LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO

2024-2025 CATALOG

The Academic Catalog is the official listing of courses, programs of study, academic policies and degree requirements for Loyola University Chicago. It is published every year in advance of the next academic year.

Dietetic Internship Certificate

Translate science into solutions for health.

Loyola University Chicago offers two tracks of an accredited Dietetic Internship (DI) to prepare students to become professional registered dietitian nutritionists. Students benefit from the constructive and supportive environment of Loyola University Chicago. With Jesuit values as a foundation, students learn leadership, communication, and management skills which are applied to dietetic practice in health care and other settings. This prepares our students to enter dietetic practice as competent, highly qualified professionals after passing the registration exam for dietitians. Graduates of Loyola's Dietetic Internship program is highly sought for positions in health care and nutrition programs. Students enter a wide range of dietetic careers, including:

  • Clinical dietitians with health care organizations including hospitals, medical centers, dialysis centers, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation facilities
  • Community nutritionists with public health departments, federally qualified health centers, community clinics, and federal nutrition programs such as the Women, Infant, and Children’s program
  • Director or manager of food service operations
  • Private practice or consulting

To Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

To become a registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) The following criteria must be completed:

  1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,
  2. Completion of an ACEND®-accredited supervised practice program, such as the Loyola Dietetic Internship,
  3. Pass the Registration Examination for Dietitians, national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
  4. More information regarding the examination can be found online through CDR.
  5. Licensure is required to practice as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in the State of Illinois (https://www.idfpr.com/profs/dietNutrition.asp)

To maintain the RDN credential, one must complete continuing professional education requirements.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require the minimum of a master's degree to be eligible for the credentialing examination for registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). For more information about this requirement, please refer to the CDR website.

Professional Dietetic Practice

Upon successful completion of all LDI program requirements (supervised practice, didactic, seminars, and others based on track), students receive a verification statement of completion of the ACEND - accredited dietetic internship and are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. In the State of Illinois, one must be licensed by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to practice dietetics. Information about licensure for dietitians in Illinois can be obtained at: http://www.idfpr.com/Renewals/apply/Forms/diet-ex.pdf.

Additional information about licensure for dietetic practice in other states can be found online.

Accreditation

The Loyola University Chicago Dietetic Internship (LDI) is accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) an agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Upon successful completion of all LDI program requirements (supervised practice, didactic, seminars and others based on program track), students receive an ACEND verification statement and are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Information about accreditation status can be obtained from:

Accreditation for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
1-800-877-1600 ext 5400 or education@eatright.org