The dietetic internship integrates five graduate courses with 1,280 hours of supervised practice experience in a variety of settings. Activities to achieve competencies for the concentration area, Communications, are woven into three practicum courses. The five graduate courses constitute the Dietetic Internship certificate. Students have the option of applying the DI Certificate graduate courses to a master's degree in Applied Nutrition, Community Health Education, or Health Services Administration. The Internship Director is available for advisement about graduate course work.

Full-Time and Part-Time Option

Beginning with the 2011-2012 class, interns will earn 24 credits with the DI Certificate program. The full-time option requires 10 months to complete while the part-time option requires 22 months to complete.  Both full-time and part-time interns complete 1280 hours of supervised practice.  For full-time interns, the first practicum and a lecture course start in late August; the second practicum and a lecture course start in early January; and the third practicum starts in early May and ends in late June with a final week of didactic classes and review for the RD examination.  Practicum experiences are scheduled Monday through Friday, a minimum of 40 hours per week, for 13 weeks in the fall and spring semesters and 6 weeks with the summer session.  Interns do not have practicum hours scheduled on Labor Day, the entire week of Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Holiday and Memorial Day.  Therefore, NTR 530 and 531 provide 520 hours of supervised practice experience each, and NTR 532 provides 240 hours of supervised practice.  Two weeks of vacation is scheduled at the end of the fall semester and one week vacation is scheduled in late spring at the end of the spring semester practicum.  Additionally, some classes as well as practicum experiences are scheduled on weekends and evenings.

Anticipated Changes for 2012-2013

In 2012-2013:

• The interns will meet for two days in June for orientation.
• The internship will start earlier, about mid-August.
•  Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy course (NTR 525) will be delivered on-line.
• The spring didactic course will be incorporated within the orientation.
• The internship will end earlier, around mid-June.

Part-Time Option

Part-time (PT) interns also begin NTR 530 in the fall semester.  Practicum experiences are scheduled to accommodate each individual part-time intern, with a minimum of 24 hours per week, for 21.3 weeks.  PT interns receive an incomplete for NTR 530 at the end of the fall semester, have a two week vacation, resume their practicum in early January, and finish in mid-March.  They complete NTR 532 between April and June, a minimum of 24 hours per week for 10 weeks.  No practicum experiences are planned during July and August.  NTR 531 is completed the second year, following the same model as NTR 530 noted above.  These interns also complete the didactic/lecture courses during the second year, NTR 525 in fall semester and NTR 549 in spring semester.

Schedule Example

  Sage Dietetic Internship Tentative Schedule: 2011-2012

NTR 530-Dietetic Internship Practicum 1                6 credits                                             Letter grade         Fall 2011                 Orientation Class Days: August 22, 26, 29-31;                 Sept. 1-2; 9:00 a.m.-4:00p.m.                 Didactic Class Days: Nov. 21, 22; Dec. 12-16                    (includes 2 presentation Portfolio Meeting & Final Exam)                 Practicum: Sept. 5-Dec. 9

NTR 525-Advanced MNT                                           3 credits                 Letter grade         Fall 2011                 Class Days:  August 23, 25; Sept. 17; Oct. 15, Nov. 5, 19;                 Dec. 3; 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Vacation Days: Nov. 23-25; Dec. 19-Jan. 1

NTR 531-Dietetic Internship Practicum 2                 6 credits                                                   Letter grade        Spring 2012                 Orientation Class Days: Jan. 3-6; 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.                 Didactic Class Days: March 1; April 17-21 (includes Portfolio                 Meeting, Field                 Trip to Culinary Institute of America & Final Exam)                 Practicum: Jan. 17-April 14

NTR 549-Disease Management for Pediatrics           3 credits                 Letter grade         Spring 2012                 Class Days: Nov. 21 & Dec. 12, 1:00-4:00 p.m.;                 Jan. 9-13, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Feb 4 (make up snow day if                 needed); April 15, 9:00-4:00 (student presentations)                **Course assignments will be given on 11/21 with several due                 the week of Jan. 9th

Vacation Days:  April 24-28

Sage Research Symposium: April 29, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

