Master's Degree/Dietetic Internship
The Central Valley WIC Dietetic Internship, in collaboration with The Sage Colleges, is proud to offer a Master's Degree in Applied Nutrition combined with a Community Nutrition Dietetic Internship starting in 2020. The master's degree is 100% online, and is designed for interns who would like to work full-time, while completing the majority of their graduate coursework. The flexibility of an online degree allows interns to learn on their own schedule, making it easier to balance work, life, and graduate school. Interns complete their dietetic internship rotations (supervised practice) onsite during the final year of their master's degree.
Selection for the program is completed in two steps. Applicants who have worked as paid employees for a local WIC agency in California for six consecutive months prior to the preselection deadline, are eligible for the preselection process. Applicants who have not worked for WIC are invited to apply during the Spring Computer Match. Applicants do not need to be a WIC employee to qualify for this round of the application process.
Founded in New York in 1916, The Sage Colleges are nationally accredited by the US Department of Education, and regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Sage has two campuses in Albany and Troy, and they offer many courses and degrees online. Sage provides 50 bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, including 23 degrees in the health sciences.
Selection for the program is completed in two steps. Applicants who have worked as paid employees for a local WIC agency in California for six consecutive months prior to the preselection deadline, are eligible for the preselection process. Applicants who have not worked for WIC are invited to apply during the Spring Computer Match. Applicants do not need to be a WIC employee to qualify for this round of the application process.
Founded in New York in 1916, The Sage Colleges are nationally accredited by the US Department of Education, and regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Sage has two campuses in Albany and Troy, and they offer many courses and degrees online. Sage provides 50 bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, including 23 degrees in the health sciences.
Requirements and Process to Become an RDN
Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the Master’s Degree in Applied Nutrition at The Sage Colleges (Sage), and complete the ACEND accredited dietetic internship through the Central Valley WIC Dietetic Internship, are eligible to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN. Once the intern graduate passes the CDR credentialing exam, he or she is qualified to work as an RDN in a variety of settings, including Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition and Food Service Management. For more information about educational pathways to become an RDN please visit https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancingeducation/information-for-students.
Academic and Program Calendar
The "Course Schedule" table below outlines the number of MS courses planned per semester, as well as when the DI rotations will take place. The Academic Calendar for Sage can be found here https://www.sage.edu/academics/academic-calendars/, and will be followed for the coursework year. The DI rotations (supervised practice) will be similar to the calendar at this link https://www.cvwdi.org/sample-rotation-schedule.html.
Course Schedule for Online Master's Degree (MS) with The Sage Colleges and the Central Valley WIC Dietetic Internship (DI) Program
Sage’s online Master of Science in Applied Nutrition provides graduates with lifelong professional skills in many areas including critical thinking, writing and communication, planning and conducting food and nutrition programs, research analysis and interpretation, evaluating interventions, using evidence-based guidelines in practice, and developing strong presentation skills. More information about course topics, requirements and options is provided in the table below.
Required Courses |
Credit Hours |
NTR 551 Research Methods for the Health Sciences |
3 |
NTR 690 Directed Research: Group MS Thesis Project |
3 |
NTR 691 Directed Research: Group MS Thesis Project |
3 |
Interns can choose 7 of the following courses |
|
NTR 549 Nutrition and Disease Management of Pediatrics |
3 |
NTR 553 Nutrition Epidemiology |
3 |
NTR 555 Nutrition Research: Interpretation and Communication |
3 |
NTR 561 Nutrition Programs and Interventions: Theory and Practice |
3 |
NTR 562 Weight Management |
3 |
NTR 599 The Psychology of Eating with Emphasis on Eating Disorders |
3 |
NTR 599 Nutrition Support |
3 |
NTR 599 Sports Nutrition |
3 |
Total MS in Applied Nutrition Credits: |
30 |
Central Valley WIC Dietetic Internship Practicum Courses |
|
NTR 530 Dietetic Internship Practicum 1 |
3 |
NTR 531 Dietetic Internship Practicum 2 |
3 |
NTR 532 Dietetic Internship Practicum 3 |
3 |
Total Practicum Credits: |
9 |
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: |
39 |
Graduation and Program Completion Requirements
Graduation from the Central Valley WIC Dietetic Internship is expected by the end of the 32 month program with successful completion and documentation to demonstrate:
If the intern is not able to complete the program in 32 months due to illness or other authorized reasons, the internship may be extended to a maximum of 150% (48 months/4 years) of time, per ACEND regulations.
