UTH

Application Process, Tuition & Program Costs, Financial Aid, & DICAS Information

Prospective Interns

Dear Interested Future Dietetic Intern:

As you know, matching with a Dietetic Internship has become very competitive. Below are some activities to help you develop your strategy for future Dietetic Internship (DI) admission:

  1. Review the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (previously American Dietetic Association) website to assure that you will meet all pre-requisites to apply including the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement and final transcript showing your undergraduate degree. Admission Requirements-Students must meet the following criteria to be admitted into the internship program:

    A.  Verification Statement showing completion of Didactic Program in Dietetics curriculum or Declaration of Intent to complete DPD (obtain from your DPD Director).  Verification statements must show recency of education within 5 years.
    B.  Official transcript showing degree granted
    C.  Grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
    D.  Credit is not awarded for prior learning toward program requirements (coursework and/or experiential).
    E.  Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal, quantitative and writing scores
    F.  Evidence of the following immunizations:

              1. Tdap - Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis must be renewed every 10 years; Flu - must be current flu season (Sept-April) and is due
                  annually.  Record must include lot number, expiration date, injection site and provider's signature.

              2. TB screening - this is completed annually prior to spring rotations.  

              3. MMR 2 dose or positive titer - Measles, Mumps, & Rubella Titer

              4. Varicella 2 doses or positive titer

              5. Hepatitis B series (3 doses) - 2 doses (30 days after dose 1, dose 3 is (5months) after dose 2
              6. Hepatitis B Titer (Hepatitis B surface Antibody) after completing the Hepatitis B Series.

    G.  Admission to UTHealth Houston does not guarantee a position in the UTHealth Houston Dietetic Internship.  DI selections are made through both the Pre-Select and DICAS Process.  If you are appointed to the DI, but do not get admitted into UTHealth Houston Graduate School Program, your appointment will be forfeited at that time.

  2. Get familiar with the school’s website, especially the different divisions of study (https://sph.uth.edu/degree-finder/?searchby=aos). You must first be accepted to the School of Public Health in the Health Promotion division before you can apply to our DI. The application deadline is February 1, 2023 using www.SOPHAS.org.
  3. Under Health Promotion Division, click on the Research link to read about the projects that faculty members in that Division are involved in. If you decide to come to the School of Public Health, you will have the opportunity to choose between completing a Thesis and taking the Integrative Learning Experience option. If you decide to complete the thesis option you can get involved in many different research projects such as those listed on the Research sites for each Division.
  4. The student should have some volunteer or work experience in an area of Dietetics Practice (Foodservice, Research, Community Health, Education, Clinical Dietetics, etc.). If you cannot find a paid position, try volunteering for WIC, Meals on Wheels, hospitals, Public Health Dept., etc. The Admissions Committee for the Dietetic Internship ranks your application on the paid / unpaid hours in each of these areas.
  5. Start reviewing for your GRE. It is never too early to do this. Applicants are encouraged to take the GRE as early as possible.
  6. Plan to visit our campus. You are welcome to make an appointment to visit the campus and learn more about the Dietetic Internship Program. Please contact us at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu.

Contact us if you have any questions at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu.

Applications

We are using the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS) which may be accessed at https://portal.dicas.org.

We are a combined program which requires two separate applications with two different deadlines. Completion of the Dietetic Internship is independent of the completion of the School of Public Health Degree Program. The majority of the Dietetic Interns take approximately 22 months to complete the Dietetic Internship Program. The Program begins in August of year 1 and will typically end in June of year 2. Maximum timeframe allowed to complete the Dietetic Internship Program is 33 months (150% of the program completion timeframe).

(Please see School of Public Health Degree Programs page to determine length of study for each graduate degree.)

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) School of Public Health participates in either the Pre-Select Program with two different options or the DICAS Selection Process.  Students can review the two options for Pre-Select and the DICAS Selection Process:

PRE-SELECT

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) School of Public Health participates in the Pre-Select Program.  You may qualify if you meet either of the following requirements. Applications for each option of the Pre-Select program have different due dates. 

Option 1: Scholarship Eligibility

The due date for the first option for students applying for the MPH and eligible for scholarship money is December 1.  The applicants are reviewed and approved for the MPH/DI program and they can qualify for either of the following scholarships:
  • ONS fund (Outstanding New Student) - the MPH student receives $1000 and has their out-of-state fees waived, if applicable. The student may be awarded a scholarship based on merit.  This allows out-of-state undergraduates the opportunity to receive a high quality education at in-state tuition rates.
  • Health Promotion/ Behavioral Health Scholarship –same requirements as the ONS funds. (Note: All DI students are admitted to the Department of Health Promotion/ Behavioral Health)

Applications are reviewed and approved for the MPH/DI program with an acceptance by January 31. The DI director notifies D&D Digital providing the admitted students’ names and email addresses by the February 1st deadline. The DI director notifies applicants they are admitted and no longer eligible to participate in the DICAS Selection Process (computer match.)

Option 2: UT System Graduates

In the second option, UT system graduates apply for early admission to the MPH program with applications due January 1.  Applications are reviewed and approved for the MPH/DI program with an acceptance by January 15. The DI director notifies D&D Digital providing the admitted students’ names and email addresses by the February 1st deadline.  The DI director notifies applicants they are admitted and no longer eligible to participate in the DICAS Selection Process (computer match.)

DICAS Selection Process

UTHealth will continue to participate in the DICAS selection process for those students who do not meet the Pre-select criteria. Students may also be considered for the UTHealth Dietetic Internship by applying through DICAS.org

  • The application for UTHealth School of Public Health MPH/DI aligns with the DICAS application time frame.
  • SOPHAS  must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on February 1, 2024.
  • DICAS must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on February 15, 2024.
  • Each prospective student must be admitted into UTHealth before April 1, 2024 to be considered for the Dietetic Internship.

