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Program Overview

The combined Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) is a full-time, 16-month, four-semester program (fall, spring, summer, and fall). Students attend with an established group of other MS/DI candidates. Candidates must have a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or related field AND have ​earned a verification statement by completing the Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements as established by ACEND of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A minimum DPD grade point average of 3.00 is required for admission.

The MS/DI requires completion of 33 credit hours with the supervised practice rotations contributing 9 credit hours. Transfer credits may be awarded for the electives (maximum 8 credits), but not core courses. Advisor approval is required. Students should follow the graduate school policy.

The program has eight seats in Meridian, eight seats in Pocatello, and two seats in Twin Falls. Interns need to live in the community where they are completing rotations.

ISU MS/DI

Why the ISU MS/DI Program?

Master of Science
  • Combined Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship
  • Students must apply for both the Masters and the Internship 
  • ISU's program culminates in an MS in Nutrition and DI Verification Statement
  • The MS/DI program is ACEND-approved

Internship Components
  • Community nutrition concentration, interns also rotate through clinical and foodservice sites
  • Internship sites include medical centers, long-term care facilities, local health departments, local school districts, diabetes centers, dialysis centers, and out-patient clinics

Number of Positions
  • Eighteen (18) internship positions
  • 8 interns are in placed in Pocatello and surrounding areas
  • 2 interns complete rotations in Twin Falls and surrounding areas
  • 8 interns are based in Meridian/Treasure Valley and surrounding areas

Selection Process
  • Meet all admission requirements; GRE not required
  • Applicants are primarily ranked according to grade point average (minimum 3.0), work experience and references
  • Finalists are selected for a 15-20 minute interview

Internship Length
  • 16-month, 4-semester program—fall, spring, summer, fall
  • Fall (August through mid-December), Spring (mid-January through mid-May), and Summer (late-May through August)
  • In extreme circumstances, an intern's timeframe may be extended up to 24 months (150% of the original 16-month plan)

Weekly
Time Requirement
  • About 40 hours-per-week are spent in rotations; hours for coursework vary
  • Travel time for practicums has not been included, but some rotations are 20-50 miles away
  • Some semesters interns are solely in coursework; other semesters is a combination of coursework and practicum
  • Hybrid coursework model (classes may require students to go to a distance learning classroom, access video conferencing software remotely, or work online as an autonomous, self-directed learner)
  • An additional 20 hours-per-week are usually required for preparation and completing assignments
Graduation and Program Completion
Requirements
  • Passing each semester requires completing all coursework with a grade of B (3.0 or higher) and finishing all rotations with at least a satisfactory grade (S)
  • Interns receiving satisfactory grades in rotations/courses and completing a minimum of 1,000 hours supervised practice receive a Master of Science in Nutrition and a Dietetic Internship Verification Statement
  • Application for ISU graduation deadline is early September of the final fall semester (ISU Graduation Information: Graduate School Checklist)
  • Graduates are eligible to sit for the national registration exam

Total Dietetic Internship Experience = 1,000 Hours

Pocatello/Twin Falls Campuses: Rotation Sites
Food Service Management
Idaho Falls Senior Center
Portneuf Medical Center (Pocatello)
School District #25 (Pocatello)
School District #93 (Idaho Falls)
State Hospital South (Blackfoot)
St. Luke's Regional Medical Center (Twin Falls)

Clinical Nutrition

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (Idaho Falls)

Idaho Falls Community Hospital (Idaho Falls)

Portneuf Medical Center (Pocatello)

St. Luke's Regional Medical Center (Twin Falls)
Long Term Care

State Hospital South (Blackfoot)

Various health care facilities (Pocatello)

Various health care facilities (Twin Falls)

 

 

 Community Nutrition

Eastern Idaho Public Health - WIC (Idaho Falls)

Southeastern Idaho Public Health - WIC (Pocatello)

Idaho Kidney Center (Pocatello/Idaho Falls)

Mountain View Hospital Oncology (Idaho Falls)

Portneuf Medical Cancer Center (Pocatello)

Rocky Mountain Diabetes Center (Idaho Falls)

DaVita Kidney Care (Twin Falls)

Idaho Kidney Center (Twin Falls)

South Central Public Health - WIC (Twin Falls)

St Luke's Diabetes Education (Twin Falls)

St. Luke's Tumor Institute (Twin Falls)

 Meridian/Treasure Valley Campus: Rotation Sites
Food Service Management

Create Common Good (Boise)
School Lunch Program/Boise and Meridian Schools

St Luke's Regional Medical Center (Boise)

Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (Boise)

 Clinical Nutrition

 St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (Boise)
St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (Nampa)
St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (Ontario)
St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center

St Luke's Nampa Medical Center

St. Luke's Regional Medical Center (Boise)

Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (Boise)
Community Nutrition

Boise State University (Boise)

Central District Health (Boise)

DaVita Kidney Care (various Treasure Valley locations)

Idaho Nutrition Associates (Boise)

Southwest District Health (Caldwell)

St. Alphonsus Diabetes Care & Education (Boise/Meridian)

St Alphonsus Outpatient Services (Boise)

St Luke's Humphries Diabetes Center (Boise/Meridian)

St. Luke's Cancer Institute (Boise/Meridian)

 Long Term Care
Aspen Transitional Rehabilitation (Meridian)
Idaho State Veterans Home (Boise)
Skyline Transitional Care Center (Boise)

Coursework is Offered in a Hybrid Model

Classes are 100% online. Some require students to go to a distance learning classroom; others offer remote access via video conferencing software.  In addition, some classes are self-directed, requiring students to work autonomously.

