Lena Pinkston
As your internship director, I'm here to help you get the most out of your practicum and internship experiences.
For more information, contact me:
Close-Hipp 709
803-777-1264
pinkstol@mailbox.sc.edu
Retailing students have completed internships with companies such as Belk, Nordstrom, Apple (Gamecock iHub Apple Authorized Campus Store), Ralph Lauren, Target, Augusta National Golf Club, Vera Wang, Bergdorf Goodman, Andmore, Knitwell, Pepsi and many more. The department continues to expand relationships with domestic and global companies to create meaningful career pathways for our students.
Experiential learning is a core component of the Retailing major. Students gain professional experience through two required work experiences: the Retailing Practicum (RETL 295) and the Retailing Internship (RETL 495).
Retail Internship Pathways & Student Resources
Retailing students have access to the Retail Internship Pathways Organization in Blackboard, an internal resource hub designed to support career exploration and internship preparation.
Through this platform, students can access:
- An internal retail job and internship board
- Employer career sessions and industry events
- Internship preparation resources
- Announcements about experiential learning opportunities
- Professional development information for retail careers
Students are encouraged to actively engage with these resources throughout their time in the program as they prepare for their practicum and internship experiences.
Experiential Learning Requirements
Retailing majors are required to complete two experiential learning courses:
- RETL 295 – Retailing Practicum (3-6 credit hours)
- RETL 495 – Retailing Internship (6 credit hours)
The practicum must be completed prior to the internship.
Work Hour and Credit Requirements
Requirements vary by catalog year:
- Students enrolled prior to Fall 2025:
RETL 295 Practicum and RETL 495 Internship are 6-credit courses requiring 300 work hours each. - Students enrolled Fall 2025 or later:
RETL 295 Practicum is a 3-credit course requiring 150 work hours.
Important Note About Course Information
This webpage provides general information about experiential learning in the Retailing program and is not the official source for course requirements or policies. Students should review the RETL 295 and RETL 495 Course Policy Manuals available in the Retail Internship Pathways organization in Blackboard for detailed information about course expectations, approval procedures, and experiential learning requirements.
The policy manuals are available to students as a reference while preparing for these courses. Once enrolled, the course itself becomes the primary source of information, and students should follow the instructions and guidelines provided within the course.
In the event of any differences between this webpage and course materials, the course content and policy manuals serve as the official sources of information.
RETL 295 – Practicum
The practicum is typically completed at the end or after the sophomore year and provides an introduction to professional work in the retail industry.
Students often gain experience in areas such as:
- retail operations
- sales and customer experience
- visual merchandising
- digital retail or e-commerce
- store management support
Students complete required coursework while earning industry experience during the practicum.
Prerequisites: RETL 265, Completion of 45 credit hours
RETL 495 – Internship
The internship is typically completed during the junior or senior year and provides a more advanced professional experience.
Internships should involve either:
- a managerial or supervisory role, or
- participation in a structured corporate internship program
Most internships occur during the summer semester, and students are encouraged to limit additional coursework while completing the experience.
Prerequisite: RETL 295
Internship Approval Process
All practicum and internship experiences must be submitted and approved through Handshake, the University Career Center’s career management platform.
Students must:
- Secure a position meeting course approval guidelines
- Submit the experience in Handshake
- Receive approval from the Retailing Internship Director
Students may register for RETL 295 or RETL 495 after:
- meeting course prerequisites
- receiving approval in Handshake
- having any applicable registration holds lifted
- reaching their assigned registration time
Role of the Internship Supervisor
Supervisors are expected to provide students with a structured and meaningful professional experience in a retail or retail-related environment. This includes supporting the student’s professional development and helping connect academic learning with real-world industry practice.
Supervisor expectations include:
- Providing a structured work experience in a retail or retail-related setting
- Mentoring the student in professional workplace practices and expectations
- Providing meaningful responsibilities that contribute to the student’s learning and skill development
- Supporting a project or initiative that allows the student to apply course concepts in the workplace
- Completing an evaluation of the student’s performance at the conclusion of the work experience
Supervisors are expected to complete the student evaluation in a timely manner, as their feedback is an important component of the student’s course evaluation and contributes to the student’s final grade.