Industry Experience Requirement

The career development office offers planning and assistance to help hospitality management students meet the minimum requirement of practical industry experience for graduation.

To ensure that an experience is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship, all of the following criteria must be met:

  • The experience must be an extension of the classroom - a learning experience where you can apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  • The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  • The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  • There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  • There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  • There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  • There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

FAQs

  • When should I enroll in the internship class?

    You may register for the internship course as soon as you have completed 500 hours of industry experience. The internship course is a capstone course that is designed to help you put into practice many of the skills and concepts you learned at FIU. See your Hospitality Management Advisor for additional details and permission to register for this course.

  • Can I do more than one internship or start my internship early?

    It is a good idea to start seeking internships early in your academic career at FIU. You may participate in one or more internships before you begin the Internship class, but the actual class begins the first week of the semester and includes specific requirements for the types of activities you are to engage in and for logging your progress. If you are in an internship prior to the start of the semester, you may continue that internship, as long as your supervisor agrees to the terms of the internship class. For class purposes, week one of your internship will begin after the first week of class and is the starting point for your 300-hour requirement over the semester.

  • Can I do an unpaid internship?

    Yes, but we prefer your internship to be a paid experience. The best chance of achieving this objective is to start looking for an internship several months before the start of class.

  • What is the purpose of the internship?

    The internship is designed to expose you to a career path in the hospitality & tourism industry. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Hospitality Management Advisor or your career counselor.

Undergraduate students

Students must complete a minimum of 500 hours of industry-related work while enrolled at FIU. An additional 300 hours and 10 weeks minimum are required to fulfill the HFT 4945 – Advanced Internship course. For questions or concerns regarding requirements, please contact your Academic Advisor or Career Development Counselor.

 

Graduate students

Students must complete 1,000 hours of hospitality-related practical training work experience plus 300 hours for the Graduate Internship. A minimum of 800 hours must be completed while enrolled in the graduate program at FIU. For questions or concerns regarding requirements, please contact your Academic Advisor or Career Development Counselor.