Lydia Ballenger, MA, RDN, LD

Director of the Dietetic Internship
100C Phillips Hall
(513) 529-8501
ballenl@miamioh.edu
Miami University's Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The mission of the Miami University Dietetic Internship is to provide evidenced-based learning experiences in dietetics that will prepare graduates to be competent for practice as an entry-level dietitian nutritionist in a variety of healthcare and community environments. The program will focus on educating graduates to be capable practitioners dedicated to the service of others and to the profession.
Miami University's full-time, 16-month Combined Master's Degree and Dietetic Internship is designed to prepare you for successful practice as a professional registered dietitian nutritionist. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), successful completion qualifies you to sit for the exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.
The five steps required to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist are as follows:
*Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Read information about educational pathways to become an RDN.
Specifics from the graduate program application that will be utilized to determine suitable candidates for acceptance into the graduate program will be as follows:
All students are required to have a complete medical examination within three months before the start of the internship at their own expense, and present a letter to the Dietetic Internship Director from the MD or DO certifying that the student is medically fit to take part in the program. All dietetic interns must meet supervised practice site requirements (background check, immunizations, etc).
Specifics from the dietetic internship application will be utilized to determine suitable candidates for acceptance into the internship program as follows:
Upon admission, interns will be required to have a background check, specifically, the Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigations for those who have lived in Ohio the last five years, if not, the Ohio BCI and FBI background check is required. Interns are required to provide a Verification Statement verifying completion of the undergraduate program in dietetics (DPD) in order to begin the Miami Dietetic Internship program.
Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/
In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements visit https://www.cdrnet.org/
A national computer matching process is used to select candidates for the Dietetic Internship. Candidates must complete the Spring Match application process by February 15 of each year. This includes the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services and D&D Digital.
Interviews:
Applicants may be interviewed by the Dietetic Internship Director on campus or via video conference (typically mid-March) for those participating in the match.
Graduates of Miami University's Didactic Program in Dietetics may apply for preselection to the MS/DI program by completing the process outlined below. A maximum of 12 spots are open for preselection until December 1 of each year. The remaining spots not filled through pre-selection will be open for the DICAS Spring computer matching process.
Interviews:
Applicants may be interviewed by the Dietetic Internship Director on campus or via video conference (typically mid-November) for those applying through preselection.
Dietetic students will be required to complete the Kinesiology and Health MS degree by following the requirements outlined under the Exercise Science and Health concentration. Recently, the degree requirements were changed to a total of 30 credit hours to more closely align with the Ohio Board of Regents guidelines.
A program of study is specified in an individual academic plan approved by the student’s guidance committee. This committee will include the Internship program director and/or nutrition faculty. The degree includes research coursework, the area of a student of concentration coursework, capstone experience, and successful completion of a final certifying examination.
Dietetic Internship Experience Hours (1,000 hours minimum):
Term | Course | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Fall 1 | Behavioral Statistics II (EHS 668) | 3 |
Fall 1 | Research Foundations in Kinesiology and Health (KNH 621) | 3 |
Fall 1 | Nutrition Assessment (KNH 553) | 3 |
Spring 1 | Internship (KNH 640) | 3 |
Spring 1 | Nutrition for Sports and Fitness (KNH 609) | 3 |
Spring 1 | Physical Activity Motivation (KNY 654) | 3 |
Summer 1 | Internship (KNH 640) | 3 |
Fall 2 | Internship (KNH 640) | 3 |
Fall 2 | Obesity and Weight Management (KNH 647) | 3 |
Fall 2 | Exercise, Aging, and Health (KNH 685) | 3 |
Total Hours | 30 |
Term | Rotation | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week |
---|---|---|---|
Fall 1 | Master's Coursework | 15 | |
Spring 1 | Inpatient Foodservice | 6 | 32 |
Spring 1 | Clinical - Medical/Surgery | 7 | 32 |
Summer 1 | Clinical - Medical Surgery | 3 | 40 |
Summer 1 | Elective | 2 | 40 |
Summer 1 | Community | 4 | 40 |
Fall 2 | Food Systems | 2 | 32 |
Fall 2 | Community | 5 | 32 |
Fall 2 | Research | 2 | 32 |
Total Hours | 1,064 |
The Miami University MS/DI follows the academic calendar.
