This study investigates the impact of internships on career intentions among hospitality students at UiTM Permatang Pauh, Malaysia, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Despite the recognized importance of internships in undergraduate education, limited research explores how they shape career decisions in the hospitality industry, which faces persistent labor shortages and high turnover rates. A quantitative approach was employed, with data collected via an online survey from 113 hospitality students who completed internships. The survey measured three TPB constructs—attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control—and their relationship with career intention. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26, with Pearson correlation tests revealing significant relationships: a moderate positive correlation between attitude and career intention (*r* = 0.476), a strong positive correlation between subjective norms and career intention (*r* = 0.700), and a moderate positive correlation between perceived behavioral control and career intention (*r* = 0.513). The findings highlight the critical role of internships in shaping students’ perceptions of the hospitality industry, particularly the influence of social expectations (subjective norms) on career decisions. This study contributes to the literature by empirically validating TPB in the context of hospitality internships and offers practical insights for educators and industry stakeholders to design internship programs that foster positive career intentions. Limitations include the single-institution sample and self-report bias, suggesting the need for future research with larger, diverse populations and longitudinal designs.