General Application Directions

All applicants must apply to UTHealth Houston through SOPHAS.org regardless of which option is chosen.

All applications to UTHealth, regardless of the option chosen, is through SOPHAS.org (School of Public Health Application Services).  Please see the UTHealth Office of Student Affairs How to Apply website for application requirements.

We will have three different deadlines for the SOPHAS application depending on which selection process you are choosing.  Option 1- the student must complete the application by December 1, 2024 in order to be considered for scholarships. This is a deadline set by the school. Option 2- the student must be a UT system graduate, that application is due by January 1, 2024.  The last deadline is February 1, 2024. 

Please Note:  There are only 9 positions available for the Pre-Select Program.  The other positions will be selected using the DICAS Selection Process.  Until a student has received confirmation of admissions into the UT Health Pre-Select Program you should refer to the DICAS Selection Process Instructions.  If we do not fill our 9 Pre-Select we will utilize the DICAS Selection Process.

  • Please select the MPH – Health Promotions & Health Education Houston Campus – Dietetic Internship – Fall 2024
  • GRE scores must be received by SOPHAS.Org to be considered for admissions. Applicants are encouraged to take the exam early.
  • GRE code for UT Health School of Public Health is 4479.
  • The DICAS fee is $40.00 for the first application and $20.00 for each additional applications.
  • Email DICASinfor@DICAS.org for further information.
  • Applicants to the UT Health Dietetic Internship must complete a 1000 word or less personal statement. The essay should address the following questions:        
    1. Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
    2. What experiences have helped you prepare for your career?
    3. What are both your short and long term goals?
    4. What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?
    5. Why are you interested in attending the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health?
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to:

DICAS – Transcript Dept., PO Box 9118, Watertown, Ma 02472.

  • DICAS applicants must include the name and contact information (specifically an email address) for each of the 3 required references. This will trigger DICAS to send an email message to each reviewer requesting completion of a reference form.  The reviewer will complete their reference form on-line. Students submitting more than one application must use the same individuals as references for each application.  Please request your references early to prevent delays in processing your application.  It is recommended to include 2 academic individuals and 1 work/volunteer supervisor as references.
  • The UTHealth School of Public Health Dietetic Internship and MPH program requires a separate UTHealth School of Public Health Dietetic Internship Summary Experience form, writing sample, and fee of $25.00 by February 1st. A previously written writing sample related to nutrition or public health can be a publication, class report/project/presentation, or work related document you authored independently.
  • Applicants must register online for computer matching with D & D Digital and select dietetic internship priority choices by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2024.
    • There is a $50.00 computer matching fee for D & D Digital.
    • The UTHealth School of Public Health Dietetic Internship is #262.
  • To prevent delays in your application process, e-mail us at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu when you:
    • Complete the SOPHAS application
    • Complete the DICAS application
    • Complete the UTHealth School of Public Health Dietetic Internship Summary Experience form, submit both the UTHealth School of Public Health DI $25 fee and writing sample.
    • Have any questions or would like to visit us please contact us at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu!

Program Costs:

  • Application fee: $25.00 Dietetic Internship Program
  • Dietetic Internship Fee: $7,000.00 Total 
  • Housing $650 – $1,100 per month (estimated) located in the TMC
  • Transportation $1.50 – $4.50 per ride depending on the zone (Metro rail) in the TMC - You must have reliable transportation as you will travel to different areas for your supervised rotations. (Rotations may be a one hour drive or within a 60 mile radius.)
  • Parking $89/month or $300/semester (estimated)
  • Lab Fees (Kitchen and Garden (estimated $75.00/class)

Tuition and fees, School of Public Health:

(Tuition is subject to change by the Texas Legislature; Fees are subject to the UTHSC-H determination.) More information on tuition and fees is available on the website. Visit Financial Assistance for information on scholarships and financial aid.

Information regarding Health Insurance and Housing are found on the School of Public Health Student Life and Resources link under UT Student Guide.

Additional Expenses:

The intern is responsible for any additional expenses required for supervised practice such as travel to and from rotation sites, reference books, liability insurance, uniforms, immunizations, background checks and drug screens. These expenses will vary depending upon assigned sites.

Computer Matching:

The UTHealth School of Public Health Dietetic Internship Program participates in the national computer matching process through D&D Digital Systems. Applicants can obtain the computer matching information from their Didactic Program in Dietetics Director or from D&D Digital Systems (https://www.dnddigital.com/ada/index.php ). There is a charge for the computer matching process payable to D&D Digital. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (previously American Dietetic Association) website for details on Computer Matching Policy and Procedures. It is important to note that currently there are not adequate dietetic internship positions for the number of applicants graduating from didactic programs in dietetics. Data is available at the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetic (ACEND) previously Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) website above regarding statistics as well as suggestions for increasing the likelihood of matching with an internship.

The Code Number for the Dietetic Internship at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health is 262.

D & D Digital Systems 304 Main St., Suite 301 Ames, Iowa 50010-6148

Phone 515-292-0490 Fax: 515-663-0427 email: dnd@netins.net

Applicants must email the dietetic internship program at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu to accept or decline the appointment on the appointment day. Applicants with appointments are encouraged to accept or decline early on match day. If a response is not received within the designated time, the applicant forfeits his/her position. Applicants must confirm in writing via email to accept or decline the appointment. All application materials become the property of the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston. No application materials will be returned.

Visit Us!

Our campus is located at:
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) School of Public Health 
1200 Herman Pressler 
Houston, Texas 77030

If you would like to visit the campus, please contact us at dieteticinternship@uth.tmc.edu

Directions to the University of Texas School of Public Health at the Texas Medical Center and parking information are available.

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