With 1,000 hours of professional industry-related work experience completed, you will graduate from the Hart School's Hospitality Management program with a competitive advantage.

These required hours of industry work experience will be completed in three “milestones” during your academic career.

“Milestone #1”- 600 hours of hospitality industry work experience.

• Hours can be accumulated between the summer prior to your first semester at JMU and enrollment in HM 333.
• Hours can be from the same or multiple organizations.
• You are responsible for tracking and submitting verification of all 600 hours worked once enrolled in HM 333.
• You will work approximately 100 hours with Aramark in various locations across campus, and these hours can apply towards the HM 222 course.

“Milestone #2”- HM 333--200 hours of hospitality industry work experience.

• Once 600 hours of industry experience have been completed, you will need to complete the required Approval of HM 333 Industry Hours Survey.
• When approved by the HM Work Experience Coordinator, you will receive an override to enroll in HM 333.
• HM 333 is a required academic course in which you will actively work 200 hours in the industry and complete associated course assignments.

“Milestone #3”- HM 444--200 hours of hospitality industry work experience.

• Once you have completed HM 333 you will need to complete the required Approval of HM 444 Industry Hours Survey.
• When approved by the HM Work Experience Coordinator, you will receive an override to enroll in HM 444.
• HM 444 is a required academic course in which you will actively work 200 hours in the industry and complete associated course assignments.

*Please note the following:

1. HM 333 and HM 444 cannot be taken concurrently. HM 333 is a pre-requisite to HM 444.
2. HM 333 and HM 444 can be taken consecutively in the summer only.
3. HM 333 and HM 444 industry hours can be completed at the same organization or at two different organizations.

Students have multiple options for completing HM 333 and HM 444:

Option #1: Enroll in HM 333 and then HM 444 in a summer session, both are offered as six-week courses.

Option #2: Enroll in HM 333 in a summer six-week session and then HM 444 during the academic year (Fall or Spring).

Option #3: Enroll in HM 333 during the academic year (Fall or Spring) and then HM 444 during the academic year or next summer session.

HM 333 and HM 444 are academic courses that have both a practical and academic component. You will be actively working in the hospitality field in addition to, completing specific coursework designed to help you become a better professional. HM 333 and HM 444 is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory gained in the classroom with practical application and skills development within a hospitality setting. Choose a subset within the Hospitality industry (an aspect of the industry about which you’re interested in learning more and in which you can see yourself working one day) and seek out work experience in that area. Begin with the end in mind! Successful work experiences lead to a strong professional network and even full-time job opportunities.

• HM 333 can be taken in the summer, as a six-week course; or in an academic semester, as a 15-week course. Course prerequisites are 600 hours of industry experience.
  • Minimum of 200 hours; all 200 hours must be completed when enrolled in HM 333.
• HM 444 can be taken in the summer, as a six-week course; or in an academic semester, as a 15-week course. Course prerequisite is HM 333.
  • Minimum of 200 hours; all 200 hours must be completed when enrolled in HM 444.
• Work experience organizations/sites must be pre-approved by Theresa Lind, HM Work Experience Coordinator. All hours must be within the hospitality industry (hotel, restaurant, resort, country club, special event company, or other tourism-related industry). Work experience hours in retail are not considered to be within the hospitality industry, nor are lifeguard or nanny positions.

Students are responsible for researching and obtaining their own individual industry related work experiences. However, the Hart School faculty and staff have strong relationships with hospitality industry employers and professionals, and regularly leverage these relationships to create opportunities for students. In addition, our dedicated alumni base recruits our students for jobs and internships on a regular basis. We also have two Hart School Career Fairs (Fall and Spring) and JMU also hosts a separate Fall and Spring Career Fair.

The Hart School has a dedicated full time professional working for you! Our Professional Development & Engagement Coordinator, Lauren Wholihan Gardner, spends much of her time cultivating relationships with industry employers and works to provide many resources in order to make the search process as seamless as possible for students, including:

• The Hart School Career Fair (offered each fall and spring semester)
• On-campus information sessions by top industry employers
• Programming on how to search for jobs and internships; resume and cover letter reviews; interviewing best practices
• Advising appointments are available so students can discuss questions about finding an internship; obtaining more industry experience, etc.
• Internships, FT/PT jobs, and volunteer/experiential opportunities are posted on the Hart School Career Development Canvas page. Students can log on and search by keyword or can read a weekly summary that’s emailed out.

There are both practical and academic components to HM 333 and HM 444. While the majority of what you will be doing during this time is working to gain valuable experience, you will need to complete the following to obtain class credit:

• Engage in weekly correspondence with your professor.
• Complete a weekly journal of hours worked and weekly reflections on hospitality leadership topics.
• Write papers including a critical analysis, assessment of effective leadership, and reflections on looking back and moving forward.
• Complete a special mini-management project that is agreed upon by the employer and has "real world" benefit to the employer as well as the student.
• Receive formal feedback from your faculty member and employer.

Yes! Students are welcome to seek out internship opportunities abroad, as long as the position meets the specified requirements (listed above). As with any other HM student choosing to intern in the U.S., Professor Lind must sign-off on this international study abroad experience. In addition, students must have reliable internet access in order to communicate virtually with their professor and complete/submit virtual assignments.

Hart School students can participate in our JMU Internship in Australia program. Students are placed in hotels, restaurants, or local travel agencies around Perth, Australia. Students will have the opportunity to experience hospitality, tourism, and marketing all while working with colleagues from around the world.