Mission
The mission of the Center for Experience Management in Tourism and Hospitality is to develop civically engaged leaders for the global tourism industry through an emphasis on service management and experiential learning.
Overview
As a student in the Center for Experience Management in Tourism and Hospitality, you’ll feel like an insider from day one. You’ll learn from industry-leading professors, acquire more than a thousand hours of paid work experience, and gain invaluable knowledge through hands-on learning.
- Our well-rounded curriculum will expose you to the broad career offerings in the tourism and hospitality industry. As you navigate this curriculum, you will experience:
- 1,400 hours of paid work experience, the most offered in tourism and hospitality education
- Elective courses that cater to your career interests
- A semester-long co-op leadership seminar
- Access to ongoing professional development, including membership in professional organizations
- Site visits and regular networking opportunities with industry leaders
- A professional mentor and a dedicated academic advisor
- Service learning
When you graduate, you won’t be starting your career in tourism and hospitality—you’ll be continuing the work you’ve done all along. You’ll be ready to enter the industry as an entry-level manager in:
Traditional sectors such as:
- Hotels and resorts
- Restaurants and food and beverage operations
- Clubs, casinos, and gaming
- Events
- Sports and entertainment
- Business and government
- Destinations and attractions, and theme parks
- Managed services in education (college/university and K-12)
Developing sectors such as:
- Hospitals
- Retirement communities
- Continued care and assisted living
Learning Outcomes
After completing the baccalaureate program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a commitment to managing the service experience specific to the context of the tourism industry.
- Integrate business concepts in tourism management.
- Apply the skills relevant to the operational areas of tourism management.
- Communicate effectively.
- Create a plan for personal leadership development.
Core Courses
* Service-learning course.
** Writing-enriched course.
Total Credits: 127
*Recommend BIOL 115 - Human Nutrition
†Two summer field experiences—HM 100 and HM 200 (400 hours minimum each—are also required at an approved location in the tourism industry. A work-book must be completed and submitted to the advisor for completion of the field experience requirement.
Summer Field Experience
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree candidates must complete two field experiences. The first should be completed during the summer between the student’s freshman and sophomore years. The second should be completed between the student’s sophomore and junior years. To complete this requirement, a minimum of 400 hours per summer of paid employment in the tourism industry must be documented and a workbook must be completed and approved by the faculty advisor.
Procedures
A student is responsible for obtaining the appropriate field experience workbook from his/her faculty advisor prior to the beginning of each summer employment. Students may wish to discuss their employment options with faculty advisors at this time. The employer and position of each field experience must be approved by the faculty advisor. During the summer, the student should complete the appropriate workbook and submit it to the hospitality management faculty advisor upon returning to school in the fall.
Transfer students may petition for acceptance of past work experience completed for other accredited institutions as fulfillment for one field experience requirement. A workbook must be completed for this work experience. The transfer student is responsible for obtaining this booklet as well as petitions for acceptance of past work experience from his or her faculty advisor.
Cooperative Education/Leadership Development Seminars
Requirements
Enrollment in a cooperative education/leadership development semester is based upon fulfillment of the following prerequisites:
- Two 400-hour field experiences.
- Minimum of 85 credits.
- Minimum 2.0 cumulative grade-point average.
- Successful completion of HM 204 and HM 207 .
- Approval of the co-op instructor.
Procedures
Students must take the leadership seminar in the fall of the senior year. Transfers are not scheduled for co-op prior to their second semester on campus.
A mandatory orientation meeting is held the semester prior to co-op enrollment. Students then work one-on-one with the co-op instructor for placement advice.
Program Structure
Co-op is mandatory for all Tourism and Hospitality Management majors and is considered a hallmark of the curriculum. The program consists of three distinct courses—HM 400 , HM 401 , and HM 402 , which total 15 credits and are taken simultaneously with full semester tuition charged.
Co-op requires a minimum of 600 hours of paid employment in a pre-approved tourism position for 16 weeks during the semester (average 37.5 hours per week). Students attend a six hour leadership seminar one day per week for discussion of individual work-related issues, as well as relevant tourism and hospitality management and leadership topics.
4+1 BS and MBA
Students have the opportunity to earn both a bachelor of science in hospitality management and an MBA from the School of Business Administration in an accelerated 5-year program. Interested students should consult with their academic advisor.
Available Minors
Students may attain a minor in events management, accounting, economics, finance, human resources, international business, management, marketing, MIS, modern language, operations management, sports management and along with the bachelor degree. These students should meet with their faculty advisor and the chairperson of the department of their minor for guidance.
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