Program Description and Overview
The UMaine internship program (IP) is a two-year program that leads to a graduate degree. Graduates are prepared to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) and are eligible to sit for the National Registration Examination. Our graduates have a high passage rate for the National Registration Exam (>90%) and are employed readily within the field of dietetics. Both master’s and doctoral programs are available. The minimum degree requirement for entry-level RDNs is a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral degree), so the UMaine DI Program fulfills these requirements.
The graduate dietetic internship program is designed to be completed in 2 years. Both thesis research projects and non-thesis options are available. Supervised practice is a full-time 7-month internship (1072 total hours). Individual program length can vary due to requirements related to thesis research projects. Interns are expected to complete the program within 36 months (150% of planned program length). An intern may take courses in human nutrition and/or food science. Currently, the program is approved to accept up to ten dietetic interns and two Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) interns per year.*
Over the two years, interns spend two semesters on campus completing coursework, two semesters in supervised practice, and then finish the final semester of coursework, graduating in May of the second year. This timeline is typical for non-thesis students.
During the two-year program, interns may spend the first academic year, summer and second fall in coursework, followed by two semesters in supervised practice, graduating in August of the second year. This timeline is typical for thesis students.
