Program Overview
The ISPP Program at CSUSB, is similar to the traditional dietetic internship program; and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). The program requires completion of a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice at various facilities including but not limited to hospitals, foodservice and management programs, school districts, long-term care, public health/community nutrition, and wellness clinics. In addition to the supervised-practice experience, interns must complete a week of virtual/online campus orientation in the summer of June or July. Complete all program rotations, online course and module exams, an exit exam, and a graduate degree before a Verification Statement for ISPP (VS ISPP) can be issued. This Verification Statement of ISPP allows graduates to take the registration exam for RDN through Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
The Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) concentration of CSUSB ISPP provides interns with additional experience in their specialty before entering their professions. The MNT sites include but are not limited to long-term care facilities inpatient or outpatient clinic settings, which may also be the site of a community rotation. CSUSB ISPP accepts up to twenty-five (25) full-time interns each year.
Accreditation
The California State University, San Bernardino, Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is accredited by the:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext 5400
http://www.eatrightPRO.org/ACEND
The ISPP program at CSUSB will close after December 15, 2026; therefore, all interns enrolled in the CSUSB ISPP Program must complete their internship before the program closes. The DPD/ISPP Director must issue the VSDPD and submit to CDR the registration exam paperwork for ALL interns before the closing date. Therefore, the last cohort of ISPP interns will be accepted in Fall 2025, and only full-time interns will be accepted for this cohort.
The CSUSB Department of Health Science and Human Ecology will host a stand-alone ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship Program in Fall 2026. The Eligibility Application for the Nutrition and Dietetic Internship (DI) Program is being submitted to ACEND. The updated information will be posted to inform the public about the status of the program eligibility and accreditation process.
Undergraduate students who successfully completed the ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics are eligible to apply for ISPP Program. Graduates with a Masters degree or those enrolled in a Masters degree program with VS-DPD are eligible to apply to an ACEND-accredited supervised-practice program. CSUSB’s Individualized Supervised-Practice Pathway (ISPP) Program is also accredited by ACEND under the DPD. Graduates, who successfully completed all of the requirements of the CSUSB ISPP Program, will receive a Verification Statement for ISPP and they are eligible to take the registration. DPD/ISPP Director will submit the paperwork for the interns to take the registration exam.
For any questions regarding the accreditation status or graduate degree requirements, DPD, or ISPP, please contact Dr. Dorothy Chen-Maynard, DPD Director, Coordinator of the Nutritional Science and Dietetics (NSCD) Program, at dchen@csusb.edu.
Duration
- 11 months full-time or
- 22 months for part-time interns (no part-time interns will be accepted for the Fall 2025 intake, only Full-time interns)
Orientation
The ISPP Program requires all interns to complete a week of orientation, which will be held virtually in the summer, either June or July, before starting their internship rotations. The interns will be provided with details and a schedule of the orientation when they are accepted into the program.
How to Complete the Program
Interns must complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised-practice experience and pass all of online program modules in addition to an exit exam, before a Verification Statement for ISPP can be issued by the Program Director. The Program Director will submit the paperwork to CDR for eligible interns. This signed Verification Statement documents allows graduates of ISPP program to sit for the national registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) exam. The VS ISPP verifies that the interns completed supervised-practice program requirement and are eligible to take the registration exam. Please note that interns may NOT use the Registered Dietitian Eligible (RDE) because it is not a recognized credential by the dietetic professional organization.
Interns with a minimal chance of success in the program will be directed to review or take didactic classes, including practical training; and they may also be asked to take a leave of absence from their internship rotation, in order to enhance their chances of completing the internship program and passing the RDN exam.
| Track Tentative dates** | Rotation | Hours |
|---|---|---|
|
July to mid August (5 weeks) |
Community | 200 |
|
August to December (8-12 weeks) |
Management (school district, long-term care, hospital and/or others) | 320 |
|
January to April (12-13 weeks) |
MNT | 400 |
|
April to June (5 weeks) |
Electives | 80 |
| Total | 1,000 |
Program Mission, Goals and Objectives
Mission
The mission of the Nutrition and Food Sciences (NTFS) Program [to be renamed the Nutritional Science and Dietetics (NSCD) Program in Fall 2020] is to provide a high-quality education and cultural competencies to prepare students for supervised-practice, leading to eligibility for the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Through the accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and Individualized Supervised-Practice Pathway (ISPP) Program, graduates will be prepared academically and professionally to work as an entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist in a variety of employment settings that will address the nutrition and health needs of individuals, families, schools and communities.
