Courses and Curriculum
The Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management is a distinguished program with two decades experience providing high-quality curriculum and internship opportunities. As a student in the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM), you will graduate with a comprehensive understanding of your industry and be ready to apply your innovative thinking to your career.
This interdisciplinary program not only provides the foundation for working in the tourism and hospitality industries, but also teaches you essential business principles that will help you in the future. While your classroom courses will play an essential role in your program, you won’t only be learning from textbooks and lectures. At STHM, we emphasize the importance of working in the real world—before graduation.
The Center for Student Services, STHM’s in-house advising unit, provides individualized support for course sequences, elective options, registration, financial aid assistance, scheduling, and academic resources. As a result, you will be well equipped to make well-informed decisions regarding your education and future.
Required Courses | 64 Credits
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management are required to complete 24 credits of STHM foundation courses, 13 credits of Fox School of Business courses and 27 credits of Tourism and Hospitality Management major courses.
This course is an introduction to the nature, scope, and significance of leisure. The course will address the history, conceptual foundations, and socio-cultural dimensions of play, recreation, sport, tourism, hospitality, and leisure; the significance of play, recreation, sport, tourism, hospitality, and leisure in contemporary society and throughout the life span; the interrelationship between leisure behavior and the natural environment; the motivational basis for play, recreation, sport, tourism, hospitality, and leisure behavior; concepts of time, work, and leisure; leisure around the world; patterns of leisure involvement; and the issues, trends, challenges, and the future of leisure.
This course emphasizes leisure, sport, recreation, tourism, and hospitality services for a multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-ethnic society, as well as for persons with disabilities. As the course explores the significance of play, recreation, and leisure throughout the life span, it will focus on the impact of leisure delivery systems on diverse populations within our society. Implications of personal biases will be a thread throughout the course.
Students will be assigned to an industry agency to complete 180 hours of professional experience. The agency will be selected through cooperation between the student, the School Internship Coordinator and an agency supervisor.
The purpose of this class is to expose the students to a model of organizational structure in the sport, recreation, tourism, hospitality, and leisure services profession through simulated experiences. The class is designed with a president, departments, and staff roles. These roles are designed to represent the interactions that take place with various constituencies needed to enhance sport, recreation, tourism, and hospitality education and opportunities.
After having completed the student’s last semester of classes, and the student must complete 600 hours with an industry agency. NOTE: The requirements of this experience are addressed in the School’s senior internship manual (which is distributed in STHM 4112).
Introduction to the role of marketing in the U.S. economy and within the firm. The interaction of marketing with other business functions and with society. The course focuses on the components of marketing strategy including analyzing what markets and needs the firm will serve; deciding when, where, and how the firm will meet these needs; and understanding why (i.e., a compelling business reason) the firm should implement a strategy. Includes the study of marketing mix development issues, including product development and management; pricing; integrated communications and promotion; distribution, logistics, and supply-chain management; as well as other decisions involved in this process.
This course prepares students to address the challenges of leading high performing organizations. Students will examine the enablers of principled organizational leadership and performance. Course topics include leadership, change management, decision-making, culture, team building, organizational structure and control, communication, social responsibility and sustainability, motivation, human resource management, and globalization.
This is an introductory course that will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of financial accounting and managerial accounting. Financial accounting information is produced, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). It reports the results of operations to external users (suppliers, customers, investors, regulatory agencies, etc.). Managerial accounting information is produced, in response to specific management needs. It does not follow GAAP. Managerial accounting reports the results of operations of an entity consistent with the needs of internal users (managers, supervisors, etc.). The first half of this course focuses on the accounting cycle, the structure of the financial statements, and profitability analysis. The second half of the course focuses on decision making based on accounting data. Tools for analysis and the ability to apply those tools to various data sets will be developed. NOTE: There is no expectation that students should possess prior accounting knowledge.
An introductory course in macroeconomics. Topics include business cycles, inflation, unemployment, banking, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, and economic growth.
The purpose of this online course is to prepare you to use Excel as a tool for solving business problems. You may be familiar with Excel but this course focuses on tools and Excel features that will specifically prepare you for your business courses, job interviews and for your professional life. You will learn how to use Excel efficiently, how to create formulas, use functions, produce and format charts, create reports and Pivot Tables, and use what-if-analysis for managerial decision making.
This course is explores the nature, scope and significance of the total field of tourism and hospitality; history and development, philosophies and theories, analysis of trends, issues and challenges.
