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Application and Selection

Spring 2024 Match Update: 

The pre-select phase of our application and selection process is now complete. We will offer the remaining positions in our 2024-25 internship class through the 2024 spring match. The following location placements are available:

  • Abingdon - 1 
  • Richmond - up to 2
  • Blacksburg/Roanoke - 0
  • Charlottesville - up to 2
  • Martinsburg - up to 1
  • Washington, DC metro area - 1
  • Winchester - up to 1

Applicants interested in the Abingdon, Charlottesville, or Richmond locations should list Blacksburg/Southwest Virginia (match # 488) on their D&D Digital ranking list. 

Applicants interested in the Martinsburg, Washington DC metro, or Winchester locations should list Northern Virginia/Washington DC metro area (match # 265) on their D&D Digital ranking list.

Please review additional information about the application and selection processes below. 

A group of Virginia Tech Nutrition and Dietetics students stand together for a group photo while holding framed certificates

To be eligible for our program, applicants must have:

  • Earned a verification statement from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) before the start of the program. Applicants whose verification statements were earned more than 5 years before the internship start date must follow our Recency of Education Policy (PDF). 
  • Earned a GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 in DPD coursework.
  • Have paid or unpaid work experience in a food and/or nutrition practice setting.
  • Earned or have a plan to earn a master’s degree according to the requirements outlined below. 

Applicants with a graduate degree can complete the internship in less than 9 months. Credit for prior learning may reduce the program length. 

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree can complete all requirements in 15 months as they concurrently pursue Virginia Tech's 30-credit Online Master of Science in Agricultural and Life Science (OMALS). Half of these credits are incorporated into the internship experience.

Candidates pursuing a different graduate degree program are also eligible to apply to our internship if they have been accepted to that graduate program and can demonstrate a plan to earn their degree within 3 months of finishing the internship. 

Application Processes

There are two separate application processes based on an applicant’s candidacy:

  • Pre-select option (December 1 and January 15 due dates) – Candidates who wish to commit to our program before the computer match are encouraged to consider this option. We will fill positions through pre-select according to demand. 

  • Computer match option (February 15 due date) - Candidates who participate in the computer match will fill the remaining of our 20 total positions. The number of positions available through the match will be posted here by February 8. 

Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) Applicants

The application and selection processes for ISPP interns are different. You may find the ISPP intern specific application and selection processes in the ISPP Policy (PDF).

Pre-Select Application Categories, Deadlines, and Steps

December Pre-Select

This option is for applicants who wish to enroll in Virginia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Agricultural and Life Sciences in January 2024 before starting the internship in August 2024.

Two eligibility categories for December pre-select:

  1. Dual Graduate School Enrollment (VT HNFE DPD students): Open to current Virginia Tech senior DPD students who will dually enroll in undergraduate and graduate courses in Spring 2024 before starting the internship in August 2024. Students must be in the final semester of the B.S. degree program and demonstrate the ability to enroll in at least three graduate credits in Spring 2024 through submission of an advisor-approved plan of study.
  2. Early Graduate School Enrollment: Open to candidates who will have a bachelor’s degree and DPD verification statement from any university by December 2023. Students will enroll in at least three online graduate credits in Spring 2024 before starting the internship in August 2024. 

December Pre-select Application and Selection Steps:

  • All application materials are due December 1.
    • Submit your completed application through the Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application System (DICAS) online portal. Applicants with location preferences should include these in their application. 
    • Pay the Virginia Tech Internship Program application fee of $50. This is separate from the fee to register with DICAS. Create an account here to pay the Virginia Tech application fee.
  • Applicants will be notified of the selection decision, including the decision about any location preferences, via email by December 8. 
  • Candidates offered a position must accept their offer within 48 hours by emailing the director. 
  • Candidates who accept their offer of admission must complete their VT graduate school paperwork by December 15. Graduate school application fees and references will be waived. 

Candidates who apply through the pre-select option do not need to register for the computer matching system managed by D&D Digital Systems.

  • We will notify D&D Digital Systems about individuals who have accepted pre-select positions, which will remove them from the option to use the computer match application process.
  • Applicants who are not offered admission through the pre-select process may continue their application to participate in the match. In this case, they must register with D&D Digital Systems by February 15. There is no additional Virginia Tech application fee if one was paid during the pre-select process and there is no additional action needed with their DICAS application. 

January Pre-Select

This option is for applicants who wish to commit to the Virginia Tech Internship before the match and who meet at least one of the two criteria listed below. 

Geographically-based: for candidates who are committed to a specific geographic area (number of positions planned in each area is listed in parentheses). 

All interns are expected to attend class meetings in either Blacksburg or Northern Virginia approximately twice per month.

