As the experiential component, an internship plays a critical role in the IHT program curriculum. It allows students to complement their traditional classroom studies with professional experience gained under the guidance of an accomplished mentor-supervisor in a host agency that furthers their career aspirations.
All Saint Leo University students who major in IHT are required to perform at least 6 credit hours of internship (IHT 425) in addition to the 27 other credit hours (9 courses) to complete the required 33 credit hours for the major. Students also have the option of performing 9 or 12 credit hours of internship. If so, they would take only 7 or 8 IHT courses to reach the 33 credit hour total.
In addition, IHT majors may earn all their internship credits (6, 9, or 12) at one time or they can perform more than one internship at more than one host agency in order to broaden their experience or to sample more than one industry sector, company, or location. For each 3 credit hours earned, students are expected to perform a minimum of 150 contact hours at a host agency. Exact work schedules for internships are developed based upon the needs and availability of both the host agency and the individual student.
Students receive a grade of pass or fail based upon their internship performance as evaluated by their host agency supervisor and their Saint Leo University instructor who serves as the faculty supervisor for the internship. An evaluation form is provided for the host agency supervisor for the purpose of rating the intern on various traits and performance characteristics. Additional comments are also welcomed.
Most students perform their internships during their senior year, so they will have completed most of their general education courses and many of their business and IHT courses. To prepare for their career, students are also encouraged to gain IHT experience by working summers or part-time during the school year. As such, their internship experience should consist primarily of supervisory duties and responsibilities and the routine activities and skills that are required to successfully perform them.
