Admission Criteria & Selection Process

Students must meet the following criteria to be admitted to the CUNY SPH Dietetic Internship.

– Verification of completion of AND Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements

– Completion of an application in the DICAS and the D&D Digital matching systems, or pre-select as described below

– Admission to the MPH degree program is encouraged, although it is not required, except for the pre-select option

All completed applications are read, reviewed and the highest rated applicants are than ranked for

matching. Factors that will determine the ranking of students include:

1. Quality of the personal statement
2. GPA – general and DPD Courses
3. Employment / Volunteer Experience
4. Honors, awards, activities
5. Recommendations
6. GRE scores, if available
7. Completion of the NYS CDN credential, with a passing score on the RD exam within the past 4 years, if applicable.
8. For Distance Interns, completeness and quality of proposed program plan and preceptors

A note about GPAs: Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0 are unlikely to rank high enough to be admitted to this program.

Completed applications submitted to DICAS and D&D Digital by the application deadline, and demonstrating compliance with all application requirements, will be reviewed by the internship selection committee.

Requirement for master’s degree completion before beginning the internship.

Eligibility to match to the internship includes the requirement to submit a transcript indicting conferral of a master’s degree from an accredited institution, or an Intent to Complete Master’s Degree form, indicating that this degree will be awarded prior to September 1st of the upcoming internship year. Intent-to-complete forms must be signed by the applicant’s academic advisor. Failure to complete the master’s degree by the date specified will result in delay in starting the internship, or dismissal from the program at the discretion of the internship director.

Qualified students in the MPH degree program at the CUNY School of Public Health who are near to completion of their degree may be allowed to complete their final courses, Fieldwork, Capstone, one 3-credit elective during the Internship term. Completion of the Dietetic Internship and issuance of a DI Verification Statement will be contingent on completion of the MPH degree requirements.

The courses included as part of the Dietetic Internship: FNPH 690, FNPH 691 and FNPH 692 will be substituted for Fieldwork,  Capstone, and one 3-credit elective in the MPH degree in Public Health Nutrition. Substitutions will be made with approval of the student’s academic advisor, through the current course substitution policy and procedure of the School of Public Health. https://sph.cuny.edu/students/student-resources/student-forms/#sectionHeader_5

Pre-select option for CUNY SPH MPH students

Qualified students in the MPH degree program at the CUNY School of Public Health may opt for direct enrollment into the Dietetic Internship through the pre-select option, without having to complete a separate DI application.

Requests for consideration under the pre-select option will be submitted to the Internship Director on or before December 31^st each year. This will include a cover letter requesting pre-select admission to the Internship, DPD Verification Statement, and approval for course substitutions from their MPH academic advisor as described above. The request letter will also specify which track of the Internship (onsite or distance) is being requested.

Pre-select requests will be reviewed, and students notified of decisions before February 1^st.

Up to 50% of Internship positions will be filled via the pre-select mechanism. All remaining positions will be made available through the DICAS matching process.

Statement of Nondiscrimination/ Equal Opportunity in Selection of Dietetic Interns

The Internship supports the policy of equal opportunity and Affirmative Action as set forth by the CUNY SPH and the Board of trustees of the City University of New York. The Department of Nutrition and Food Science of The CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy will fill dietetic intern positions with qualified individuals, without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, or status as victim of domestic violence.

Prospective international student applicants should consult the Office of International Students regarding visa requirements.

ACEND has provided some suggestions for improving your chances of matching to an Internship.

Completed applications submitted by the application deadlines, and demonstrating compliance with all application requirements, will be reviewed by the internship selection committee.

Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered for matching. Applicants are responsible for being aware of the application deadlines.

Interns will be notified of their match to the DI via the D&D Digital website.

Matched interns must contact the DI Director to accept their placements by the deadline on Appointment Day.

Failure to do so may result in the loss of placement.

Wait List for Alternates

The wait list is composed entirely of applicants to our program who were ranked, but not matched, and who did not match to any other internship. In the event of a matched applicant being unable to accept a placement, or dropping out early in the program (before the end of September), an alternate from the wait list will be contacted and offered the vacated position. Should the first alternate decline the position, the next ranked person will be contacted and so on until the position is filled. Note that since program drop-outs are infrequent, applicants will not be individually informed of their relative ranking for matching, or placement on the wait list.

A $100 application fee is required for all applicants.