Degree Overview: Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Service Management
Majors Overview September 30, 2014Food service managers perform a variety of tasks ranging from purchasing advertising and ordering napkins to hiring staff and planning menus. Students can expand their management skills, business abilities, and food knowledge with a bachelor’s degree program in food service management. Internships may also be offered according to students’ interests.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Programs in Food Service Management
Individuals seeking a career in food distribution services, food service facilities, or restaurants would benefit from completing the food service management or administration program. It usually takes four years for students to complete bachelor’s degree programs, whereby students are taught about the day-to-day operations of numerous types of establishments, including restaurants, that are involved in providing customers with beverages and food. Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or a high school diploma or equivalent, such as a transfer degree or an associate’s degree, in addition to submitting standardized test scores and a transcript.
Coursework
The business, food service, and leadership skills of students are enhanced through coursework within a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Food Service Management program. Such coursework may include on-the-job training via internships, whereby students can explore areas that interest them.
Coursework may impart instruction on the nutritional value or science of foods, in addition to exposing them to food culture. Students enrolled in some programs are required to complete general education courses along with core coursework that may include these topic areas:
•Business law and management
•Marketing
•Accounting
•Economics
•Food planning and preparation
•Sanitation
•Nutrition
•Hospitality
•Multicultural food
•Food science
Career Choices
Graduates from a food service management program can choose from an array of career options, such as working for fine dining establishments, campuses, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, or resorts. They can choose from career options such as:
•Food buyer
•Hospital food service worker
•Executive chef
•Restaurant and catering manager
•Health specialist
Job and Wage Outlook
A negligible job growth rate has been predicted for food service managers over the 2012 – 2022 decade, while a 5% job growth is expected to be seen by chefs and head cooks during that period (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). While chefs earned an average annual wage of $42,480, food service managers brought home an average wage of $47,960.
Certification Choices
While certification is not a mandatory requirement by employers, graduates of the bachelor’s degree program would benefit by obtaining a Foodservice Management Professional (FMP) credential. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation awards the FMP certification to individuals that pass an exam and successfully complete a series of classes in management. A certain amount of work experience is also required.
