The nine-credit International Hospitality Internship course, combined with the three-credit Industry Analysis course, represents an important part of the degree where students apply their learning in a professional setting.
Students gain valuable field experience, build professional networks, and are able to practice the ‘soft skills’ acquired through team work and liaising with industry experts throughout the year.
The program begins with the Industry Analysis course that exposes students to a range of experts in the hospitality and tourism industry who share their expertise, provide a forum to inquire and learn about the industry as well as a recruitment opportunity for students.
Three months into the 12-month program, students are mentored by a course instructor in preparing for, and securing, an internship. Students are encouraged to participate in an internship at an international setting that is culturally diverse with opportunities for career growth. Four months are spent determining where in the industry the student would like to gain work experience, learning ‘real-world’ skills in order to communicate professionally when applying for and securing an Internship placement, and determining the best career path for their professional goals. Once the placement is secured, the host company and student expectations are agreed upon prior to the student's departure and there is ongoing field work that the student is required to complete once on site. The placement lasts twelve weeks and is followed by a detailed reflection paper which is the final requirement of the degree.
Internships are can be paid or non-paid; this is determined by the Internship Coordinator, student, and the host company upon application for internship. The experiential learning that comes with interning is transformative and allows students the opportunity to pursue a permanent position with their host company as the International Hospitality Course is purposefully placed at the end of the program to faciliate permanent placement of interns.
Read about student internship experiences