NTR 532-Dietetic Internship Practicum 3                  6 credits                                Letter grade    Summer Session 3                 Orientation Class Days: May1-5, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.                 (includes attendance at NYS Dietetic Association Meeting)                 Didactic Class Days: June 19-23 (includes optional Jean Inman                 RD Exam Review Course on June 20 & 21, Comprehensive Final                 Exam & Final Portfolio Meeting)                 Practicum: May 8-June 16; no practicum on Memorial Day

Final DI Reception/ Graduation Celebration: June 24

 

Dietetic Internship Required Courses	Credit Hours
NTR 525 Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy	3
NTR 530 Dietetic Internship Practicum 1	6
NTR 531 Dietetic Internship Practicum 2	6
NTR 549 Nutrition and Disease Management for Pediatrics	3
NTR 532 Dietetic Internship Practicum 3	6
Total credit hours required	24

These courses comprise a certificate. Twelve credits may be applied towards a masters degree at the Sage Graduate Schools.

Overview Schedule-Full Time Interns

Summer Prior to Internship Practicum Starting -

•  A variety of activities and assignments will be completed and submitted online.

Fall -16 weeks total

All full time interns & second year part-time interns take:

• 1 Week: NTR 525: Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy: This course will meet for 2 days prior to beginning of fall semester, on 4 Saturdays during the Fall semester and online
• NTR 530- Dietetic Internship Practicum 1
  2 Weeks: Orientation, The Sage Colleges Troy Campus
  13 Weeks: Planned Experiences at 3-4 facilities (520 hours minimum)
  1 Week: Presentations & Finals
• Semester Break: 2 weeks

Spring -16 weeks total

All full time interns take:

• 1 Week:NTR 549 - Nutrition and Disease Management for Pediatrics: This course will meet for 5 days prior to beginning the spring semester, 2 Saturdays during the Spring semester, and online
• NTR 531- Dietetic Internship Practicum 2
  *The second practicum course may not be started if an intern has an incomplete in the first practicum course from the fall semester.
  1 Week: Orientation, The Sage Colleges Troy Campus
  13 Weeks: Planned Experiences at 3-4 Facilities (520 hours minimum)
  1 Week: Presentations, Finals & Attend New York State Dietetic Association Annual Meeting

Summer- 8 weeks total
All interns take:

• NTR 532 Dietetic Internship Practicum 3
  1 Week: Orientation
  2 Weeks: High Risk Maternity/Pre-Natal Nutrition Rotation (WIC) (80 hours)
  4 Weeks: Community Nutrition Education Rotation (160 hours)
  1 Week: Wrap-up Activities - RD Exam Review Session, DI Comprehensive Final Exam and Reception - 4th week of June 2012

Clinical Nutrition Rotation Topics

1. Facility Orientation
2. Basic Medical Nutrition Therapy: Cardiology, Gastrointestinal, Oncology and Medical/surgical patients (4 weeks)
3. Advanced Medical Nutrition:Gastrointestinal Disorders, Medical/Surgical, Critical Care, Respiratory (4 weeks)
4. Ambulatory Care: Diabetes and Renal (1 week each)
5. Entry-Level Practice (3 weeks)

Food and Wellness Management Rotation Topics

1. Clinical Long Term Care (2 week)
2. Wellness Management (2 weeks)
3. Food Service Management: Facility Orientation - An overview (1 week)
4. Food Systems and Management: (8 weeks)

Professional Experience Learning Waiver:

Do you have extensive learning and professional competence acquired outside the academic setting? Based on the AND's standards of education with corresponding criterion and guidelines, the Sage Graduate School has approved a program which enables interns to waive a portion, from 6 to12 credits, of the dietetic internship. Graduate credit will not be awarded, rather students will be able to complete the program in less time by receiving a waiver for up to two of the three practicum courses; Practicum/Food and Wellness Management and Practicum/Community Nutrition.

The process offers a creative and flexible advancement opportunity for non-traditional students and those with extensive experience in food service and/or community nutrition to complete the program in a modified format. Applicants must complete the Practicum Course Waiver Application, which may be downloaded from this web site, and submit it with the portfolio(s) and dietetic internship application.

All prospective interns, who are considering a waiver for prior learning experience, are required to meet with the DI director before beginning the waiver process.

More information about the learning waiver »