  • Abingdon (1-2)
  • Blacksburg/Roanoke (4-6)
  • Charlottesville (2-4) - UVA Health; clinical focus
  • Martinsburg, WV (1-2) - Veterans Affairs Medical Center; nutrition counseling focus
  • Richmond (1-2) 
  • Washington DC metro area - specify town/city, if applicable (4-6)
  • Winchester (1-2)
  • Other possible locations (Lynchburg, Danville/Martinsville) - contact director to discuss availability before applying.

In your application, indicate why you are interested in this location as well as any rotation sites that interest you most. We encourage you to reach out to a director to discuss your questions about rotation sites in various areas before submitting your application. Candidates may express interest in multiple geographic locations with a ranked list of preferences. 

OR

Virginia Tech students or alumni (these applicants are encouraged, but not required, to also specify a preferred geographic area)

  • All interns are expected to attend class meetings in either Blacksburg or Northern Virginia approximately twice per month.

January Pre-select Application and Selection Steps:

  • All application materials are due January 15.
    • Submit your completed application through the Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application System (DICAS) online portal. Applicants with location preferences should include these in their application.
    • Pay the Virginia Tech Internship Program application fee of $50. This is separate from the fee to register with DICAS. Create an account here to pay the Virginia Tech application fee.
  • Applicants will be notified of the selection decision, including the decision about any location preferences, via email by January 26.
  • Candidates offered a position must accept their offer within 48 hours by emailing the director. 

Candidates who apply through the pre-select option do not need to register for the computer matching system managed by D&D Digital Systems.

  • We will notify D&D Digital Systems about individuals who have accepted pre-select positions, which will remove them from the option to use the computer match application process.
  • Applicants who are not offered admission through the pre-select process may continue their application to participate in the match. In this case, they must register with D&D Digital Systems by February 15. There is no additional Virginia Tech application fee if one was paid during the pre-select process and there is no additional action needed with their DICAS application. 

Computer Match Application

Candidates applying for the match must submit their application to DICAS and register with D&D Digital Systems by February 15. The number of openings that will be filled through the match will be posted here by February 8 after the pre-select process is complete.  

  • All application materials are due by February 15.
    • Complete and submit your application through the Dietetics Inclusive Centralized Application System (DICAS) online application.
    • Pay the Virginia Tech Internship Program application fee of $50. This is separate from the fee to register with DICAS. Create an account here to pay the Virginia Tech application fee.
    • Register for the computer matching system managed by D&D Digital Systems. Virginia Tech has two match numbers; select 265 to be placed in the Northern Virginia/Washington DC metro area or 488 for Blacksburg/Southwest Virginia. This is also the location where you will attend class meetings. If you want to be considered for both locations, you must select and rank both matching numbers. If you do not select the correct match number(s), your application cannot be considered.
  • Applicants are notified of the results of the computer match on D&D Digital’s website (using a personal login and password) according to the computer matching timeline.
  • Applicants who are matched with Virginia Tech must confirm acceptance of their position by emailing the Virginia Tech Program Director before the deadline noted on the computer matching timeline.

Additional Application and Selection Information

Three recommendation letters are required with your application. One letter must be from a work or volunteer supervisor and one must be from a professor or instructor. The third letter may be from any professional reference of your choice. We suggest selecting someone who knows you well in a different setting from your other two references. For example, your third reference might be a supervisor from a different job, a faculty advisor for a club in which you served a leadership role, or another professional contact who can provide a different perspective from your other two references. 

Applicants are also required to submit a personal statement addressing the following topics in 1,000 words or less:

  1. What personal, academic, and/or professional experiences in your life have had the greatest impact on your decision to pursue a career in dietetics? 
  2. Describe areas for professional growth that you would like to focus on during the internship.
  3. How will your background, skills, and perspectives contribute to the internship class and your rotation experiences?
  4. Describe the position(s) you see yourself pursuing in your first 1-2 jobs as a dietitian. 
  5. What are your top 2-3 reasons for applying to Virginia Tech?

The most qualified applicants have strong references, academic performance, and communication skills; work and/or volunteer experience in multiple food or nutrition practice settings; and professional goals that are compatible with the Virginia Tech internship design.

A selection committee consisting of faculty and preceptors reviews applications. Applications are reviewed holistically, with scores based on strengths of all criteria listed in the above bullet. 

Interviews are not conducted. Applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with a director through an information session or virtual office hours.

We will enroll up to 20 interns total through the pre-select and computer matching application processes. We hope to fill at least half of these positions through pre-select. We will post the number of remaining positions to be filled through the match on our website by February 8. 

Contact

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside for a photo.
    Carol Papillon, MPH, RD , bio

    Senior Instructor and Director of the Virginia Tech Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics: Education of future dietitians; nutrition counseling for behavior change

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member sits inside a studio for a professional headshot.
    Amy LaFalce, MS, RDN , bio

    Assistant Director of the Virginia Tech Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietetics education, medical nutrition therapy, leadership in dietetics