1. Description of Food Management Internship
Junior and senior undergraduate students earning a degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a
concentration Food Management are required to complete a minimum of 4 credits to a maximum
of 12 credits in internship to gain experiential experience and professional development in the
field of food service management.
Students required to complete 4 credit hours must perform 200 hours of service in a 10 week
period. Student required to complete 8 credit hours must perform 400 hours of service or 40
hours a week for 10 weeks.
The curriculum requires that students are assigned an on-site supervisor, for example the food
service director, banquet manager or assistant manager and that the focus of the internship is to
provide a well-rounded professional development experience in all aspects of food service
management.
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The mission of the Food Management Internship Program is to introduce students to a career
in food service and expose them to experiences which will be beneficial for future employment.
Students may choose placements in contract management companies and self-operated facilities
in the business and industry, college, healthcare and school sectors.
Ideally an internship will involve a rotation of food management related tasks and skills that
may include menu planning, recipe development, budgeting, cost control, purchasing, inventory,
food safety, staffing, catering and event planning. The intern should have an opportunity to
participate in the management of the preparation and serving of food to clients and patients and
gain some exposure on how to manage a food service operation according to company policies
and procedures and federal/state requirements. The intern should have the opportunity to work
with the executive chef, food service manager, registered dietitian, catering/banquet manager,
etc.
The University is committed to fostering relationships with food service providers of all types
and sizes in nearby communities and the greater tri-state area. The University understands that
every placement site is different and not every placement site will have a formalized food service
management program.
Provided below is one example of a food service management program rotation;
· To acquaint the student with a formal system of management, (i.e. management by
objectives, action plans, strategic planning.)
Prepared by: Maddy Antosiewicz Fall 2014
Health & Nutrition Sciences
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2. · Familiarize the student with the aspects of planning and administering a large volume
catering event, as well as other small volume catering events and venues.
· Develop the ability to evaluate existing procedures and recommend change.
· Develop an understanding of personnel, production and service problems.
· Become familiar with methods and procedures which are conducive to a sound
accounting system.
· Familiarize the student with a computerized system for daily dining functions, including
food procurement, inventory, forecasting and accounting principles.
· Familiarize the student with in-house sanitation and food safety procedures.
Many placement sites also have interns spending 25%-30% of their time doing
production work in the kitchen and the remainder of the time doing a scheduled rotation in the
areas mentioned above. The goal of the internship is to teach the student leadership skills and
provide opportunities for professional development that would not be available to a graduate in
an entry level position.
· The Food Management Internship is an academic-based internship that earns the student
academic credit. The student is required to identify learning goals for their internship,
requiring them to integrate classroom knowledge and skills in practical applications in a
professional environment. The site supervisor is asked to review and sign the Professional
Development Contract as acknowledgement of the student’s academic goals and commitment
of time, expertise and resources to facilitate learning. That portion of the internship is
evaluated by the student's faculty advisor.
Although the student has many responsibilities in internship, the procedure for placing a student
at your site is fairly simple. Once a student has been matched with your placement site an
Internship Agreement needs to be completed, signed and submitted to the internship
coordinator.
The Internship Agreement is an informal contract between the placement site and the student
that details the goals of the internship and the student's detailed job description.
Student Responsibilities
a) Complete and submit Internship Agreement
b) Perform their job duties as per agreed upon job description
c) Report to Internship site at agreed upon times and work agreed upon hours
d) Maintain a log of hours and have it signed by the supervisor
e) Fulfill goals of internship as per Learning Agreement and submit written reports as
required
Supervisor Responsibilities
a) Sign Internship Agreement
Prepared by: Maddy Antosiewicz Fall 2014

3. b) Act as a mentor to student providing professional development and opportunities for
professional and personal growth
c) Sign the Student’s Log of Hours
d) Complete mid semester evaluation
e) Complete end of semester evaluation
Faculty Advisor Responsibilities
a) Work together with the student, supervisor and Academic Clinical Coordinator to ensure
the quality of the internship experience.
b) Evaluate student’s progress with the Mid Term Evaluation of Internship Report
c) Facilitate discussions with students about their progress.
d) Participate in problem solving sessions when appropriate.
e) Schedule a site visit and meet with supervisor and student.
f) Review Internship Portfolio, including all Internship Goal assignments, Log of Hours and
other agreed upon deliverables to assess learning outcomes.
g) Review Student and Supervisor Evaluations.
h) Schedule the student’s oral presentation and evaluate the student’s performance.
i) Provide a final grade of internship.
Faculty Advisor
The faculty advisor’s primary responsibility is the student’s education. The faculty
advisor’s role is to assist in the development of the Learning Agreement, assess learning
outcomes and communicate with the site supervisor. It is the faculty advisor’s responsibility to
maintain the academic quality of the internship program ensuring that students are provided the
proper learning environment to relate theory to practice in the management of a food service
operation.
Prepared by: Maddy Antosiewicz Fall 2014