Montana Dietetic Internship - Application Procedures

MSDI & DI Only Application

The Montana Dietetic Internship (MDI) integrates experiences in clinical and community nutrition, foodservice management, and a sustainable food systems focus to provide a unique and progressive supervised dietetic practice experience to future registered dietitians. The MDI program meets the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Competencies for preparing knowledgeable professionals in the practice of dietetics.

Masters of Science/Dietetic Internship (MSDI) - Dietetic Systems Leadership MS

• Dietetic Systems Leadership coursework begins on May 12^th, 2025
• First year 100% online coursework
• Second year supervised practice hours - dietetic internship
• 36 graduate-level credits for MS-DI
• Remain in home community for first year
• Assigned to one of seven geographic areas in Montana or Wyoming (Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, or Missoula, Montana; or Sheridan, Wyoming) after foundation weeks in the Bozeman area in the Summer of year 2
• Supervised practice begins in early August in year 2 and ends in May

Montana Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate (DI Only)

• 12 graduate-level credits for DI
• Assigned to one of seven geographic areas in Montana or Wyoming (Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, or Missoula, Montana; or Sheridan, Wyoming) after foundation weeks in the Bozeman area in the Summer of year 2
• Supervised practice begins in early August and ends in May

Fall 2024 Application Deadlines

• Montana State University grads completed with, or near completion of, a degree from MSU with the appropriate Verification Statement from the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition & Kinesiology Didactic Program in Dietetics.
• Submit your application through the DICAS Portal indicating "Montana Dietetic Internship- Internal MSU Undergraduate Applicants Only" as a choice

Application Process:

1. Application Fee: To be considered, send an application fee of $57 directly to MDI postmarked by the application deadline. (This is a separate fee from the DICAS fees.)
   1. Please pay online (preferred) or
   2. Make checks payable to Montana Dietetic Internship and mail to: Montana Dietetic Internship,Montana State University,PO Box 173370, Bozeman, MT 59717-3370

Note that the Application Fee is NONREFUNDABLE** This is a separate fee from the D&D Digital and DICAS fees.

2. Submit application materials through the Dietetic Internship Computer Application Service (DICAS) Portal by the appropriate deadline.

Resources including instructional videos for using DICAS are available from ACEND.

Notice – MDI students are required to complete a background check. Applicants shall include in the ‘Background Section’ of their DICAS application any information that could appear in a background check. Background checks are comprehensive and can include findings such as all arrests and criminal charges even if dismissed or deferred, as well as expunged records. Failure to disclose a discrepancy could have worse consequences than not disclosing on DICAS if discovered later upon review of a background check report and may be cause for termination from the program.

3. Include the following submissions in your DICAS application: an official Verification Statement from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or a completed Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree statement, official transcript(s), and a resume.
4. In the DICAS application personal statement section please title your statement specifically for MDI and address the following questions in a narrative style using approximately 1,000 words:

• Why have you selected a career in the field of dietetics and what attracts you to a graduate degree in Dietetic Systems Leadership? 

For DI Only: Why have you selected a career in dietetics and what attracts you to the Montana Dietetic Internship?

• How would a sustainable food systems background benefit you as a dietetic professional? What is the importance of considering sustainable food systems to the profession?
• Which characteristics, attributes and experiences best prepare you for success in this MS-DI or DI only program?
• How will MDI's unique program offerings support you in becoming the future RDN that you envision yourself to be?
• Describe how you would be successful living and working in rural communities in Montana during supervised practice. Include your experience and/or philosophy in providing inclusive and compassionate care.
• If needed, please address any weaknesses in your application.
• Please identify top two preferred regions to be assigned to for the supervised practice year (Billings,Butte, Helena, Kalispell, Great Falls, Missoula or Sheridan, WY)​

• • Preferences will be taken into account, but there is no guarantee for a particular placement. Interns will be assigned rotation placement upon acceptance.
  • Please clarify if you are applying for Dietetic Internship Only.

5. Three letters of recommendation are required and will be submitted through DICAS in an electronic format. References should be written by:

• • One or two collegiate professors (RDN or non-RDN)
  • Employer, (RDN or Non-RDN) and/or an RDN with whom you have worked or volunteered
  • Please notify your references that once their contact information has been provided to DICAS an email is generated requesting them to complete a reference for you. Refer your references to an instructional video for further clarification, Submitting Reference Letters to Centralized DI Application System

6. Please note that you do not need to apply to the MSU Graduate School until after you have been officially accepted into the MS/DI program. Upon acceptance into the MS/DI program, we will send you the link to apply to the grad school. 
7. Not required for Applicants- GRE scores can be sent to Montana State University, Campus Code 4488.