Work-integrated learning (WIL) continues to be a central element of higher education and may provide students with opportunities for both personal and professional development. However, the personal development opportunities afforded by WIL are often overshadowed by the more typical focus of work readiness. Increasing attention to self-authorship, an important stage of personal development when students start to make use of their internal voice to guide their beliefs, identity and relationships, could address this imbalance in WIL programs. This article explores the extent to which WIL enables self-authorship development in tourism management students. An interpretive, longitudinal case study methodology guided the study. The findings indicate the significant potential of WIL to foster students' self-authorship development given the opportunities and challenges inherent in placements. The Work-Integrated Learning for Self-authorship Development (WILSAD) model is proposed as a conceptual framework to assist WIL program designers in fostering self-authorship development in their students.