OVERVIEW
Internships
are supervised, practical training periods
where students earn academic credit for
approved work experience.
Internships provide excellent opportunities
for students to gain first hand knowledge
of the hospitality industry and for employers
to observe the student in the work environment
and evaluate their management potential
for possible future employment.
Florida International University’s School of Hospitality
and Tourism Management requires that students complete
a 300-hour Internship.
Prior to registering for the internship
course, students must have already completed
at least 1000 hours of hospitality-related
work experience.
Internships are offered during
the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.
PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of the internship
program is to provide students with practical
hospitality management experience through
work of which “cross-training” is an integral
part. Simultaneously, the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management provides
the sponsoring organization with a motivated
and productive employee who will make
a valuable contribution to the company
during the internship period.
Students use classroom theory as
a foundation for making decisions during
their internships.
INTERNSHIP
REQUIREMENT
To earn credit for the internship the
student must work a minimum of 10 to 15
weeks and 300 hours. During this time he/she must be cross trained in at least three
different jobs.
This cross training may be within
a single department, such as front office,
reservations and PBX, or may be within
several different departments such as
front office, sales and marketing, housekeeping,
and food & beverage. In the restaurant environment cross-training might include:
server, host/hostess, and line
cook.
Students must select rotations
in which they do not already have extensive
experience.
For example, a student who has
worked as a server should select a “back
of the house” rotation in order to strengthen
his/her job knowledge.
In the travel/tourism industry,
rotations would vary depending upon the
nature of the business.
In addition to being cross-trained, the student must
complete a management project, which is
assigned by the employer and approved
by the professor responsible for the interning
students.
A typical project might be to develop
a training manual, prepare a guest guidebook,
conduct a competitive audit, do a cost
analysis of a menu, or create a tour package. Employers are encouraged to assign a project, which will be
meaningful to the student and the organization.
BENEFITS
TO THE EMPLOYER
The greatest benefit to the employer is
the opportunity to have an enthusiastic,
motivated, knowledgeable employee.
Although the student is only required
to work 10 to 15 weeks, experience has
shown, if given the opportunity, many
students continue with the sponsoring
company after graduation.
Therefore, the employer can evaluate
the employee during the internship and
be assured of their work habits and management
potential prior to making an official
offer of career employment.
This can lead to fewer turnovers
for the company and greater productivity.
Many employers structure their internship to include
a portion of the company’s management
training program.
This gives the student a valuable
cross-training experience and provides
the employer with an opportunity to “fast
track” the employee after graduation.
EMPLOYER
RESPONSIBILITIES
Employers must verbally commit to the
student and the School of Hospitality
and Tourism Management that the interning student
will be given an opportunity to work
at least 10 to 15 weeks and 300 hours
and cross train in at least three different
areas.
These areas will be chosen cooperatively
between the student and employer and
approved by the professor.
An advisor/supervisor should be assigned for each intern.
At the beginning of the internship,
the student and advisor should establish
a list of objectives (what they feel should
be gained from the internship) and the
internship program planned to assure that
the objectives will be met. These objectives should be reviewed and updated during the
program.
The advisor/supervisor should meet
with the student weekly to assess the
student’s progress, answer questions,
review the objectives and provide candid
feedback to the student.
The advisor should serve as supervisor,
mentor, and teacher.
This person will be responsible
for selecting a management project for
the student, assisting the student as
necessary and critiquing the project upon
completion.
He/she will be responsible for
evaluating the student at mid-term (5
weeks) and at the end of the internship.
The supervisor will be required
to write a letter documenting the student’s
weeks and hours worked and provide a short
critique of the completed project.
Students are normally paid during the internship.
The pay should be commensurate
with the job and experience of the student.
Although unpaid internships are
acceptable to the University, it is very
difficult to find students who are willing
to work for no compensation.
Most students need money to help
pay for college.
ESTABLISHING
AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
If you or your company would like to establish an internship
program, complete the following Sponsor
Agreement Form.
Return it to the address listed
on the bottom of the form.
For specific information about
the Internship Program call:
Lee
C. Dickson, Associate Dean
305-919-4500
Claudia Castillo, Assistant Director
of Career Development
305-919-4502 / email:
hmcareer@fiu.edu
Ken Rutkowski, Undergraduate Advisor
305-919-4522/305-919-4555 Fax
SPONSOR
AGREEMENT FORM
The following company offers an internship
as outlined below.
It is understood that in order
to register for the Advanced Internship
course, the student must already have
completed a minimum of 1000 hospitality-related
work hours, be in good academic standing,
and be approved by the Internship Coordinator.
The sponsoring property agrees to provide a 10 – 15
week/300 hour cross-training work experience
and assign someone to serve as the intern’s
advisor/supervisor.
It is understood that the assigned
advisor/supervisor will assist the student
in developing objectives for the internship,
meet with the student weekly to provide
guidance, evaluate the student at midterm
and at the end of the internship, critique
the student’s project, and write a letter
documenting the work hours and project
completion.
The FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management will list
available internships in their Employment
Opportunities/Internship Network, which
is accessible to all Hospitality Management
students.
The School does not guarantee internship
placement.
INTERNSHIP
SPONSOR AGREEMENT -
ON-LINE FORM
| PLEASE
FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
TO POST AN INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
ON OUR WEB SITE:
|
Lee
C. Dickson, Associate Dean
305-919-4500
Claudia Castillo, Assistant Director
of Career Development
305-919-4502 / email:
hmcareer@fiu.edu
Ken Rutkowski, Undergraduate Advisor
305-919-4522/305-919-4555 Fax
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Florida International University
3000 N.E. 151st Street, HM
216
North Miami, FL 33181-3000
