Montana Dietetic Internship - Application Procedures

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

• Dietetic Systems Leadership coursework begins on May 13^th, 2024
• First year 100% online coursework
• Second year supervised practice hours - dietetic internship
• 37 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 2nd year and ends in May

Fall 2023 & Spring 2024 Application Deadlines

• Completion, 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 MDI as a choice
• The MDI team will interview pre-select applicants November 27 - December 1, 2023 
• Payment of $57 application fee paid online or mailed to MDI, address below.
• Preselect candidates do not need to register with D&D Digital for this selection process.

• Submit your application through the DICAS Portal indicating MDI as a choice
  • Find Application Requirements here: MS/DI Program Application Requirements
• Payment of $57 application fee paid online or mailed to MDI, address below.
• The MDI team will interview selected priority applicants January 3-5th, 2024 
• Priority applicants do not need to register with D&D Digital for this selection process.

If all MS-DI & DI only slots are not filled with pre-select and priority applicants, the MDI will participate in D&D Digital Spring 2024 match to consider additional MS-DI and DI-only applications.

To successfully apply to the MS-DI & DI only complete the following:

1. To be considered, send an application fee of $57 directly to MDI postmarked by the application deadline. This is a separate fee from the D&D Digital and DICAS fees. Please send to:

Montana Dietetic Internship

Montana State University

PO Box 173370

Bozeman, MT 59717-3370

Make checks payable to Montana Dietetic Internship. 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:

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 rolling deadline applicants who will participate in D&D match– in addition to submitting your application to Montana Dietetic Internship through DICAS and sending the application fee to MSU, each applicant who intends to participate in Spring match must also register through D&D Digital and choose the MS/DI in their prioritized list. 

Who Should Participate in D&D Digital Spring Match? The MDI asks for a $1000 non-refundable deposit from all pre-selected and priority deadline applicants. Meaning, that if you accept a slot in the MS-DI for 2024-26 or the DI only during the December 15th priority deadline round, you will pay the non-refundable deposit by January 23rd, 2024. Priority application is a great option for applicants who would rank the MDI as their first choice. The nationwide match may be a good fit for applicants who would like to include the MDI in their ranking, but want a chance to see if they might match with another program. For the Spring 2024 match, the MDI will participate if there are slots available after priority deadline. MDI will ask for a verbal commitment 24 hrs after match and a $1000 non-refundable deposit within 7 days of match announcements.

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.