VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Admission Requirements and Application Instructions
The VA ECHCS DI Program participates in the Spring DICAS application process, with applications accepted starting August 5th, 2025. All applications must be received and completed in DICAS by January 15th, 2026, at 11:59 PM (MST). The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application and $25 for each additional application. No paper applications will be accepted. For assistance, contact DICAS Customer Service at DICASinfo@Dicas.org.
Internship Only Track:
Applicants for the Internship Only Track must have completed a master’s degree before the internship start date. Apply through the Spring DICAS Application Portal.
Combined Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree Track:
Applicants interested in the MS/DI option must apply to both the University of Alabama Graduate School and the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program. Apply to VA ECHCS DI through the Spring DICAS Application Portal. Applicants to the combined program must meet requirements for both the internship program and the University of Alabama. While VA ECHCS DI does not have a GPA requirement, The University of Alabama does require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission. To be considered for regular admission to the Graduate School, you must have at least one of the following GPAs (on a 4.0 scale): an overall 3.0 GPA, an overall 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours, or a 3.0 GPA in your graduate program. If your GPA is lower than recommended, you may be considered for admission with additional requirements. Please check with MS in Human Nutrition | The University of Alabama for more information. To allow the UA graduate and DI program adequate time to review applications, MS/DI track applicants must apply to the UA graduate program by January 15th. This is needed to assure that timely admission information is provided for DI program application review.
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Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen by the application deadline.
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Education: Must possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution earned prior to starting the internship/graduate program.
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Verification Statement: Must possess an official Verification Statement of Completion or Declaration of Intent to Complete from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), with original signatures issued within the last 5 years.
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Selective Service: Federal law requires most males born in the U.S. between ages 18 and 26 to register with the Selective Service System. Visit https://www.sss.gov/ for more details.
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Background Check: Satisfactory background check conducted by ECHCS.
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Physical Examination: Satisfactory physical examination (at applicant’s expense) including vaccinations as recommended by the CDC or appropriate medical/religious exemptions.
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FERPA Waiver: Signed MS/DI FERPA Waiver for MS/DI Combined Track applicants.
University Admission Criteria
Detailed information on graduate program admission requirements can be found at University of Alabama MS in Human Nutrition.
Record of Prior Learning
Applicants must have completed the requirements of an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and hold a bachelor's from an accredited college or university. Official transcripts indicating the date of confirmation of your degree plus a Verification Statement of Program Completion are required prior to the start of the internship. In addition, applicants must show proof of a completed master’s degree or enrollment in the UA Master’s Program in Human Nutrition. Students enrolled in the Master's program may request to transfer up to 12 credit hours of graduate coursework from other institutions. Approval of transfer credits towards the master's degree is at the discretion of the University. These credits will not count towards supervised practice hours required for the DI. No review of credits, supervised practice hours or direct assessment will be done for students' prior learning for those enrolled in the DI only track.
Selection Process
The VA ECHCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Selection of interns will be made without discrimination regarding age, gender, race, color, religion, handicap, or national origin. Interviews are conducted virtually by the DI Director and selection committee members for our highest scoring applications. Attendance at an open house is encouraged. Open house details are on our Program Information page.
Criteria for Internship Selection
Follow these instructions to apply to the non-degree and the combined master’s track. Complete the online application on DICAS by January 15th.
Overall, we seek interns who are committed to growth, dedicated to hard work, and aim to become highly skills and competent entry-level dietitians. Successful candidates typically have: a robust academic background in clinical nutrition, organizational skills, flexibility, excellent time management, leadership experience or capabilities, openness to feedback, prior work experience, and the ability to adapt to new and challenging situations.
DICAS Application Components:
- Personal Information: Indicate Veteran status, as Veterans receive preferential application scoring.
- Education History: Completion of a DPD program prior to the start of internship is required. Include all educational history and official transcripts. Explain how additional degrees and/or certifications have prepared you to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
- Experiences and Honors: All honors, academic, work and volunteer experiences will be considered in admission selection. Include all transferable skills from dietetics and non-dietetics-related experiences and provide details on how these skills have prepared you to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
- Personal Statement: Complete a personal statement in 1000 words or less addressing the following questions:
- Why are you specifically interested in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program? What makes you a 'good fit' for our program?
- What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you to be a successful intern and future RDN?
- What do you hope to contribute to the dietetics profession?
- What are your strengths? What areas do you feel you need to improve in?
- Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters of recommendation are required from our program. It is recommended that at least one is from a current/previous supervisor and at least one from a current/previous professor.
What to Expect During the Selection/Appointment Process
- Open House:Attendance is encouraged. Check the “Program Information” tab on our website for dates and details. If you cannot attend, review our website and contact the DI Director with any questions.
- Application Submission:Applications must be completed and submitted in DICAS by January 15th, 2026, at 11:59 PM (MST).
- Application Review:Applications are reviewed and scored on a rolling basis by the Internship Director and selection committee. Members of our selection committee change each year but generally include the Internship Director, program preceptors, and other ECHCS NFS dietitian staff.
- Interviews:Conducted virtually for highest scoring applicants meeting program requirements. Notifications will be sent to the email listed on the DICAS application. Members of the interview panel change each year but will include the Internship Director as well as program preceptors and/or ECHCS NFS dietitian staff.
- Appointment Notification: The 2026-2027 selection cycle will continue to include the new procedures for appointment notification and acceptance procedures. For additional information from ACEND regarding the Application Process for Students visit: Application Process for Students (eatrightpro.org).
Appointment Notifications:
- Offers of admission may be extended to any applications deemed complete by the program at any time during the admission cycle
- March 1st, 2026 (no later than 10 AM MST): All applicants notified of their status (acceptance, waitlist, or rejection).
- March 15th, 2026 (no later than 4 PM MST): Accepted applicants must contact the Internship Director to confirm or decline their offer via email or telephone (Please see “Program Intro” tab for contact information). No commitment to hold acceptance offers will stand after this deadline.
- Starting March 16th, 2026: Waitlisted applicants will be offered available spots via email. Applicants may be notified sooner if positions may become available.
Final Appointment: Confirmation letters will be sent to selected appointees. This letter is considered tentative pending successful completion of all VA hiring and onboarding requirements, including but not limited to a background check with fingerprints, physical/mental health examination, and demonstrating satisfactory immunization/vaccination status.
For more information on the Dietetics Applicant and Program Code of Conduct and Traffic Rules for the application cycle, visit Dietetics Applicant and Program Traffic Rules.
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