HTM Work Experience (HTM Hours)

To graduate from the Hospitality & Tourism Management program, students must complete 1,000 hours of documented work experience (paid or un-paid) in the Hospitality and Tourism industry before they can graduate. These hours (known as HTM Hours) must be submitted by the fall of the student's last year. 

For students who entered the program in 2016 or earlier, the hours are required to pass HTH 901  and for students who entered in 2017 or later, the hours are required to pass HTH 895. 

Most of the information you need regarding HTM Hours can be found below. However, if you need further information or clarification, feel free to contact HTM Hours by email at htmhours@torontomu.ca. 

*Please note students in the co-operative program do not take HTH 895, therefore they do not have to submit Work Experience. 

HTM Work Experience policy

(Revised September 2022)

Overview

To graduate from the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, each student must complete 1000 hours of documented work experience (paid or unpaid) in the hospitality and tourism industry during their  four years at university.

Objectives

The objective of the Work Experience Program is to ensure that a student’s education has the essential balance between theory and practice. Upon completion, students should be able to:

• learn more about their career interests and gain valuable experience in the various parts of the hospitality and tourism industry
• recognize, develop, and practice the sills required to succeed in their future careers
• put their classroom theory to use in the real world and gain further insights into their academic assignments
• compare and contrast (and make intelligent career choices) in different types of companies, cultures, and work environments

Program Details

• Students must complete 1000 hours of work in the hospitality and tourism industry during their time at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management only. Student work hours can be achieved during the normal school year or in the winter and/or summer sessions between semesters. It is highly recommended that the majority of these hours be earned when school in not in session (May-August). We will not accept hours completed before entering the program. 
• Employment in any of the following industry segments will be considered for credit in this program: accommodations, events, clubs, entertainment, food and beverage, and tourism. International experience (outside of Canada) will count towards HTM Hours - documentation must be in English. 
• For employment not in the industry, students must seek approval through an email appeal prior to collecting/submitting hours. Emails appeals must be sent to htmhours@torontomu.ca and must include the name of the employer, a job description, and a detailed description of how this work position is relevant and how it provides you with transferable skills to succeed in the industry. A copy of the approval email must be included when submitting hours.
• While students are encouraged to obtain paid work experiences, volunteer work and internships in the industry will be considered for credit to this program. While doing extra-curricular activity such as student council, student groups, student clubs, etc. is encouraged, they do not count towards your Work Experience Hours, as students may not sign off on volunteer hours. Forms are only applicable if signed by a supervisor/company volunteer team leader. 

Transfer Students

All transfer students, whether they are from Toronto Metropolitan University, a college, or another university, must complete the HTM work experience hours. Recognizing that transfer students will graduate faster than four years, the HTM work experience hours will be adjusted according to the number of credits that are transferred into the program, based on the table below.

Students that qualify for a reduction in HTM hours because of transfer credits must download a copy of your Transfer Credit Report from MyServiceHub and upload it to the HTM Hours D2L portal. The report will be assessed and the number of reduced hours will be inputed into the student's gradebook. 

Submission Process

Students should submit their completed forms to the HTM Hours (HTH895 or HTH901) D2L Portal before their last year in the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

For students who entered the program in 2016 or earlier, the hours are required to pass HTH 901 and for students who entered in 2017 or later, the hours are required to pass HTH 895. While HTH 901 requires in-person learning, HTH 895 is a pass/fail course based on the completion of hours – students are not required to attend class.

Submission folders in which students can submit their HTM Hours are available three times a year, in March, August, and December. The hours can be submitted any time prior to the approval date but will only be approved/declined after those dates.

It is recommended that students submit their HTM hours throughout the year for the 3 separate submission dates and NOT wait until the fall semester of their last year. Assignment due dates are recommended and not final.

• PDF files are preferred.
• Please let reviewer know if there are multiple documents in your submission.
• Please submit one letter for each work experience claimed.
• If the supervisor/manager signature is not easily obtained, their business can be attached with the submission. Documented (records of employment, pay stubs, letters of employment or reference letters that indicate number of hours) work experience will be accepted if attached to a completed HTM Work Experience form.

After submission, hours are then assessed and the results are available on D2L – accessible in the grade section of the “HTM Hours” D2L page, just like course marks.