The UAA Dietetic Internship, with a concentration emphasis on Alaska Native culture
and Alaska healthcare delivery systems, is accredited by the Accreditation Council
for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The internship offers the supervised
practice experience required to sit for the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)
examination. At this time UAA is accredited for up to seven (7) students annually.
Applications are reviewed on a pre-select basis from UAA Dietetic majors for the UAA
Dietetic Internship. Up to seven students who meet all program requirements will
be considered for the program. The application cycle will open each fall for eligible
applicants, with an application deadline of November 1st. Notification of acceptance
into the program will occur within 8 weeks of the application deadline. If internship
spots are available after the application cycle, the UAA Dietetic Internship will
participate in the national application process that has an application deadline of
February 15th annually.
The UAA Dietetic Internship is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week program that begins in
the fall semester with graduation at the end of the spring semester. To apply to the
internship, individuals must complete at least a bachelor's degree and course work
requirements approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and
Dietetics (ACEND). Students will complete a total of 15 graduate credit hours through
attending a seminar course at UAA and completing their supervised practice. The program's
outcomes data are available upon request.
Upon successful completion of all parts of the dietetic internship, including all
learning experiences and satisfactory evaluations from preceptors and the UAA Dietetic
Internship Director, students will be given a verification statement showing successful completion
of the internship. With the verification statement, graduates can apply to take the
RDN exam through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Upon passing the RDN exam,
the graduate is eligible to apply for licensure in the state where he or she will
work as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Internship Concentration: Alaska Native Culture and the Alaska Healthcare Delivery
System
The UAA Dietetic Internship offers unique experiences through its concentration area
in Alaska Native culture and the Alaska healthcare delivery system. The concentration
area is built upon the dietetic internship's mission and goals, one being to retain
graduates to work in the profession of dietetics in Alaska. The program's concentration
area was designed to help interns prepare to work in this culturally diverse state.
The competencies required for the concentration area in this program are primarily
achieved through a three-week rural Alaska rotation (possible locations: Nome, Bethel,
Sitka, Kodiak, or Kotzebue). Interns rotate through many facilities in Anchorage and
the surrounding area in addition to the rural rotation and possibly Fairbanks.
In order to apply to the UAA Dietetic Internship program, students must be a declared
UAA Dietetics Major, with a graduation date during the current academic year; have
a minimum of 3.0 GPA; and submit an application with all required documents by November
1st.
Upon acceptance into the Dietetic Internship Program, students will be required to
complete/obtain the following before the August internship start date:
- Apply to UAA's Graduate School
- Complete financial aid requirements (if needed)
- Obtain an official transcript indicating a conferred degree
- Proof of current immunizations or titers including TB, Hep A, Hep B series, MMR, and
Varicella (2 shot series)
- Professional liability insurance
- Health insurance
- ServSafe Certificate
- Current CPR card
- State of Alaska Background Check
- Independent Medical Terminology course or proof of prior Medical Terminology course
- CITI Training