This course concentrates on international and global issues in travel. Problems and characteristics specific to the international aspects of the travel industry will be examined. By the end of the course students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing international travel and through global travel patterns, the influence of politics, the impact of globalization, the role of sustainability and the influence of culture. Students will improve their knowledge of world geography and international players through the exploration of developed and potential tourist areas. Contemporary issues, as they relate to social, cultural and economic trends, are also explored.
This course provides the knowledge required to formulate and manage effectively the resources in a tourism or hospitality operation. Human resource administration will be the main focus; managerial history, organizational needs, job designs, recruitment process, hiring/firing process, discipline and grievance procedures, motivation and performance appraisals are examples of topics. Team learning approach and environment are highly emphasized.
This course will focus on how to make good decisions to solve practical industry problems in tourism and hospitality settings. Topics will include understanding the processes, tools, data, and organizational environments necessary for effective decision making. The overall goal will be to help students understand how to make a system (whether a collection of employees, customers, equipment and technology, or business locations) work more effectively. Written and oral communication skills, as well as the use of data analysis software, will be stressed.
This course is designed to provide students with knowledge of the fundamental concepts and tools that represent the core of financial management. The course will particularly emphasize the financial function and issues in a hospitality organization and will provide the student with applications of financial concepts in the context of hospitality financial management.
The main objective of the course is to give a general overview of sales management discipline and its leadership role in the tourism and hospitality industry. The student will be exposed to the overall nature and dimensions of sales and sales management as it is relevant to and practiced by the tourism and hospitality industry. The student will be going through readings, assignments, interaction in group discussions and role-play, and a practical hands-on project that provides them with an opportunity to practice what they learn during the course.
The main objective of the course is to give a general overview of sales management discipline and its leadership role in the tourism and hospitality industry. The student will be exposed to the overall nature and dimensions of sales and sales management as it is relevant to and practiced by the tourism and hospitality industry. The student will be going through readings, assignments, interaction in group discussions and role-play, and a practical hands-on project that provides them with an opportunity to practice what they learn during the course.
A comprehensive overview of laws and regulatory agencies governing the tourism and hospitality industry. Legal implications of civil laws, areas of tort and contract will be discussed, along with the law and legal relationships that exist in the business context. Hospitality law, especially when dealing with customers and business contracts, will be the main focus. Issues will be discussed from the points of view of innkeepers, restaurateurs, travel agents, and event planners. Attention will be given to labor relations laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, risk management, zoning, and unions.
The nature, scope and significance of this capstone course is to review, discuss and analyze current issues in tourism, hospitality and event management. Students will utilize their knowledge and understanding from previous courses to address present-day topics that have various impact within the industry. Students will work in a variety of platforms to identify, address and potentially resolve these issues. Daily and weekly news sources serve as primary references for the content of this course.
Major Electives | 12 Credits
Students are required to complete 12 credits of major electives.To offer students the ability to specialize these electives in a particular segment of the industry, students have the option of declaring a concentration in one of three areas: Destination Management, Event Management or Hospitality Operations.
To earn the concentration, students must complete three (of four) elective courses within the particular concentration area, the capstone course, and Internship II in a position related to the chosen concentration.
Today’s hotels and restaurants extend from small independent operations to globally connected multi-site operations that transcend geographical boundaries. This presents an exciting career opportunity for those that are passionate about interacting with people, creating exceptional experiences and who thrive in an environment where no two days are the same. This concentration prepares students to be effective operators in these organizations through exposure to key managerial elements, such as food and beverage, accommodation and revenue management, that contribute to an exceptional hospitality experience.
Hospitality Operations will focus on an integration and application of planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance of accommodations, including hotels, motels, and resorts. The physical aspects, capital investments, layout, and design will be included with the operational component. The course will also provide students with guided learning and hands-on experience in using a property management system.
A survey course in basic commercial food service. Forecasting, selection, ordering, receiving, storing, preparation, portioning, costs analysis, menu and customer expectations will be discussed. Beverage manufacturing, quality criteria and sensory standards for distilled spirits and domestic and foreign wines are included.
This course is an overview of the role gambling plays in today’s society. The course’s goal is to provide students with the background necessary to understand the gaming industry and its relationship to tourism, hospitality, recreation, and sports. Topics include the evolution of legal gaming, its management and regulation, the structure of the various gaming industries, and key terminology. Analysis of participation patterns and impacts of gambling, both positive and negative, on society will be addressed. An introduction to game rules and basic concepts from probability and statistics necessary to understand gambling operations will be discussed.
