Industry Partnerships - Hospitality & Tourism Management, The L. Robert Payne School

Business Partnerships

Are you a member of the hospitality, recreation, and/or tourism community seeking employees who are action-oriented, confident, and performance-driven? Are you interested in shaping the industry’s future leaders? Here are some ways we invite you to participate:

Internships

The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management requires that all students in the HTM and RTM programs complete practical work experience in order to graduate. It would be a pleasure to discuss how a Payne School student would be an asset to your company.

Employing a student of the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program

We require all HTM students to complete the following hospitality work experience:

  • 400 hours of hospitality experience prior to being admitted into their third year
  • 300 hours of paid hotel or restaurant work experience in the junior year
  • 300 hours of paid work experience in the senior year

Junior Year

During the junior year of the HTM curriculum, students enroll in the Hotel Work Experience Internship. Students receive an overview of the internship requirements to include a checklist of many tasks to complete during their time at the hotel, which are solely their responsibility as to not be a burden to you, the employer. There are several internship structures from which to choose and these may be customized according to the property and student needs. You may rotate students around the key departments or base them in one area and assign time to shadow or work in other departments as business allows.

The minimum time the student should be employed is for 300 hours, which is approximately 20 hours per week over the course of a 15-week semester. However, it is not unusual for students to choose to work for longer than the 300 hours. Most are employed during their entire junior year, which is a benefit to your property. During summer, students may be able to work full-time and they may also complete their internship anywhere in the world as long as the experience is relevant to the curriculum.

Senior Year

During the senior year of the HTM curriculum, students must also enroll in an internship with a hospitality organization, but this experience is relevant to their emphasis:

  • Hotel Operations
  • Restaurant Operations
  • Meetings & Events
  • Tribal Gaming

Students will be tasked with completing a special project while employed in a relevant position. This should have a “real-world” benefit to the employer as well as to the student, such as a sales or service improvement plan or research project. The minimum time the student should be employed is for 300 hours, which is approximately 20 hours per week over the course of a 15-week semester.

All HTM internships must be paid in order for students to receive credit. Unpaid internships will on occasion be allowed, however we caution employers to follow unpaid internship guidelines. Details may be obtained from the US Department of Labor.

SDSU will provide liability insurance for all students enrolled in the internship class and a Student Learning Agreement will be signed by both the employer and SDSU. The form is available from the SDSU Division of Business and Financial Affairs.

For more information about becoming an industry partner with the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, please contact Christina Jeffries, Associate Director of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Student Center for Professional Development, at cjeffries@sdsu.edu or 619-594-0390.

Employing a student of the Recreation & Tourism Management Program

We require all RTM students to fulfill two practicum experiences to complete their degrees:

  • 125 hours of introductory professional work experience in the field of recreation and tourism leadership
  • 500 hours of advanced work experience for 12 units or 250 hours for 6 units

Students are solely responsible for securing a position with prospective agencies for their fieldwork and internship. Supervision is provided by faculty advisors; however, this is a self-directed academic activity and is created by the student and employer.

If you are a public, private, semi-private, or commercial recreation and tourism agency that wishes to list your fieldwork and internship opportunities with our program, please contact Gene Lamke at glamke@sdsu.edu for more information.

Connecting with Payne School students and the community

The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management offers exciting opportunities to impactfully connect with students:

  • Attend an SDSU job fair
  • Be a Professor For A Day! We invite industry experts to share their knowledge and insight with our HTM and RTM students. Please contact X for more information.
  • HTM and RTM in real time! We welcome the opportunity to tour your property or organization for a look at hospitality, recreation, and tourism in action. Please contact X if you are interested in hosting a tour.
  • Mentors wanted! Industry advisors are a key component to the success of our students. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact X for more information.
  • Support the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management! Financial support, in any amount, makes an impact in the reach and impact of our programs in an ever-expanding industry. To find out ore about how you can make a lasting difference, please contact Tresa Hightower, Development Coordinator, at thightower@sdsu.edu or 619-594-2353.