Internships

Internships for Hospitality Majors and Minors are required during their senior year. 

An internship is a work-related learning experience for students who wish to gain hands-on experience in a professional environment. Some internships are paid and some are unpaid internships that satisfy the criteria for academic credit. No matter the compensation, every student, whether eligible for academic credit or not, should pursue a meaningful internship to gain the hands-on experience that employers find so appealing.

Internship Program Overview

An important component of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at the College of Charleston is the work experience students gain while outside the classroom. It is our aim to give them the tools they need not only academically, but also professionally, to become future leaders in the industry. The hospitality and tourism management internship (minimum 120 hours) is a complementary source of learning and enhancement to the student's academic program and career objectives. This is achieved through experiential education engaging the student in a unique three-way partnership between an approved hospitality partner, the College and the student.

The overall unique learning experience will be guided by a Learning Contract outlining specific work-related experiences and academic components designed to enhance the student's knowledge. Additionally, students will attend one of the scheduled or online advisory sessions conducted by faculty during the semester or made available to enrolled interns: 1) at the commencement of the academic semester and 2) prior to the midterm report submission date. The internship course is designed to help students work both individually and collaboratively in a real workplace environment that is characterized by diversity, uncertainty, and rapid change. The work environment will require that students utilize and improve their communication skills while working with clients, supervisors, and co-workers. The internship experience is a fundamental part of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program that helps our students to be successful in their future careers.

For more information, please review all of the available online resources here, under the HTM Internship subdirectory.

Click here for HTMT 444 Internship Syllabus.

Click here for HTMT 244 Internship Syllabus.

Dates and Deadlines

Eligibility:

Declared HTMT Major, Minor or Concentration Senior (*must have 90 accumulated hours): You are eligible to complete your senior HTMT internship requirement (HTMT 444) 

Declared HTMT Major, Minor or Concentration Sophomore or Junior: You are eligible for the HTMT 244 Internship

Students are encouraged to apply for Spring semester internships beginning in October, with the goal of securing a Spring internship prior to the annual winter break.  Students are encouraged to apply for Summer AND Fall internships beginning in March of the same year in which the internship will be completed. 

Internship Information sessions will be held periodically during the semester and will be announced on the HTMT listserv. It is mandatory that you attend one of these sessions or meet with Professor Clement prior to gaining approval for your internship. A link to a recording of the session is provided above.  A link to the sign up for current sessions, as well as a calendar of the various opportunities to attend, will be provided as available – please check back at your convenience.

Enrollment for Academic Credit internships follows the semester schedule:

Spring & Fall semesters: Students will need to have their internships secured prior to the drop/add date of each semester to afford time to apply and be accepted into the academic credit internship program. 
DEADLINE:  All Application Packages for Spring & Fall Semesters must be submitted on the Drop/Add Deadline for that semester. If submitting after the Drop/Add, you must contact Professor Clement in advance.

Summer 2021 semester: Students are encouraged to have their internships secured by May 30th at the latest to afford time to apply and be accepted into the academic credit internship program. 
DEADLINE:  All Learning Contracts for ANY Summer Semester must be submitted by the first week of June.  Exceptions must be approved by Professor Clement in advance.

Finding an Internship

Your advisor can assist you in identifying the right internship opportunities and resources, but ultimately it is your responsibility to secure your internship. Please see link for Tips for Finding Internship.

Enrollment Process: Please follow this link to Enrollment Process.

Learning Contract: The learning contract sets forth the academic expectations of the internship and guides the internship experience. The school, experience provider and student develop the learning contract goals to ensure that the student receives an appropriately rigorous learning experience. The learning contract protects the student from serving as a "gofer" or unpaid office assistant. It also ensures that the student will take the experience seriously and establishes expectations for all involved.

Please follow this link to the Learning Contract.

Employers may post internship opportunities at any time by e-mailing the internship coordinator with an information about the potential internship opportunity at clementj@cofc.edu. Potential employers and internship hosts are encouraged to review the Host Partner FAQ and the HTM Internship Forms pages for more information.

Contact Information:

Jeremy C. Clement, MBA, PMP
Senior Instructor | Internship Coordinator
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management
School of Business 
College of Charleston
332 Beatty Building
Charleston, SC 29424
p: 843.953.5455
f: 843.953.5697
Email: clementj@cofc.edu