Dietetic Supervised Practice Experience

• Program Completion of Non-Degree SPE Program Objective: At least 80% of interns complete program requirements within 13.5 months (150% of planned program length).
• Program Completion of MS/SPE Program Objective: At least 80% of program students complete program/degree (MS/SPE pathway) requirements within 22.5 months (150% of program length).
• Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist within 12 months of program completion.
• The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists) is at least 80%.

• Over a three-year period, at least 90% of responding employers will agree (yes/no) that the graduate exhibited the knowledge and skills to perform as a competent entry-level RDN at the time of employment.
• At least 80% of employers will report satisfaction with the performance of program graduates, as measured by annual employer survey.
• Over a three-year period, 90% of responding preceptors will rate the intern as "making very good progress toward entry level practice" or higher by the end of the rotation. This ensures that interns are well-equipped to meet the demands of the profession and are prepared to contribute to the growing employment of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs).

Current UW-Stout Polytechnic students may apply to the Dietetic program through our internal pre-select process. This option is available for both the 15-Month MS/SPE Pathway and the 9-Month DI Pathway.

15-Month MS/SPE Pathway

This pathway is for senior UW-Stout M.S. Nutrition & Dietetics students who plan to complete their master’s degree and Supervised Practice Experience Program concurrently.

• Apply through the pre-select admission process
• Must be accepted into the UW-Stout Polytechnic M.S. Nutrition & Dietetics program as an accelerated student
• Complete both the master’s degree and Supervised Practice Experience in 15 months

9-Month DI Pathway

• Apply through the pre-select admission process
• Enrolled in the UW-Stout Polytechnic M.S. Nutrition & Dietetics program
• Intend to complete the 9-month Dietetic Internship following completion of the master's degree

Admission Capacity

UW-Stout Polytechnic's SPE program is accredited to accept up to 10 interns annually. These positions are distributed between the traditional SPE pathway and the concurrent MSND/SPE pathway based on available capacity, applicant qualifications, and program needs.

Application Timelines

• Application Opens: September 1
• Application Deadline: November 15

Complete the Pre-select Process Application

Application Fee Upon Acceptance

A non-refundable department fee of $50 is required upon acceptance into the UW-Stout Polytechnic SPE program. Make check/money order payable to UW-Stout Polytechnic and mail to: 

UW-Stout Polytechnic Dietetic Supervised Practice Experience
JHTW 256
410 10th Avenue E.
Menomonie WI 54751

Admission Process for External Applicants

• Apply through Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS)
• Must have earned a master’s degree in a dietetics-related field from another institution
  • DICAS can provide information regarding the online application process and its fees.  Call 617-612-2855 or email dicasinfo@dicas.org.
  • For additional guidance on the dietetic internship application process including accredited program and student resources, visit Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) application process for students.
• Application Fee Upon Acceptance
  • A non-refundable department fee of $50 is required upon acceptance into the UW-Stout Polytechnic Dietetic SPE program. Make check/money order payable to UW-Stout Polytechnic and mail to UW-Stout Polytechnic Dietetic Supervised Practice Experience, JHTW 256, 410 10th Avenue E., Menomonie WI 54751.

Cost of Graduate Credits

Students enrolled in the concurrent MS/SPE pathway are generally eligible to apply for federal financial aid through their graduate degree program. Students completing the SPE after completion of the master's degree should consult the UW-Stout Polytechnic Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility based on their enrollment status and program requirements. . Interns are required to register for a total of 15 graduate credits in FN-865 Supervised Practice in Medical Nutrition Management: Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. Interns may choose to: Pay the full tuition amount at the time of registration, or enroll in a payment plan through UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Student Business Services. UW-Stout Polytechnic graduate students who plan on completing our supervised practice experience program are eligible to apply for up to $4,000 in scholarships to help cover internship expenses. See the Foundation Scholarships for more details.

Transportation Costs

Interns are responsible for their own reliable transportation. Costs of maintaining a vehicle and expenses from driving to sites are also the responsibility of the intern. Costs will vary depending on the distance to each site and could be substantial depending on the different rotation sites for each intern. All interns are expected to arrive in a timely manner for all activities associated with the rotations and the internship in general. This includes attendance to professional meetings and required workshops and conferences. Therefore, the cost of transportation should be factored into the total cost of the program.

Professional Liability Insurance

Interns are required to have proof of professional liability insurance prior to starting rotations. Interns are responsible for buying the liability insurance. The insurance needs to cover the entire internship pathway. As a member of AND, this insurance is available through Proliability, and is endorsed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

State AND Conference

Interns will attend their state’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual conference. The conference is typically held in April and is two days long. The cost of registration for the conference will vary. Interns are also responsible for hotel and transportation costs to attend the conference. Interns will register for the conference on their own when registration becomes available.

