complex medical conditions.
For the intern class of 2024-2025, the supervised practice hours total 1,100 hours with the following breakdown:
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Rotation: 470 hours
- Food Service Management Rotation: 200 hours
- Community Rotation: 280 hours
- Research Project: 150 hours
The three supervised practice components take place in a health-care facility or community agency. The community rotation is usually divided into three sections to enable interns to experience several different agencies. Research projects are supervised by departmental faculty.
It is expected that interns will complete the supervised practice component of the Dietetic Internship in three semesters (12 months), registering for DFN 730 and DFN 731 each semester that they are enrolled in the program.
Courses are offered in hybrid and online modalities. All interns are expected to have internet and functioning Wi- Fi/Broadband internet to utilize distance learning platforms including, but not limited to, Blackboard, Zoom, and Google Drive. Interns must have access to a computer for assignments. The Leonard Lief Library has computers (PC and Mac), printers, and scanners that can be used by Lehman students.
As of January 1st, 2024, all intern graduates must have an M.S. degree to take the CDR Exam for Registered Dieticians. Therefore to be accepted into the Internship program in 2024, students must be eligible to enter Lehman's M.S. in Nutrition program, already be enrolled in an M.S. degree program, or have an M.S. Degree.
Apply to the Lehman DI through DICAS and D&D Digital. Application deadline is February 15. Review Intern Handbook (page 6) for course requirements (1) for students who are enrolled in a M.S. Degree program, and (2) students who have a MS degree.
A Dietetic Internship selection committee evaluates each applicant's potential as a dietetic practitioner. Acceptance into the program is not influenced by gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, race, creed, national origin, color, disabilities or handicap. Students will be judged competitively based on their undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) GPA, work experience, and recommendations by faculty and employers. Students who believe other factors should be considered may include them in their Personal Statement with their DICAS application.
Follow the application instructions very carefully. Leave sufficient time to assemble the application package, as academic transcripts and recommendation requests are going through DICAS.
Academic Requirements: Refer to Intern Handbook and M.S. Degree webpage.
- Prior Assessed Learning can be provided for up to two of the co-requisite graduate courses if an equivalent course was taken by an applicant. Please refer to the Intern Handbook.
- Prior Experiences (Competencies) will be considered for clinical, food service management, community or research rotations. Please review Intern Handbook.
- Dietetic Internship Director places interns at sites for supervised practice. Interns are not required to find their own sites.
- GRE is not required for entry into the DI.
- The Lehman DI is currently not accepting international students.
