Dietetic Internship

The Harper College Dietetic Internship is located in Palatine, Illinois, 30 minutes outside of Chicago. This area has convenient access to housing, highways, malls, restaurants, and shopping. Harper College offers a 9-month Dietetic Internship with a concentration in wellness. Harper College has a state-of-the-art health and recreation facility on campus that the internship utilizes for experiences including one-on-one nutrition counseling, wellness presentations, and experience working with collegiate athletes, students, faculty, and community members. Harper College also has a state-of-the-art nutrition lab used for additional educational experiences.

The internship provides 1064 supervised practice hours, which may include but is not limited to time in hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, food service operations, health clubs, park districts, grocery stores, food science laboratories, and community gardens.

On January 1, 2024, The Commission on Dietetic Registration will require a minimum of a master’s degree to take the credentialing exam for registered dietitians. To assist interns in this process, the Harper College Dietetic Internship provides three tracks interns can choose from:

Track A: Intern earned a master’s degree from an accredited college or university. The master’s degree is in nutrition or a related field.
Track B: Intern has not earned a master’s degree but is enrolled in an accredited college or university master’s program that is 12 months or less.
Track C: Intern has not earned a master’s degree but is enrolled in an accredited college or university master’s program that is 13- 24 months.

The Harper College Dietetic Internship partnered with the following Universities to seamlessly provide our incoming interns with a master’s degree. Interns are not required to attend these three universities; however, they are preferred partners.

Ohio University

Graduation Requirements

Each class or rotation must be passed with a “B” grade or above.
All ACEND® competencies must be met satisfactorily to receive the verification statement.
Dietetic interns must complete at least 1064 supervised practice hours.
Dietetic interns must provide transcripts of a completed master’s degree.

Once you successfully meet the Harper College Dietetic Internship graduation requirements, you will receive a verification statement. This allows you to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians. Licensure is dependent on the state in which you work. Illinois requires licensure of all registered dietitian nutritionists. Review the Commission on Dietetic Registration's (CDR) Licensure Map for licensure statutes and board information by state.

While state interpretations of statutes may vary, it is ACEND's considered opinion that the program meets the educational requirements for dietetics licensure and certification in all states. However, completing an ACEND-accredited academic program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure or certification as a dietitian in any state. Individuals should review their state's licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license.

Program Completion Timeline

The length of the internship will depend on the track the intern chooses. The Harper College timeline for completing a certificate is a maximum of 10 years. However, interns in the Dietetic Internship program are expected to complete the program in the following timeframe below:

If the intern is in Track A, the intern is expected to complete the internship in 9 months but may take up to 13.5 months to complete the program.
If the intern is in Track B, the intern is expected to complete the internship in 12 months but may take up to 18 months to complete the program.
If the intern is in Track C, the intern is expected to complete the internship in 24 months but may take up to 36 months to complete the program. The internship does not take place during the summer months. This must be considered when extending the length of the internship.

All interns will complete their rotations in a consecutive 9 months. The extended length of the internship for tracks B and C is for completion of a master’s degree. The internship rotations do not take place during the summer months. This must be considered when extending the length of the internship.

Distance Education and Technology Requirements

The program requires distance education for very few educational experiences. When distance education is required, the intern must have their web camera on during distance instruction to verify their identity.

The Dietetic Internship requires basic computer skills to be successful. This includes creating and saving documents, organizing files and folders on storage devices, performing Internet searches, sending email messages, and using word processing programs. The College uses Blackboard, and training can be provided if needed. In addition to those skills, an intern in the program will need the following:

Desktop or laptop computer
Reliable internet access
Webcam and mic

The college has a loaner program through the library which can be found here:
https://www.harpercollege.edu/library/services/semester-loan-technology.php

Interns needing assistance with technology can contact the Student Service Desk: https://www.harpercollege.edu/services/techsupport/index.php

Accreditation Status

The Harper College Dietetic Internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Location

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Ste 2190
Chicago, IL, 60606-6995
P: 800-877-1600 P: 312-899-0040

For more information about the Dietetic Internship Program, please contact:
Director
Traci Wessel, MS, RD, LDN
Email: twessel@harpercollege.edu