- Ability to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for graduate level courses at Sage
- Completion of all required courses for the MS in Applied Nutrition Degree for interns enrolled at Sage
- Completion of a minimum of 1200 supervised practice hours
- Successful completion of all supervised practice rotations, competencies, didactic assignments as determined by preceptors, the Program Director and the Program Coordinator
If the intern is not able to complete the program in 32 months due to illness or other authorized reasons, the internship may be extended to a maximum of 150% (48 months/4 years) of time, per ACEND regulations.
Application and Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Verification Statement indicating completion of an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) within the last 5 years. If more than 5 years have passed since the student completed the DPD program, the student may be able to take additional classes to qualify for internship application. Please contact the Internship Coordinator for more information.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0
- For courses in Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and Advanced/Metabolic Nutrition, or equivalent courses, a "B" grade or higher is required. Applicants who are interested in retaking these courses to improve their grades should contact the Internship Coordinator.
- If native language is not English and applicant did not graduate from a college or university in the United States, a minimum TOEFL score of either 560 (paperbased test), 241 (computer-based test), or 83 (internet-based test) is required.
- Three letters of recommendation: 1 from a work supervisor (from a paid work position), 1 from a college/university instructor, 1 from a person of applicant's choice. WIC employee applicants must have letter of recommendation from their WIC Supervisor and be an employee in good standing.
- Demonstration of desire to stay and work in the Central Valley of California is a desired criteria, but not required.
- Applicants who have worked as paid employees for the California WIC Program for 6 consecutive months, prior to the pre-selection deadline, will be eligible for the pre-selection process.
- Reliable transportation is required.
- We are unable to accept international students at this time.
Once accepted to the dietetic internship is confirmed, interns need to obtain a self-managed application packet from the Sage Graduate Schools Office of Admission. The packet will include instructions to collect the following items and forward them as a package to the Office of Admission:
- A completed application
- A current resume
- A one-to-three page career goals essay (typewritten and double-spaced) indicating the reasons for seeking a graduate degree from Sage
- Official transcripts from each previous college attended
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals able to assess the applicant’s ability to successfully complete graduate-level academic work.
- Official transcripts will also be evaluated by Sage. A maximum of six graduate credits may be transferred from another institution if such work was completed within five years. Transferred credits must be a “B” or better.
- GRE scores are not required
Selection Process and Computer Matching Information
- Applicants who have worked as paid employees for a local WIC agency in California for 6 consecutive months prior to the pre-selection deadline, are eligible for the pre-selection process.
- WIC employees who apply in the pre-selection process in January, and who were not appointed to an internship position, are encouraged to reapply during the Spring Computer Match process. These applicants do need to complete required information for D&D Digital. For more information, please visit: www.dnddigital.com.
- If all 6 positions are not filled with California WIC employees, the remaining open positions will be filled during the Spring Computer Match. Applicants do not need to be a WIC employee for this round of the selection process.
- When participating in the Spring Computer Match, our program follows dates and deadlines posted on the D&D Digital website. It is important that all applicants participating in the Computer Match, register with D&D Digital.
- Acceptance into this program is not influenced by age, sex, language, race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry.
- If a position in the program becomes available in the summer before the start of supervised practice, the program will post the open position on the CVWDI website, along with the WIC employee pre-selection August deadline. Applicants who already have a master’s degree, and who meet our other program application requirements, will be eligible to apply. If the open position is not filled during August pre-selection, then it will be filled during the Fall Computer Match.
Costs to the Student/Intern
The following expenses are related to internship participation requirements and are meant as a guideline:
Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Financial aid is available for interns enrolled in Sage. Please see the “Federal and State Aid” webpage on the Sage website, at https://www.sage.edu/admission/financial-aid/federal-state-aid/.
- Depending on the type of student loan obtained, loan deferment may be an option. For example, students who receive a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan can choose to defer payments until 6 months after the date they cease to be enrolled at least half-time.
- Scholarships are available through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org and the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.dietitian.org. Individuals who have been employed by WIC for at least six months prior to the start of the internship are eligible to apply for the California Nutrition Corps Scholarship through the California WIC Association at www.calwic.org.
- Another source of funding includes scholarships and individual grants through religious organizations, private foundations, labor unions, businesses and local community groups. The internet is a good place to search for professional organizations connected with allied health and nutrition careers and local 26 organizations and business in the community. For further information on funding sources, go to www.wiccareercorner.com.
