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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

  • A student shakes the hand of a company recruiter at the Experience Expo job fair.

Career Connections

Our Dean has a vision of a 200% job placement for every student — that’s two job offers to choose from upon graduation. To make that vision a reality, the college provides students with a valuable alumni network, corporate engagement resources, career fairs, and faculty who are able to help students make industry connections.

Alumni Network

HRSM students become part of an instant career network made up of more than 25,000 passionate alumni who are working around the world. The college's alumni relations office works tirelessly to connect students to engaged and successful alumni who are excited to help fellow Gamecocks achieve personal and professional success. These alumni serve as mentors, employers, references and role models who enrich student's lives. 

Alumni regularly visit campus to give guest lectures, recruit students for job and internship opportunities at their companies and to volunteer to help students work on their networking skills. For example, more than 50 alumni volunteer each semester at the HRSM Alumni Society Virtual Career Day where they participate in a mock networking evening with students and give them feedback on how to perfect their elevator pitch and handshake.

  • HRSM graduate Aaron Henderson looks out to the crowd at a professor for a day event.

    Aaron Henderson
    B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management, '13

    Agent, Klutch Sports Group LLC

  • Two-time HRSM graduate Mamee Groves poes for a photo with a current student.

    Mamee Groves
    M.S. Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, '04

    Regional Vice President of Food and Beverage, Invited

  • HRSM alumna Megan Pinckney Rutherford speaks with a student after giving a presentation.

    Megan Pinckney Rutherford
    B.S. Retailing (Fashion Merchandising), '14

    Social Media Manager, Pinck Strategies


Corporate Engagement

The college is continuously working to strengthen and expand meaningful partnerships with some of the top employers in the industry to create employment pipelines that benefit students and industry partners. The college's corporate engagement office works with partners across campus to provide a wide range of benefits to students, including resume reviews, job postings, field trips to corporate offices, guest speakers, career fairs and more. 

Career Fairs

The college's signature corporate engagement event is the HRSM Experience Expo — a career and opportunity fair exclusively for HRSM students. The event gives students the chance to meet with dozens of employers who are actively looking for interns and full-time employees right on campus. 

Additionally, the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management hosts an annual industry conference that includes a career fair focused on sport and entertainment management careers. These events are also in addition to career fairs held by the university, so there are limitless opportunities.

  • A recruiter speaks with a student at SEVT during a career fair.
  • A company representative speaks to a student at Experience Expo.


Faculty Connections

Our faculty's commitment to student success goes beyond teaching. Many of our professors have extensive industry experience, and they regularly call on their own professional contacts to give students even more opportunities to find career opportunities and meet with executives who are leading the industry today.

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