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Restaurant, Hotel, and Meetings Management
Internships
Summer 2007 Internship Pictures
Why consider an internship?
For hospitality management students, internships can be a means of earning that experience -- and building a competitive edge--while applying classroom knowledge in the real-world setting. An added benefit is that interns learn how to function in the business world and what's expected of them as hospitality professionals.
Internships also offer employers an effective way to train and work with prospective employees at a comparatively low cost, with relatively little risk. Hospitality employers who work with us say they find our well-trained, enthusiastic students to be assets to their mission of providing quality quest services.
An internship lasts one full semester or summer, for a minimum of12 weeks, with students working 40-50 hours per week. At the end of the internship, neither the organization nor the intern has any obligation to each other.
In addition to supplying critical on-the-job training, an internship is a fantastic opportunity to put theory gained in the classroom into practice, a process students find exciting and challenging. It's also a student's best opportunity to explore the world of hospitality management, to clarify academic and career goals, and to earn firsthand about the operation of a hospitality organization -- a hotel, a restaurant, a country club, a meeting planning facility or other hospitality organizations.
Securing an internship is the responsibility of the student, however, faculty will assist students in preparing for this experience.
Students must complete an "Internship Interest Profile" sheet by early February for a Summer internship, by May for a Fall internship and by early October for a Spring internship. Profile sheets are available from the Departmental Secretary in Room 206 Doster Hall.
Students desiring an internship, RHM 469, must be of junior or senior standing, have an overall GPA of 2.25 or higher, successfully complete a faculty interview, prepare a written statement on goals to be attained during the internship (150-200 words), provide two letters of recommendation, have completed some hospitality industry work experience, interview and be selected with the hospitality internship employer, and meet internship employer and RHM 469 course requirements.
Internships are available in a variety of hospitality properties in the United States as well as overseas.
Students can obtain more complete information regarding internships by making an appointment with Mrs. Kimberly Boyle, RHM Internship Coordinator: kboyle@ches.ua.edu
