Combined Dietetic Internship/Master's Degree Program

Program Overview

The Combined Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree Program combines academic work with clinical practice at dietetic internships at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (LSCVAMC).  It provides a high quality Master's degree and clinical experience in 17 months. A designated academic advisor serves as graduate advisor for all students in this program, providing individualized support and guidance tailored to both the program and student.

The general program schedule is listed here; specific courses are listed further below:

Fall of 1st Year

• Class on Monday
• Class on one evening
• Internship rotations at LSCVAMC Tuesday – Friday

Spring of 1st Year

• Classes on Monday
• Internship rotations at LSCVAMC Tuesday – Friday

Summer of 1st Year

• Internship Monday – Friday

Fall of 2nd Year

• Elective classes available Monday – Friday
• Degree conferral by the university occurs in mid-January
• Subsequently, verification statements are issued by the LSCVAMC, in compliance with the 2024 Master’s degree mandate

Required courses have been carefully selected to complement internship rotations and provide skills relevant to practice as an RDN.  Particular emphasis is placed on Diabetes and on conducting and applying research in practice, which we consider core skills. 

This is a non-thesis program; a minimum of 30 semester hours is required.

• Required courses are completed in the first two semesters of the program(15 credit hours):
• Fall 1 (required courses, 8 credits):
  • NTRN 459: Diabetes Prevention and Management
  • NTRN 436: Pediatric Nutrition
  • NTRN 403: Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals
  • NTRN 501: Cultural Influences on Nutrition Practice: Seminar
• Spring 1 (required courses, 7 credits):
  • NTRN 502: Advanced Nutrition Practice: Seminar
  • NTRN 528: Introduction to Public Health Nutrition
  • NTRN 559: Seminar in Diabetes: Advanced Topics and Current Trends
• Fall 2 (elective courses, 15 graduate credits, at least 6 of which are in Nutrition):
  • Electives planned in conjunction with the student’s academic advisor from a wide variety of options.
  • Using these elective hours and potentially additional credits, students may elect to complete:
    •  a certificate in Diabetes Prevention and Management
    • And/or
    • a concentration in culinary medicine and counseling,
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken for credit in the Masters degree program.

Passing a final, written comprehensive exam in the final semester.

Eligibility/Application

To be eligible to apply to the internship, students must have a verification statement from a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD).  Admission to the Combined Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree Program is contingent on the student’s being selected and matched to the hospital internship via the application/matching procedure outlined by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Students who are matched with the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center are provided with a $7,000 memorandum of assistance from the Department of Nutrition (spread across the three semesters) to reduce tuition costs.  Other financial aid may be available from the university and external granting agencies.

Students who already hold the RDN credential, or who are pursuing an internship at another area program are not eligible for the Combined Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree Program.  They are encouraged to apply to the MS in Nutrition. Students who are interested in obtaining the RDN credential but who have not yet completed a DPD can complete these requirements in combination with either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at CWRU prior to their application to the Combined Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree Program.