USF deepens partnership with McKibbon Hospitality - Tampa Bay Business Journal
10/03/25 — A Tampa-based hospitality firm is opening its doors wider to local university students.
Go beyond the classroom. Experience hospitality from the front desk to the corporate boardroom.
The USF–McKibbon Cooperative Learning Program is a selective, two-semester mentorship that places USF hospitality students inside McKibbon Hospitality, a Tampa-based company operating approximately 100 hotels nationwide, including 11 in the Tampa Bay area. Students shadow leaders across every hotel and corporate department, work alongside mentors, and complete real projects that shape McKibbon properties and portfolio initiatives.
Up to four students are selected each year. Completion earns academic elective credit, a McKibbon certificate, and a digital badge.
Why This Program Is Different
This is not an internship. Rather than working standard shifts in a single department, cooperative learning students get a "day in the life" of the entire organization.
- Rotate through every property-level department at multiple McKibbon hotels
- Meet one-on-one with corporate leaders across all headquarters functions
- Complete two to three uniquely developed projects based on your interests
- Build relationships with McKibbon's executive team and mentors
- Attend a McKibbon Leadership training workshop
- Receive resume critique, interview coaching, and career advising from the Talent Acquisition team
What You Will Experience
The program moves in two phases that mirror each other. Students first rotate through hotel operations at multiple McKibbon properties, gaining hands-on experience in every part of running a hotel, from the guest-facing front line to back-of-house operations and revenue generation.
Students then bring that grounding to McKibbon Hospitality headquarters at Avion Park, where they see how those same functions are led at the corporate level. Because a hotel company relies on capabilities no single property has, students also gain exposure to the broader corporate functions that support the entire portfolio, such as marketing and communications, human resources and talent, learning and development, business intelligence and technology, and procurement.
Throughout, students meet one-on-one with department leaders, take part in recap sessions with their mentors, and complete two to three projects shaped around their own interests.
Program Structure
Duration: Two consecutive semesters
Time commitment: 30–40 hours per semester (60–80 hours total)
Location: McKibbon Hospitality headquarters at Avion Park and McKibbon hotels across Tampa
Bay
Scheduling: Personalized schedules built around class schedules, school breaks, and holidays. Each week students receive a detailed agenda with the department focus, location, hours, and mentor contact.
Compensation: Unpaid mentorship program. Students seeking a paid position may consider a McKibbon internship.
Cohort size: Up to four students per year
What You Earn
- 3 credit hours as an elective: HFT 4930 Special Topics in Hospitality (B.S. students) or HMG 6908 Independent Study (M.S. students). Students must have elective credits remaining.
- Certificate of completion from McKibbon Hospitality
- USF digital badge (Credly) verifying skills in hotel operations, revenue management, hospitality sales, F&B, HR, marketing, and project management
- Networking access to the McKibbon executive team
- A foundation in leadership and strategy applicable to any hospitality career
Eligibility
- Declared hospitality major
- Enrolled in the USF B.S. or M.S. in Hospitality Management for at least one semester
- Ability to consistently adhere to the agreed-upon schedule
- Commitment to full engagement as directed by program mentors
Students may be removed from the program at any time if they do not demonstrate engagement or meet schedule requirements.
About McKibbon Hospitality
Founded on the belief that hospitality starts from within, McKibbon Hospitality owns, develops, and manages approximately 100 hotels across leading brands, with 11 properties in the Tampa Bay area. Its commitment to associates and guests, and its love of service, drove the partnership with USF to create this unique learning opportunity.
