Dietetic Internship Application Process

Application Deadline is January 15, 2025

Interviews are not a part of the WMU Dietetic Internship admissions process, so applicants should not be discouraged if they are not contacted. Those wanting to schedule an informational interview may do so by contacting: Meghan Wilkinson, MS, RDN, CNSC, Dietetic Internship Program Director

Admission Requirements

The following are required for admission to the program:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
2. Completion of all undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics' (DPD) requirements and a Verification Statement or the Intent to Complete form signed by the DPD Director;
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
4. Submission of materials to the Admissions Committee through the online centralized internship application process (DICAS)
5. For those applying to the Dietetic Internship (DI) Verification Statement only, proof of graduate-level degree is required.

Failure to complete the above will likely void your application.

Students whose DPD verification statements are 5 or more years old may need to complete additional coursework in clinical nutrition (medical nutrition therapy) and possibly other courses. Please contact the Program Director for more information.

Application procedures

Spring DICAS Application Process (January 15 deadline):

The WMU internship accepts a total of 10 interns a year including at least four from the Spring DICAS application round. Since we can accept only a limited number into the program, applicants are ranked on a point system for acceptance based on personal statement, work and volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, and GPA. All submitted application materials and admission deliberations are kept strictly confidential. The WMU dietetic internship program uses the online centralized internship application, DICAS. The DICAS application requires:

• A personal statement. Your personal statement is an important component of the selection process. It should follow the DICAS format and answer the questions on the DICAS website. It may request that you list experiences related to dietetics in the past five years. However, in your WMU personal statement you may also describe significant volunteer, paid, or life experiences you have had before or after 2020 that demonstrate your ability to succeed in the internship program. This might include (but is not limited to) permanent full-time employment related or unrelated to dietetics, raising a family, significant travel, or some other life-altering event. We are also interested if you are competent in a second language. The letter should be written in the form of a business letter (as though you were applying for a job);
• An official transcript from each college and university attended;
• A Verification Statement or Intent to Complete form from your advisor;
• The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application submitted and $25 for each additional application. Applications are due January 15, 2025.

Admissions checklist

It is strongly recommended that you print out the checklist and check off each item as you complete it.

• Admissions checklist

Assessment of prior learning: 
At this time, the WMU DI Program does not assess or give credit to interns for prior learning relevant to the internship. The program does make every effort to provide more complex learning situations for those interns who enter the program with exceptional skills in one of the core competency areas.

Once you are matched with WMU's Dietetic Internship Program (but not before), complete the following:

1. Sign and return the Agreement of Understanding, which will be provided by the Program Director after acceptance into the program;
2. Apply online for graduate admission to Western Michigan University, Family and Consumer Sciences MS program of study. Students with a grade point average below 3.0 are admitted with probationary status. This status means students must earn grades of B or higher in graduate courses to remain in the program. Application to the Graduate College should be made after the applicant has been accepted into the Internship Program, not before;
3. Provide results of a complete physical examination and inoculation history that includes a TB test, Tdap test, MMR series, Hepatitis B vaccination series, Varicella, and titers, and proof of health insurance coverage and CPR training, to the program director before start of program. Additional requirements, such as drug screening and a police background check, may be required by individual placement sites. You will be notified of this when placements are made;
4. Pay tuition and fees for the Dietetic Internship program and for graduate coursework (15 credits the first year). Tuition invoices are usually sent out (electronically) in late August. 

Important dates for 2024-25

• The internship will start Monday, August 26, 2024.
• The internship will finish Friday, May 30, 2025.
• The last day of Summer I (graduate course taken online) is June 25, 2025.