Certificate in Dietetics (Dietetic Internship)

How to Apply for Spring 2024 Match

Not Pre-select

Revised November 1, 2023

To apply to San Francisco State University’s dietetic internship program for admission in Summer 2024, you must complete all three of the following:

  1. D&D Digital - Participate in Computer Matching for Spring 2024
  2. DICAS -  SF State requires three Letters of Recommendation, Personal Statement, and a sample of Academic Work
  3. Pay separate $70 application fee to apply to SF State. This is in addition to the fees for D&D Digital and DICAS. The link for payment opens in December.

The deadline for all three of the above for San Francisco State University is February 15, 2024. Please note that D&D Digital and DICAS close at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2024. Please note that other programs may have earlier deadlines.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify the D&D Digital and DICAS Deadlines, Instructions, and Fees, and to follow them accordingly. This is the link to the Spring 2023 Matching Calendar.

D&D Digital opens on December 1, 2023. The fee is $65. Be sure to select and rank San Francisco State University on your list and submit your list by the February 15 deadline.

Applicants can change the order of their priority rankings up until April 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Central time. Notification Day is on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 6 p.m. Central Time. On Notification Day, applicants can go to D&D Digital to review their personal matching result. Students receiving a match to SFSU’s dietetic internship program must accept the match before 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Monday, April 8, 2024 by e-mailing the program director, Wanda Siu-Chan at siuchan@sfsu.edu.

The DICAS portal is open for the Spring 2024 match. The entire on-line application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2024 for our program. Please note that other programs may have earlier deadlines. The fee (subject to change) for DICAS is $50 for the first DI program application and $25 for each additional DI program application. Follow the directions carefully on DICAS to ensure that your application is complete and accurate.

  1. Complete all the standard sections: Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information. Be sure to request transcripts in a timely manner so that they can be posted on time to your application. Please include Fall grades if possible. Additionally, either a DPD Verification Statement or a Declaration of Intent to Complete are required for our program.
  2. San Francisco State University requires the following additional materials to be submitted under the Program Materials Section.
        a. Personal Statement – Submit your Personal Statement in the Documents Section. Include in your Personal Statement, the following:
           i. How or why you became interested in nutrition and dietetics
           ii. How your education and your work/volunteer experiences have prepared you to be a successful dietetic intern
           iii. Your prior experience and/or interest in working with diverse populations
           iv. Your career interests within the field of nutrition and dietetics
           v. Why you think you are a good fit for San Francisco State University's Dietetic Internship Program
           vi. Anything else you would like to share regarding your qualifications and interests.
           vii. Three words or short phrases that describe your personality and/or work or learning style (do not elaborate further)
           viii. Maximum length - Two pages, single-spaced, 12-point font
        b. Academic Work – Provide an example of an assignment or project that you completed in your DPD program or graduate school. This should reflect your abilities as an academic student. You may submit a written paper, a presentation (i.e. slides), or a written case study.
        c. Recommendation Letters – Three letters of recommendation are required. These can be from faculty and/or managers or supervisors from different areas of dietetics, with the most important criteria being that the reference writers know the applicant well enough to be able to write about the strengths and the areas for improvement of the applicant, and ability to complete a Dietetic Internship and graduate degree. Non-dietetics references’ letters will also be accepted if the reference letter is relevant to the applicant’s ability to successfully complete a dietetic internship program and a master's degree.

An application fee to apply to SF State’s Dietetic Internship will be due on February 15, 2024 or before. The link for this payment will be available in December. Please verify that your payment of $70 went through and save your confirmation number/receipt of payment. Failure to pay this additional fee will result in the application being rejected.

Please note that there are two dietetic internship programs in San Francisco. These instructions are for San Francisco State University (SFSU). The other dietetic internship program in San Francisco is the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Be sure to apply and submit your application to the correct program.

If you have questions regarding applying to San Francisco State University’s Dietetic Internship, please contact Wanda Siu-Chan, Dietetic Internship Director at siuchan@sfsu.edu.

Pre-select Option

Revised October 10, 2023

Current San Francisco State University DPD students have the opportunity to apply for early admission into the Dietetic Internship program during their senior year and bypass the computer matching process. To apply under the pre-select option, the applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Currently enrolled as a senior in the SF State DPD Program
  • Have completed or be in the process of completing NUTR 484, 450, 551, 557, and preferably have completed NUTR 457, 453
  • Meet all other requirements as posted under “Admissions Criteria”

Eight of the 14 available internship spots are available for the pre-select option but all eight do not have to be filled via pre-select. Any unfilled spots will be filled via the computer matching process through D&D Digital, to fill to the maximum class size of 14 interns.

Please note that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. The pre-select option is a selective process and accepted applicants will likely exceed all minimum requirements as posted under the “Admissions Criteria”. The pre-select option is recommended for applicants with a strong DPD GPA, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and prior or current dietetics work or volunteer experience. Individuals with experience working with culturally diverse populations are encouraged to apply.

To Apply via the Pre-select Option:

  • Apply via the DICAS online application. The DICAS application must be completed by January 15, 2024 by 11:59PM.
  • Pay the SF State $70 application fee by January 15, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. The link for payment opens in December.
  • Pre-select applicants do not need to pay for or use D&D Digital for the pre-select option.
  • Applicants may be contacted for a Zoom interview.
  • Unofficial or official transcripts showing grades for the Fall 2023 semester will be requested if the applicant is being considered for admission.

Pre-select notification: 

Applicants will be notified of the pre-select decision by January 31, 2024. If an accepted applicant chooses to accept admission, they must notify the program director at siuchan@sfsu.edu by 12 noon on February 1, 2024. If an applicant accepts admission, their name and email address will be sent to D&D Digital on February 1, 2024 with the understanding that they have already been matched to SF State’s internship program and therefore, are not eligible to participate in the Spring match via D&D Digital to apply elsewhere. This process is mandated by ACEND, our accrediting organization.

Pre-select applicants who were not accepted:

If a pre-select applicant is not selected through the pre-selection option, they may still apply to SF State and be considered along with other applications submitted through DICAS and D&D Digital during the April 2024 Spring Match process. Applicants that paid the SF State application fee for the pre-select option do not need to pay the application fee again to SFSU to participate in the April 2024 Spring Match. They will, however, need to apply via D&D Digital by February 15, 2024 (https://www.dnddigital.com) in order to be eligible for the April 2024 match. See “How to Apply” instructions.