The James J. Peters VA Medical Center (JJPVAMC) Dietetic Internship (DI), established in 1946, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). In partnership with New York University (NYU), we offer a 16-month combined Master of Science/Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) program, featuring an 11-month (47-week) supervised practice with emphasis on Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).
Applicants who have not previously enrolled in the NYU MS in Nutrition and Dietetics must apply to the 40-credit MS Nutrition program by NYU's application deadline. Current MS Nutrition students accepted into the DI continue in the 40-credit program; upon internship completion, six credits are waived (reducing the requirement to 34 credits) through coordination between the MS Program Director and the DI Director. After the MS degree is awarded, the Dietetic Internship Verification Statement is issued.
Note: As of January 1, 2024, a master's degree is required to sit for the dietitian credentialing examination. Please refer to the Commission on Dietetic Registration for details.
Upcoming Open House Sessions
Join us at one of our open houses to learn more about the James J. Peters VA Medical Center Dietetic Internship!
Sessions will be held on:
- Friday, October 16, 2026, 1:00–3:00 p.m. (ET) – Virtual
- Friday, November 13, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–1:00. p.m. (ET) – In-person
- Friday, December 11, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–1:00. p.m. (ET) – Virtual
Please complete this survey to sign up for one of the above sessions.
Admissions
Applicants must submit a completed application for the JJPVA Dietetic Internship (DI) Program through Dietetic Inclusive Centralized Application Service, DICAS by January 15th, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. In addition, if the applicant is not already enrolled in the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics, a separate application to the NYU MS program is required. This application is due by January 15, 2027. The NYU application fee is waived for JJPVAMC DI applicants
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and provide a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement. Applicants with international undergraduate degrees must submit a course-by-course evaluation of their credentials from a recognized agency.
For full details on the admissions process, required materials (such as transcripts, personal statement, and letters of recommendation), tuition, fees and financial aid, living costs, non-matriculated status, please visit the Steinhardt Graduate Admissions website.
Please note: The JJPVAMC Dietetic Internship Program stipend is available only to US citizens.
For more information about the JJPVAMC Dietetic internship, including the application procedure please visit the James J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center website.
JJPVAMC Dietetic Internship Curriculum
The following curriculum is reserved for dietetic interns at the JJPVAMC. It is designed to strengthen the clinical nutrition knowledge and skills of dietetic interns. All interns are required to be enrolled in a minimum of 19 credits throughout their internship year but are strongly recommended to complete 21 credits throughout their internship year.
Notes:
- No graduate-level course may be taken pass/fail unless that is the only grading option.
- Not all courses listed are offered every semester. Classes run only if enrollment is sufficient.
- Courses marked with an asterisk (*) may be taken only after you have completed NUTR-GE 2190 Research Methods. Please see the sequence map for additional information.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to graduate from the program.
Prerequisite: Admission to the JJPVAMC Dietetic Internship
A typical academic schedule for JJPVAMC Dietetic interns consists of the below coursework:
First Fall Semester (6-9 Credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2000* | New Graduate Student Seminar | 0 |
| NUTR-GE 2190* | Research Methods | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2139* | Advanced Nutrition Science: Proteins, Fats & Carbohydrates | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2220* | Nutrition and Aging (or another Advanced Clinical Nutrition course-two courses required by program-see Advanced Clinical Nutrition course options below) | 3 |
*Course required
Note: Although only a minimum of 6 credits are required, you are strongly recommended to take 9 credits worth of courses in your first semester given the internship structure.
Winter Semester (1 credit)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2282 | Pediatric Genetics and Genomics | 1 |
Spring Semester (6-9 Credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2144* | Advanced Nutrition Science: Vitamins & Minerals | 3 |
| APSTA-GE 2185* | Basic Statistics (or another graduate-level statistics course by advisement) | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2198 | Nutrition Counseling Theory and Practice (or another elective course by advisement) | 3 |
*Course required
Summer Session (3-6 Credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2194 | Advanced Clinical Nutrition: Weight Management | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2041 | Advanced Clinical Nutrition: Pediatric Nutition | 3 |
Second Fall Semester (13-16 Credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2061* | Research Applications | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2XXX | Advanced Clinical Nutrition or Elective course | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2XXX | Advanced Clinical Nutrition or Elective course | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2XXX | Advanced Clinical Nutrition or Elective course | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2XXX | Seminar in Nutrition | 1-3 |
Total Curriculum Credits: 34
Advanced Clinical Nutrition courses (only 2 required; note, not all are available every semester)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2041 | Pediatric Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2043 | Critical Care Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2045 | Sports Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2194 | Weight Management | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2220 | Nutrition in Aging | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2286 | Diseased Gut | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2222 | Nutritional Aspects of Eating Disorders | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2292 | Nutrition for Musculoskeletal | 3 |
Note: advanced clinical course offerings are rotated each semester
Elective Course Options
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR-GE 2042 | Maternal Child Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2210 | Complementary and Alternative Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2187 | Global Issues in Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2292 | Nutritional Epidemiology | 3 |
| NUTR-GE 2300 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| NUTR-GE 2XXX | Seminars in Nutrition | 1-3 |
| FOOD-GE 2XXX | Food Studies Courses | 1-4 |
Note: elective course offerings are rotated each semester. Students may take elective graduate courses offered by other departments by advisement
Meet a James J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center Dietetic Internship Alum
Dja-maa Shepp completed her dietetic internship at JJPVAMC before graduating and joining the Center as a clinical dietitian.
Read Dja-maa's Story