Montana Dietetic Internship - Application Procedures

MS/DI 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 (MS/DI) - Dietetic Systems Leadership MS

• Dietetic Systems Leadership coursework begins on May 15^th, 2023
• First year consists of online coursework; Second year consists of supervised practice hours
• 39 graduate-level credits
• 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 2024 and ends in May 2025 (exact dates TBD) 
• Visit the MS/DI Program Pathway page to review the Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

• Completion, or near completion of, a degree from MSU with the appropriate Verification Statement from the Department of Health and Human Development Didactic Program in Dietetics.
• Submit your application through the DICAS Portal indicating MDI as a choice by Sunday, January 8th, 2023, 11:59 pm MST.
• Payment of $55 application fee mailed to MDI, address below.
• Preselect candidates only applying to MDI do not need to register with D&D Digital.

• Submit your application through the DICAS Portal indicating MDI as a choice
  • Find Application Requirements here: MS/DI Program Application Requirements
• Register online with D&D Digital and enter MDI in your list of dietetic internship preferences by February 15th, 2023, 11:59 pm CST.
• Payment of $55 application fee mailed to MDI, address below.

Applicant Notification

• Applicants in the preselect category will be notified of the committee decision by Monday, January 23rd, 2023.
  • Applicants must confirm acceptance of the match appointment with the MDI Director by Tuesday, January 24th, 2023, 5:00 pm MST.
  • A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 to hold your slot in the program.
• Applicants in the national selection category will be notified beginning on Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 at 6:00 pm CST.
  • Applicants must confirm acceptance of match appointment on or before Monday, April 3rd, 2023, 6:00 pm MST.
  • A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is required by Monday, April 10^th, 2023 to hold your slot in the program.

To successfully apply to the MS/DI complete the following:

1. To be considered, send an application fee of $55 directly to MDI postmarked by the application deadline. This is a separate fee from the D&D Digital and DICAS fees. Please send to:

Attn: Coleen Kaiser

Montana Dietetic Internship

Montana State University

PO Box 173370

Bozeman, MT 59717-3370

Make checks payable to Montana Dietetic Internship. **Please 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 January 8th, 2023 for preselect and by February 15th, 2023 for the national selection.

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

**Note – individuals accepting a match appointment with MDI will be 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. Submit through DICAS an official Verification Statement from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or a completed Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree statement, and official transcript(s).
4. In the DICAS application personal statement section please title your statement specifically for MDI and address the following questions in approximately 1,000 words:

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

B. 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?

C. Which characteristics, attributes and experiences best prepare you for success in this MS/DI program?

D. How will MDI's unique program offerings support you in becoming the future RDN that you envision yourself to be?

E. 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.

F. If needed, please address any weaknesses in your application.

G. 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 given their rotation placement prior to the beginning of the internship for the purposes of planning logistics.

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. For national selection applicants– in addition to submitting your application to Montana Dietetic Internship through DICAS and sending the application fee to MSU, each national applicant must also register through D&D Digital and choose the MS/DI in their prioritized list. 
7. 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. 
8. Not required for Applicants- GRE scores can be sent to Montana State University, Campus Code 4488.