Hospitality management degree overview

Degree programs in hospitality management teach students how to operate hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that serve business travelers and vacationers. Coursework may vary from one curriculum to another, depending on whether the program offers general hospitality management training or is focused on a specialty area, such as travel agency operations, restaurant management, or hotel management. Regardless of the specific course content or concentration, students are likely to take some or all of the following classes:

• Employee Labor Relations
• Facilities Design
• Food Service Operations
• Hospitality Finance: Budgeting and Payroll
• Hospitality Law
• Hotel and Resort Operations
• Inventory Management
• Marketing and Advertising
• Meetings and Events Management
• Scheduling
• Tourism Geography

Associate Degree in Hospitality Management - Two Year Duration
This degree program prepares students to continue their studies in a bachelor’s program or to work in administrative and entry-level roles in the field. Coursework typically includes food and beverage ordering and inventory management, wine and beverage control, basic bookkeeping, and an introduction to advertising.

Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management - Four Year Duration
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management, graduates generally qualify for positions as food and beverage managers, conference coordinators, gaming supervisors or managers, and assistant lodging/front-desk managers. At this level of education students can typically choose a concentration such as gaming management, meetings and events, restaurant management, or PGA golf tournament.

These are examples of classes that are commonly offered in hospitality management bachelor’s programs:

• Foundations of Hotel Management – hotel and resort operations; maintaining service standards
• Food and Beverage Management – restaurant operations; food and beverage purchasing
• Wine History and Culture – wine styles; old world wine regions; new world wine regions
• Meetings and Events Management – corporate meetings, conferences, and incentive travel management
• Human Resource Management – hiring hospitality staff and managers
• Hospitality Facilities and Operations Management – design features used in the hospitality industry; space planning; floor layouts
• Technology for the Hospitality Industry – software and systems used in the hospitality industry

Business Administration
Business administration includes overseeing finances, staffing, and contract negotiations. A business administration degree program, therefore, teaches students how to plan, organize, and direct all the activities of an organization.

Culinary Arts
Culinary arts are the arts of preparing, cooking, and presenting food. Food that is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds is the goal of the culinary artist. Degree programs in the field prepare students for a variety of roles within the food and hospitality arenas. The typical curriculum covers professional cooking techniques, world cuisines, how to balance flavors, food aesthetics, and menu planning.

Food Service Management
Degrees in food service management are targeted at individuals who wish to combine their passion for food with an interest in managing a food-related business.

International Business
Students of international business study business from a global perspective. They learn how to work cross-culturally, how to manage multinational businesses, and how to turn local and national companies into international corporations. Coursework often includes some foreign language studies, as well.

By its nature, the hospitality industry is about customer service and the customer experience. Therefore, perhaps more than in any other business sector, soft skills are very much sought after by employers. It follows, then, that hospitality management programs include the teaching of such skills as part of their curriculum. Graduates come away with skills in:

• Self-awareness
• Self confidence
• Resilience
• Communication
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Management
• Problem-solving
• Networking
• Emotional intelligence

Hotels, Resorts, and Casinos
Opportunities for hospitality management graduates exist with hotel chains, independent boutique hotels, business hotels, apartment hotels, casino hotels, and resorts. Within each of these sectors there are jobs with food and beverage outlets, the front-desk/reception, reservations, concierge/guest services, conference services, the rooms division, kitchens, human resources, and payroll.

Restaurants
A degree in hospitality management can lead graduates to positions in the restaurant industry. Among the possible roles are restaurant manager, food and beverage manager, and sommelier.

Airlines, Airports, and Ground Handling Agents
Holders of a hospitality management degree may pursue potential positions in the various areas of airline operations: passenger service, reservations, marketing, sales, and inflight crew. Passenger service agent jobs are also offered by handling agents and airport authorities, to which many airlines subcontract their ground handling. Services that are often subcontracted include check-in counter services; gate arrival and departure services; customer service and transfer counters; and airline lounges.

Tourism / Destination Management
Tourism attractions worldwide need to hire personnel with training in customer service and hospitality. Jobs exist with museums, art galleries, historical monuments and buildings, national parks, theme parks, aquariums, zoos, and landmarks. Cruise lines, luxury trains, and city tour companies are also significant employers of hospitality management grads.

In addition, in most major cities there are destination management companies that coordinate all of these tourism products for companies that hire them to organize incentive or reward travel programs for their employees or customers. Local tourism boards also employ individuals with a hospitality management background.