Admission Requirements & Application Process

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Ashley Simper at (309) 655-2942.

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). For more information about this requirement visit CDR’s website.

In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center are eligible to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

While state interpretations of statutes may vary, it is ACEND's considered opinion that the program meets the educational requirements for dietetics licensure and certification in all states. However, completing an ACEND-accredited academic program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure or certification as a dietitian in any state. Individuals should review their state's licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license. More information about state licensure and certification can be found at this link: State Licensure.

Learn more about educational pathways to become a residents.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's or advanced degree from an ACEND accredited institution (didactic program in dietetics - DPD)
• Master's degree of any kind
• 2.8 overall GPA
• Minimum academic requirements established by ACEND
• DPD verification statement
• Limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents or visa status
• Additional coursework in medical nutrition therapy is required when a degree has been completed five or more years prior to internship application.
• Prior learning experience is not awarded as credit for the dietetic internship program.

We welcome international students! Please visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website to find out more about specific admission requirements for those with a foreign degree. If you're a student in a DPD program working under an F-1 visa, you may apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) in order to complete the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship. Please reach out to your university's international office for more information.

Application Process for Spring Match

• OSF Saint Francis Dietetic Internship Program utilizes the on-line centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed at DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com), e-mail DICASinfo@DICAS.org. The on-line application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2025. The DICAS fee is $50 for the first program you apply to and $25 for each additional program.
• Please include 3 references. Two of the 3 references MUST be Registered Dietitians. One of the 3 MUST be the DPD director or another senior level professor. One of the 3 MUST be from a current or previous employer. Students submitting more than one application will need to use the same individuals as references for each application.
• Applicants must complete an application letter instead of a personal statement. The letter should be a professional typed letter in business format, limited to 1,000 words and states:
  • Your reasons for applying to the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program.
  • Your personal and professional goals.
  • How your college coursework has prepared you for the dietetic workplace.
  • Your strengths and areas of further development and how you will plan to extend your strengths and work on the areas that need further development.
  • Description of a situation in which you have demonstrated teamwork, creativity and interpersonal interaction.
• In order to assure our program matches your needs, we may ask for a virtual interview during the third week of March. You will be contacted via phone or email to schedule an interview time. We will attempt to interview you during the times you indicated on your Virtual Interview Preference sheet. Upload the preference form into the supplemental section of your DICAS application.
• If you choose to order a mailed paper transcript in DICAS, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to

DICAS- Transcript Dept
PO Box 9118
Watertown, Ma 02472

• Submit a $30.00 nonrefundable application process fee, in the form of a money order or check, payable to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. The application fee must be postmarked by February 15, 2024. Please mail in your application fee to:

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
Attn: Ashley Simper, Dietetic Internship Director
Food and Nutrition Services
530 NE Glen Oak Ave.
Peoria, Illinois 61637

• Applicants will be contacted by March 1st if they are selected as a part of the OSF Dietetic Internship Program. They will have until March 15th to accept or decline the offer.

After Acceptance

After acceptance into the program, the applicant must complete the following:

• Applicants must call or email the program director within 24 hours of notification to accept.
• Send $40 registration fee payable to the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
• Submit an official college transcript that shows receipt of baccalaureate and/or advanced degree.
• Submit a completed verification statement indicating compliance with current academic requirements by the ACEND.