Overview of Hospitality Management Bachelor Degree Program
Majors Overview March 21, 2014Receive information about a bachelor’s degree program in Hospitality Management and its education requirements, coursework, career choices, and certification and continuing education choices.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Programs in Hospitality Management
Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in Hospitality Management are imparted practical skills, in addition to an understanding about successful management of businesses within the tourism and hospitality industries through a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on work training. An internship is included in many bachelor’s degree programs; this facilitates the application by students of their knowledge to real-life environments.
Schools often offer these 4-year programs as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Hospitality Management. Concentrations in Hospitality Management are also offered by some schools within Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree programs.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma. Some programs are devised to enable associate degree holders to earn a bachelor’s degree within two years; however, admission is not limited to those holding an associate degree.
Coursework
Coursework in a Hospitality Management program contains specific hospitality and tourism management programs, to augment basic business foundation courses. Coursework within the program may include subject areas such as:
•Food production management
•Hospitality law
•Lodging operations
•Accounting
•Hospitality information technology
Career Choices
Those who successfully complete the program can seek entry-level occupations as administrators of food-service facilities, hotels, correctional facilities, hospitals and schools. They can also pursue various other hospitality-related roles, including sales in the food service industry. They can seek work in numerous hospitality-related settings including:
•Hotels, motels or other lodging locations
•Tourism bureaus
•Restaurants
•Casinos
•Convention facilities
Certification and Continuing Education Choices
Hospitality managers can pursue continued education by earning master’s degrees in Hospitality Management. These programs may include hands-on application through internships and work experiences, in addition to classroom lectures. A thesis may be required in some programs at this level. A research-based curriculum is often contained in a doctoral program in Hospitality Management, whereby a dissertation is typically completed by the student. These programs are appropriate for those seeking work without the industry itself in fields such as research and academia.