Goal 1
The DPD program will prepare competent graduates capable of succeeding in an accredited supervised-practice program (dietetic internship or individualized supervised practice pathway). The DPD and ISPP Programs will prepare graduates to succeed as entry-level practitioners as registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN).
| Goal | Objective |
|---|---|
| 1.1.a | At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 3 years (150% of program length) for full-time students, and within 6 years (150% of program length) for part-time students. (DPD) |
| 1.1.b | At least 80% of program interns complete program/degree requirements within 16.5 months (150% of program length) for full-time students, and within 33 months (150% of program length) for part-time interns. (ISPP) |
| 1.2.a.a | At least 40% of program graduates apply for admission to a supervised-practice program prior to or within 12 months of graduation. (DPD) |
| 1.2.a.b | At least 25% of program graduates are admitted to a supervised-practice program within 12 months of graduation. (DPD) |
| 1.2.b | Of graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics, or related fields, within 12 months of graduation. (ISPP) |
| 1.3.a | At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist within 12 months of program completion. (ISPP) |
| 1.3.b | The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%. (DPD and ISPP) |
| 1.4.a | At least 90% of surveys returned by supervised-practice program directors rate the DPD graduates they supervised at least “adequately prepared” on all items that are rated. (DPD) |
| 1.4.b.1 | At least 90% of surveys returned by employers of DPD graduates will rate these graduates as “satisfactory” or better, in terms of their preparation for entry-level practice as a dietetic nutritionist. (DPD) |
| 1.4.b.2 | At least 90% of surveys returned by employers of ISPP graduates will rate these graduates as “satisfactory” or better, in terms of their preparation for entry-level practice as a dietitian nutritionist. (ISPP) |
| 1.5.a | At least 80% of DPD graduates who respond to the program survey will indicate that the program “prepared” or “well-prepared” them to be successful in a supervised-practice program, a related graduate program, and/or employment in a nutrition-and-dietetic-related position. (DPD) |
| 1.5.b | At least 80% of ISPP graduates who respond to the program survey will indicate that the program “prepared” or “well-prepared” them to be successful in employment in a nutrition-and-dietetic-related position. (ISPP) |
| 1.6.a | At least 80% of DPD graduates who respond to the program survey will rate the education at CSUSB to be “good” or “excellent.” (DPD) |
| 1.6.b | At least 80% of ISPP graduates who respond to the program survey will rate the education at CSUSB to be “good” or “excellent.” (ISPP) |
Goal 2
The DPD/ISPP will prepare graduates who are competent in a variety of employment opportunities to address the nutrition and health needs in multicultural communities.
| Goal | Objective |
|---|---|
| 2.1 | At least 90% of surveys returned by supervised-practice program directors will rate the DPD graduates completing their program as “competent” or “extremely competent” in their ability of provide service to culturally diverse communities. (DPD) |
| 2.2 | At least 80% of DPD graduates who respond to the program survey will self-rate themselves “competent” or “extremely competent” in their ability to to provide service to culturally diverse communities. (DPD) |
| 2.3 | At least 90% of surveys returned by employers will rate ISPP graduates as being “competent” or “extremely competent” to work with clients of various ethnic/cultural backgrounds. (ISPP) |
| 2.4 | At least 80% of ISPP graduates who respond to the program survey will rate themselves as “competent” or “extremely competent” in their ability to work with clients of various ethnic/cultural backgrounds. (ISPP) |
Program outcomes data are available on request. Please contact the DPD Director, Dr. Dorothy Chen-Maynard, dchen@csusb.edu.
Academic Calendar
California State University, San Bernardino's academic calendar can be found on the Office of Academic Programs website.