Background Check

All interns will need to have a background check completed prior to starting the internship. All rotation sites require this to work in their facility. If your preceptor requires a copy of your background check, the DI program will provide it to the preceptor. If the facility requires a drug screening prior to beginning rotation, the intern must comply. If the facility requires fingerprinting prior to beginning rotation, the intern must comply. To complete the background check go to Castle Branch. The cost is ~$33.

Medical Exams, Tests & Immunizations

All interns must have a physical exam conducted within nine months prior to the start of the supervised pratice experience and provide a written statement from the licensed health care professional attesting to the condition of the intern’s health. Interns must also provide proof of the immunizations and tests that fulfill the requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, the CDC guidelines, and the affiliation agreements between the UW-Stout Polytechnic and the supervised practice sites. Required immunizations and tests include these and may also include others:

• A physician signed health/physical examination within 6 months prior to start of supervised practice experience with official records and dates of all vaccinations and immunizations, including:
  • 2 doses of the MMR vaccine to prove immunity to measles, mumps and rubella
  • Proof of immunity to chicken pox (a titer is required if you have had chicken pox) or 2 vaccinations
  • 2 Step TB Test which will be valid through the completion of the program (some rotations require additional)
  • Tetanus immunization within the past 10 years.
  • Flu shot for current season
  • Drug Test - 10 panel
  • Hepatitis B - 3 shot series. A titer is recommended to show immunity.
  • COVID-19 vaccine is highly recommended but not mandatory.

Completion of the Supervised Practice Experience requirements must be satisfactorily completed before the ACEND verification statement is provided. For successful completion of the SPE program, the following must be met:

• Successful completion of all SPE rotations. Performance and successful completion are informed through formative and summative evaluation by preceptors, the SPE director/coordinator, and the intern.
  • Completion of the required number of supervised practice hours
  • Completion of all assignments and projects with a satisfactory rating
  • Completed evaluation forms
• Graduate-level performance in seminar activities. The SPE seminar is conducted as a classroom course. Evaluation techniques that are common to classroom formats are employed. For example, interns may be evaluated on case study presentations, responses to written questions, ability to articulate site and SPE expectations and experiences, papers and examinations.
• A strong e-portfolio rating. Interns develop a formative portfolio during each site experience. The electronic portfolio is planned with preceptor input. Examples of appropriate portfolio items include case studies, chart notes and assessments, handouts or summaries from conferences and continuing education programs attended, nutrition education materials developed or modified, results of evaluations, special projects or tasks (e.g., menu analysis or development), quality improvement activities, reports or contributions to facility reports, and intern-centered goals.
• Successful performance on simulated exams. Interns will be required to score 70% of more on two simulated credentialing exams.
• For those students who do not have a master’s degree awarded at admission, a verification statement will not be granted until all supervised practice requirements are completed, and the graduate degree is awarded. A graduate degree is awarded after successful completion of the 30 course credits of our M.S. Nutrition & Dietetics program.
• Assessment of Prior Learning or Competence. Credit for prior learning/competence can be granted for individuals who have recent documentation (within 2 years).

The program director provides five verification statements to the graduating intern and sends documentation to The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) informing the CDR that internship requirements have been met. A copy of the verification statement, length of rotations documenting a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice, which includes 60 hours of alternative experiences, for a total of 1,060 hours.

During the conclusion of the SPE program, the intern is given information to assist in the online Registration Eligibility application process.

All candidates approved as examination eligible automatically receive an authorization to test email from Pearson VUE, the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s testing vendor. This email will explain the process to schedule your exam and create login credentials for Pearson VUE’s website. If you have not received your authorization to test email within 48 hours of receiving your CDR eligibility email, please contact Pearson VUE customer service at 888-874-7651. Candidates who established eligibility previously must request reauthorization to test. Candidates must contact the Commission on Dietetic Registration by email (cdrexams@eatright.org) or online at cdrnet.org to request examination reauthorization.

Once eligibility to test has been certified by CDR, candidates will receive an Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE. The Authorization to Test email contains a personal CDR Candidate ID and dates of initial authorization. It also includes instructions regarding creating an account with Pearson VUE and the web address where the exam may be scheduled. A copy of this email should be kept in a secure location.

After obtaining your RDN credential, you may wish to pursue state licensure/certification. This program is designed to meet the requirements for licensure in the State of Wisconsin. If you reside outside of Wisconsin, please note that UW-Stout Polytechnic cannot confirm whether this program (or course) meets the requirements for professional licensure in your state. Students from other states will need to contact their state regarding licensure requirements. Please refer to the Commission on Dietetic Registration regarding state licensure.

Once the intern has passed the RDN exam, they must complete paperwork to become either licensed or certified in the state in which they plan to pursue employment. Each state requires different forms for this submission. It is best for each individual intern to research their state’s requirements.