Graduate Students Internships

Master’s Students

Students in the on-campus Master of Science in Hotel Administration (HOA) program are encouraged to complete an internship during the summer term between their first and second year in the program. Students are responsible for securing their own internship opportunities.

Students in the Professional Paper track may register for HOA 783: Internship (3 credits) and use the course toward an elective requirement in their program of study. The internship must provide a meaningful professional learning experience that is directly related to the student’s HOA graduate program and academic goals.

Internship Approval Requirements

Before permission to register for HOA 783 will be granted, students must submit the following:

  • A copy of the official internship offer letter.
  • Internship start and end dates.
  • Expected number of hours worked per week.
  • A description of the student’s primary responsibilities.
  • An explanation of how the internship directly relates to the student’s HOA graduate program and academic area of study.
  • Three specific learning objectives the student expects to accomplish through the internship.
  • Identification of HOA coursework, concepts, knowledge, or skills the student expects to apply during the internship.

Employment with a hospitality organization alone does not automatically establish eligibility for HOA 783. The duties and learning experience must demonstrate a direct academic relationship to the HOA graduate curriculum.

All materials must be emailed to Diane Wrightman at diane.wrightman@unlv.edu for review. The Hospitality Graduate Programs Office must approve the internship before permission to register for HOA 783 will be granted.

International Students and CPT

International students seeking to participate in an internship must first receive academic approval of the internship from the Hospitality Graduate Programs Office and receive permission to enroll in HOA 783.

After receiving academic approval, international students must separately complete the required process with UNLV International Student and Scholar Compliance (ISSC) to request Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization .

Approval of an internship by the Hospitality Graduate Programs Office and/or registration in HOA 783 does not constitute CPT authorization.

International students may not begin any employment or internship activities until CPT authorization has been approved by ISSC and is reflected on the student’s Form I-20.

Students are responsible for completing all ISSC requirements, including required employer documentation and CPT forms, and for complying with the employment dates and conditions authorized by ISSC.

PhD Students

Students in the PhD program may spend the equivalent of two semesters complete an approved internship. Internships must be approved the the student’s Doctoral Advising Committee Chair and the PhD Faculty Program Director.

International students must receive approval to be on Curricular Practical Training through the HOS Graduate Programs Office before starting an internship experience. In addition, international students must register for 1 credit hour of HOA 783.

HOA 783 Course Structure

The HOA 783 course is designed to allow students to focus on hand-on training with their company that they are interning. Students will have no assignments to be submitted through Canvas, as this course will not be using Canvas.

Students enrolled in this course will be required to submit the following assignments on the final day of class for each term. For Summer term, the internship goes for 10 weeks over Summer II and Summer III and need to be submitted the Friday before Summer III term ends.

  • Submit a 3-5 page summary of your internship experience that includes the following points:
    • Explain how you applied your advanced knowledge/skills learned in your HOA courses this last year in your summer internship. 
    • Highlight the different activities you participated in during your internship and what you learned: team meetings, shadowing experiences, mentors that guided you, and what networks you built during your experience. 
    • Summarize how this internship will help guide you in your career decision when you graduate from the program.
  • Have your company’s internship supervisor complete and sign the this form (must download and save for the form on your computer before completing it). You will need to complete the student information section only and the supervisor will complete the rest and sign it.