Dietetic Internship
Boston University has several Dietetic Internship (DI) options available to MS+DI students. All applicants are automatically considered for the Boston University DI track, which means you’ll be matched with one of our BU DI affiliate sites once enrolled in the MS program. The BU DI begins in June, following the successful completion of the MS. The timing and cost of all BU DI affiliates is standardized across sites. See Track A below for additional details.
Alternatively, during the MS+DI preselect application process, you can elect to be considered for one of our standalone DI partnership programs with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Mass General Hospital, or Mount Auburn Hospital. These partnerships allow you to reserve a seat at a standalone DI at the time you are admitted to the MS program. Each standalone DI begins following successful completion of the MS, though the exact timing and cost varies by site. See Track B below for additional details.
Track A: MS + BU Dietetic Internship
In this track, students are matched with one of our ACEND-accredited BU Dietetic Internships during the second semester of the MS program. Student input and career goals are heavily weighed, though final placements are ultimately determined by faculty. The BU DI begins in June following successful completion of the MS and is a six-credit, 29-week, full-time program designed to prepare you for employment as an RDN.
Our BU affiliate hospital sites provide excellent opportunities to observe and participate in a wide variety of practice areas. The program includes rotations in food service management, medical nutrition therapy across the lifespan, and nutrition practice in the community setting. Students observe and participate in a wide variety of specialty areas of practice such as pediatrics, agriculture, oncology, renal, cardiology, diabetes, geriatrics, and nutrition support. Our BU DI sites include:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Needham
- Beverly Hospital, Beverly
- Boston Medical Center, Boston
- Emerson Hospital, Concord
- Good Samaritan Medical Center, Brockton
- Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington
- Lowell General Hospital, Lowell
- Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Ayer
- Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton
- St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston
- UMass Memorial HealthAlliance – Clinton Hospital, Clinton
- UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester
- Winchester Hospital, Winchester
In addition, the BU DI is associated with other facilities for specialized rotations, including:
- Children’s Hospital, Boston (pediatrics)
- DaVita Health Care (renal)
- Franciscan Children’s Hospital, Boston (pediatrics)
- Joslin Diabetes Center
- Newton High School and Perkins School for Blind (pediatrics)
- Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center (an outpatient clinic specializing in obesity, diabetes, cardiac care)
- Sargent Choice Nutrition Center (BU private practice with specialty areas such as eating disorders, GI, food allergies, sports nutrition, women’s health, weight management)
- University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester (pediatrics)
- Walden Behavioral Care (eating disorders treatment center)
The BU DI track requires payment of tuition for six credits, as well as a non-refundable $1000 fee to the internship site during the first two weeks. Please note you may need a car to get to your DI site, as some sites are approximately 45 miles from Boston.
The BU DI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: 312-899-0040 ext. 5400. For more information, please visit the ACEND website.
Track B: MS + Standalone Dietetic Internship Partnership Program
Boston University has several pre-select partnerships with standalone Dietetic Internship (DI) sites that guarantee placement at a specific DI at the time of admission into the BU MS program. As with Track A, these standalone DIs begin after successful completion of the MS. However, the exact timing and cost of each of these DIs varies by site. To be considered, applicants must select a DI partnership program within the MS+DI preselect application, and will then be provided with an additional site-specific essay prompt. Upon applying, candidates are simultaneously considered for admission by the BU MS program and the selected DI partner.
This track is designed for students who are fully committed to attending one of our standalone DI partner sites listed below. Because the application review process is collaborative, applicants interested in one of these DI partnership programs are strongly encouraged to connect with both Boston University and their preferred DI site before applying. We invite you to review the site-specific information below, and to engage our partners directly:
For questions regarding either DI track, please contact Marijane Staniec, Senior Lecturer and Associate Director of Dietetic Internships, at staniec@bu.edu.
Please note:
- Students who are admitted into Sargent College routinely participate in clinical education experiences as a part of the respective program curricula. Most clinical education facilities require criminal background checks to determine students’ eligibility for participation. History of a criminal background may disqualify students from participating in these experiences which are required for successful completion of the degree program.
- Students may have to provide documentation of medical exams or immunizations before clinical education experiences.
- Students should anticipate the need to complete clinical experience related requirements, which cost an average of $100 per experience. This estimate does not include transportation and housing costs. Questions regarding requirements for specific sites should be directed to the Clinical Education Services Office (clined@bu.edu; Sargent room 218).