Clinical (13 weeks = 464 hours)
Community (11 weeks = 400 hours)
Food Service (9 weeks = 288 hours)
Elective rotation (2 weeks = 64 hours)
Staff Relief (2 weeks = 64 hours)
Total = 1280 hours
Fees are subject to change.
Interns must have transportation to and from supervised practice rotations.
Currently, liability insurance is provided and maintained by the University for each student enrolled in supervised practice experiences approved by the University.
Graduates will be able to apply the principles of each of the five domains below into the practice of nutrition/dietetics:
Miami University is one of the oldest public universities in the country, made possible by an ordinance signed by President George Washington in 1795. Chartered in 1809, Miami welcomed its first students in 1824. A liberal education core provides the foundation for the more specialized studies of the majors, immersing students in both academic and co-curricular experiences. Miami's name reflects the history of the Native American tribe that once inhabited the Miami Valley region of Ohio. Miami maintains strong ties with the Miami Tribe, now located in Oklahoma. The main campus in Oxford, Ohio (35 miles north of Cincinnati) encompasses 2,138 acres and includes 188 buildings. Based on Fall 2014 enrollment, 15,813 undergraduates and 2,643 graduate students study on the Oxford campus. Miami offers bachelor's degrees in over 120 areas of study. Graduate students choose from more than 60 master's degrees and 12 doctoral degree programs.
Miami University consistently ranks among the nation's top public universities for the quality of teaching and overall student experience. For the fifth year in a row, Miami was ranked number one among public universities with an exceptionally strong commitment to undergraduate teaching in the 2015 edition of America’s Best Colleges by the US News & World Report. The 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges recognized Miami for its “high caliber of
Nutrition and Dietetics has a longstanding history at Miami University with food science courses offered beginning in 1908-09. Following in 1915, the Home Economics Department of the College of Arts and Sciences was established and offered food and nutrition courses. The Dietetics program first appeared in the 1945-56
The Combined Master’s Degree and Dietetics Internship is the most recent expansion to provide students with the ability to complete a Master’s degree and the required internship to become a Registered Dietitian. This is in response to growing advanced professional need in the community for more qualified nutrition professionals.
Director of the Dietetic Internship
100C Phillips Hall
(513) 529-8501
ballenl@miamioh.edu
Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
100A Phillips Hall
(513) 529-5036
matuszg@miamioh.edu
Assistant Professor
100E Phillips Hall
(513) 529-2619
mille736@miamioh.edu
Associate Clinical Instructor
100B Phillips Hall
(513) 529-2709
parkinns@miamioh.edu
Assistant Professor
205A Phillips Hall
(513) 529-2700
wux57@miamioh.edu
For more information about the MS/DI, review the Program Handbook or contact Lydia Ballenger, Dietetic Internship Director.
Miami University's Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Accreditation by ACEND ensures that graduates are eligible to apply to and, upon acceptance enter into a supervised practice program in Dietetics. Completing a supervised practice leads to eligibility to take the exam to earn
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Graduates of the DI program who earn their RDN credential and want to practice as Dietitians/Nutritionists may need to apply for licensure before they are eligible to practice dietetics/nutrition. Licensing statutes include an explicitly defined scope of practice, and the performance of the profession is illegal without first obtaining a license. A list of the states that require licensure is available on the Commission on Dietetic Registration website.
Student grievances about academic concerns should first be addressed with a faculty member or instructor. If the problem is not resolved, the student should then discuss their concern with the Department Chair. If the problem is still not resolved, the student may discuss their concern with the Dean of Education, Health & Society. The grievance procedure is outlined in the Kinesiology, Nutrition and Health Governance.
NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) will review complaints that relate to a program's compliance with the accreditation/approval standards. ACEND is interested in the sustained quality and continued improvement of dietetics education programs but does not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeal for individuals in matters of admission, appointment, promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff, or students.
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