The DI accepts up to 24 interns each year. The program is restricted to students who are already enrolled in the M.S. or Ph.D. degree program in Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition or Division of Nutritional Sciences and have a Verification Statement from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). In 2010, the DI was approved to participate in the preselect option for matching dietetic interns.
Prospective Applicants should view information on the DI application requirements and process.
The emphasis area for the University of Illinois DI program is research. Students are required to perform independent research for their graduate degree. In addition, interns complete a research project linked to one of the rotation sites during the internship program. Graduates from this program are well prepared to assess the needs of their target populations, develop appropriate research questions, identify funding sources, carry out new programs/research, and objectively assess these programs' effectiveness.