The Pitt Dietitian Nutritionist Program provides the supervised experiential learning required to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Preparation for a career in dietetics as an RDN requires the following:
- completion of an approved college degree program accredited by ACEND
- completion of accredited supervised experiential learning providing a minimum of 1000 hours, and
- successful performance on the national Registration Examination for Dietitians.
Pitt’s program offers opportunities for students to complete a 12-week rotation in a specialty area of nutrition.
Specialty rotations are scheduled during the spring term of Year 3 in the program (Year 2 for DPD graduates).
Guaranteed Specialty Rotation (students do not need to apply):
- Medical Nutrition Therapy (maximum of 25 students)
Students are guaranteed a Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) specialty rotation. This Specialty Rotation will provide extended experiential practice in high-risk populations in the area of clinical dietetics.
Other available specialty rotations have a more limited student capacity. The availability of these specialty rotations will vary on an annual basis and require an application.
The Limited Capacity Specialty Rotations available for fall 2024 applicants include:
- Community/Public Health Nutrition (up to 1 student)
- Eating Disorders (up to 2 students)
- Food Service Management (up to 1 student)
- Maternal and Pediatric Nutrition (up to 2 students)
- Oncology Nutrition (up to 2 students)
- Sports Nutrition (up to 4 students)
Application Information about Limited Specialty Rotation Selection
- This is a competitive application process. To apply to these limited rotations, students entering Year 2 of the Dietitian Nutritionist Program, or DPD program graduates who are starting their first year of the program, will receive a link to the online application. If these students are interested in a limited capacity specialty rotation, they are required to complete the online application.*
- The application opens on September 1 and closes on September 30.
- Program faculty, as well as the specialty rotation preceptors, will review applications.
- Top applicants will be interviewed, and final decisions will be announced by the end of October.
Letters of Recommendation: If you were asked to write a letter of recommendation for any of the specialty rotation applicants, please fill out a form (which will become active on September 1).
*The Sports Nutrition specialty rotation application opens on November 1 and closes on November 30. Interviews for the Sports Nutrition specialty rotation will occur in early December.
If an applicant does not receive a specialty rotation of their choice due to the limited capacity, students are guaranteed the Medical Nutrition Therapy specialty rotation at a local hospital in the Pittsburgh area.
Students are not permitted to locate experiential sites themselves. The program director and program coordinators reserve the right to reassign a student to a different clinical facility and/or specialty rotation to best serve the learning environment for the student.