In this course students will learn to identify and exploit opportunities for revenue optimization in different business contexts. Students will review the main methodologies that are used in each of these areas, discuss issues associated with different pricing strategies, and survey current practices in the industry. Within the broader area of pricing theory, the course places particular emphasis on tactical optimization of pricing and capacity allocation decisions, tackled using quantitative models of consumer behavior, demand forecasts and market segmentation.
The execution of events follows a very complex model with many moving parts. This course analyzes the process for executing an event from concept and pre-production to implementation and onsite logistics management and measurability. The course content builds on a planning and project management framework and considers elements of logistics, risk management and sustainability.
The tourism industry is considered to be a significant contributor to the economic development of many destinations. To leverage this benefit, this concentration emphasizes the importance of effective planning and policy development at local, regional, state and national government levels as well attracting and creating memorable tourism experience for a destination. In consideration of the significant impact of tourism both economically and socially, this concentration focuses on the sustainable development of tourism for the benefit of all stakeholders.
An analysis of the socioeconomic planning process involved in developing tourism destinations in global, community, metropolitan, urban, and rural settings. Emphasis will be on policy and product development, regeneration and enhancement of facilities and services to meet the needs of tourists. Includes the adjustment process involved in integrating tourism into a developing economy, and the project management skills inherent in steering a development from inception to fruition. Extensive use is made of concepts from sociology, economics, political science, and business disciplines. Special readings from the current literature, case studies, guest speakers, and video cases will form an integral part of this course.
This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role, the scope and the business of destination marketing organizations. The course will also provide an overview on the history, development and future of destination marketing organizations in the United States and around the world. Trends, issues and challenges are discussed. Current and past managers of destination marketing organizations will be invited to provide first hand examples and deeper insights into destination marketing organizations, such as politics that govern relationships, funding, and marketing strategies.
This course presents an overview of the process of designing effective tourism hardware (attractions, etc.) and software (programs, special events, etc.). Students will learn how to define effective tourism experiences that add value to the visitor experience and how to measure and evaluate these experiences using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Furthermore, students will learn customer experience marketing and management principles to promote affinity and loyalty among tourism consumer groups.
The recent growth of events and festivals globally has seen the emergence of an industry that can be characterized as dynamic and exciting with endless possibilities. For individuals with with a passion for the planning and organizing of events, such as concerts, conventions, parties and other gatherings, this concentration equips students with the foundational knowledge as well as the hands on expertise to become a leader within the event industry.
This course provides an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the global events and entertainment industries. Topics will include the feasibility, viability and sustainability of the event and entertainment process, the strategic planning process, business development, human resource management, finance and budgeting, event creation and event orchestration, communications, and career development aspects of event and entertainment leaders.
This experience-based course will implement the principles of event and entertainment management. This course will provide students comprehensive insight into the facilitation of hands on event management. The experience course provides an experiential learning opportunity as students will develop, plan and execute an official STHM school event.
The execution of events follows a very complex model with many moving parts. This course analyzes the process for executing an event from concept and pre-production to implementation and onsite logistics management and measurability. The course content builds on a planning and project management framework and considers elements of logistics, risk management and sustainability.
The financial sustainability of an event requires the adoption of a complex revenue model that extends beyond traditional sources of income (e.g., ticket sales). Consideration of alternate revenue sources such as sponsorship, fundraising and ancillary incomes are a requirement for successful event execution. This course will educate and apply principles of alternate revenue development. Revenue sources including sponsorship, fundraising and ancillary income will be presented and discussed. Throughout this course, students will learn through practical scenarios from real-life case studies, readings, lectures, discussions and industry professionals as guest speakers.
General Education Requirements | 35-36 credits
In addition to the required courses and major electives, first-year students must complete the General Education curriculum, consisting of 11 courses in 9 different areas.
FOUNDATION COURSES
- Analytical Reading & Writing | 1 course, 4 credits
- Mosaic Humanities Seminar I & II | 2 courses, 3 credits each
- Quantitative Literacy | 1 course, 4 credits
BREADTH COURSES
- Arts | 1 course, 3 or 4 credits
- Human Behavior | 1 course, 3 credits
- Race & Diversity | 1 course, 3 credits
- Science & Technology | 2 courses, 3 credits each
- U.S. Society | 1 course, 3 credits
4+1 PROGRAM: Receive a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in 5 years
The 4+1 accelerated degree program consists of a minimum of 112 semester hours of undergraduate coursework and a maximum of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework to count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Upon successful completion of the fourth year, students will receive a Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management. In the fifth year, students will complete 24 credits of master’s coursework to complete the graduate degree requirements. At the end of the contiguous fifth year, students will receive a Master of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management.