Online courses require students to have the following supported technologies:

  • Reliable computer
  • Reliable Internet connection (Broadband connection highly recommended)
  • Web browser (Mozilla Firefox highly recommended)
  • Soundcard with microphone and headphones (A headset with microphone/headphones is highly recommended)
  • Webcam (optional in some courses, but required for online proctoring)
  • Additional software may be required by your instructor (e.g. Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, etc.)
Masters of Science in Nutrition with Dietetic Internship
Course Number Course Title Credit Hours
NTD 6609 Seminar for Dietetic Interns: Held the week before classes start, this is a one week course scheduled Monday-Friday for 8 hours per day. All Dietetic Interns must travel to Pocatello to attend this required course in-person. 2
NTD 6610  Current Topics in Nutrition 1
NTD 6620 Nutritional Epidemiology 3
NTD 6622 Maternal, Infant and Child Nutrition 3
NTD 6624 Nutrition and Aging 3
NTD 6640 Research, Writing and Grantsmanship 3
NTD 6645  Capstone Project I 1-3
NTD 6650  Capstone Project II 1-3
NTD 6655 Dietetic Internship Practicum I (Supervised Practice Rotations) 3
NTD 6656 Dietetic Internship Practicum II (Supervised Practice Rotations) 3
NTD 6657 Dietetic Internship Practicum III (Supervised Practice Rotations) 3
MPH 6660 Health Behavior Change Theory and Application 3
  Total Credit Hours  33

Estimated Costs of the MS/DI Program

The actual costs per each student vary. For example, housing and transportation costs differ per student:

  • Housing. Students placed in Pocatello may choose to live on campus or in a variety of off-campus sites. In Boise and Twin Falls, no university housing is available.
  • Transportation. Each student should have his or her own car or, at least, access to one during the practicum part of the program. Some rotation sites are up to fifty miles away (e.g. Pocatello to Idaho Falls). Liability for safety in travel to and from assigned rotation sites will rest on the individual MS/DI student. The Department nor the University assumes liability for students for safety in travel to and from assigned rotation sites.

Many students apply for financial aid and scholarships to help with these costs. In addition, the ISU MS/DI Program offers discounted tuition for residents of Western states. There are also some Graduate Teaching Assistant positions available.

  • Discounted Tuition for Residents of Western States. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides in-state tuition for residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
  • Non-Resident Tuition Waivers (NRTW). Available for students being charged non-resident fees as a graduate student. 
  • Graduate Teaching Assistants. A limited number of paid Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) position are available. For more information about GTA positions, contact: Char Byington, MEd, RDN, LD.

Item

Approximate Cost

ISU Graduate School Application (fee for Grad School and fee for program application combined)

$120

Tuition and Fees

Current tuition and fees*

Dietetic Internship Fee

$3,588 (subject to change)**

Shoes (flat, rubber sole)

$40-$80

Books and Supplies

$200-$400

Malpractice Insurance

$5 per semester

Health Insurance

proof required

Academy Student Membership

$58

Health Screen, Drug Panel Test(s), Immunizations and background checks

$150-250

American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers

 $59 

Meetings (ID Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Pocatello Dietetic Association)

variable

Transportation

variable

Laptop

~$600

Internet service

~$50/month

MS/DI Program Calendar

Combined Coursework and Supervised Practice Schedule

Fall 2024, August – December, 2024

Course work only, all academic breaks are observed.

Spring 2025, January – May, 2025

Rotations begin January 13 and are scheduled Monday – Friday, 40 hours/week.

  • January 20, Martin Luther King holiday, this holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday
  • February 17, President’s Day holiday, this holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday
  • March 24-28, university spring break. Interns’ schedules may not match with the university spring break.
  • May 5-9, university finals week. Interns can anticipate working at rotations during finals week.
  • May 10-18, university break between sessions. Interns may be scheduled at rotations during the university break.

Summer 2025, May – August, 2025

  • May 19, classes/rotations resume.
  • May 26, Memorial Day holiday, this holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday.
  • June 19 (Thursday), Juneteenth, this holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday.
  • July 4 (Friday). This holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday.
  • August 8, last day of summer session
  • August 9 – 24, university break between sessions. Interns may be scheduled at rotations during the university break.

Fall 2025, August – December, 2025

  • August 25, classes/rotations resume
  • September 1, Labor Day Holiday, this holiday may be worked at a rotation dependent on facility observation of the holiday.
  • November 24 – 28, Thanksgiving break, no rotations
  • December 19, the planned program end date

Interested in the ISU Combined MS/Dietetic Internship?
Schedule an appointment with the DI Director and primary program advisor, Char Byington, MEd, RDN, LD, 
to learn more about the profession, program requirements, and MS/DI course completion plan.

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