A bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration meets most of the entry-level employment requirements for jobs in the hospitality field, which includes food service manager and hotel manager. Students typically take classes on subjects such as hospitality theory, hospitality economics, and service excellence at an accredited hospitality program. They may also elect to take elective classes that focus on human resource management, recruitment, and leadership. Hospitality students learn about taxation, payroll, employee benefits, and marketing at a community college.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that hospitality and tourism jobs are expected to increase nine percent by the year 2021. Students with a Bachelor’s degree can choose to focus on one of several areas within the hospitality, or they can pursue a wider range of career goals. Hospitality analysts can work in hotels, cruise lines, or another area that has a large number of guestrooms or bed rooms. Hospitality managers oversee the daily operations of guestrooms and suites. An associate’s degree in hospitality administration allows students to seek employment in a number of industries, such as cruise lines, hotels, resorts, and other types of bed and breakfast establishments.
Most hospitality programs offer internship programs in areas like human resources, marketing, operations, accounting, and other business-oriented areas. Internships allow students to gain hands-on experience in a specific area of hospitality that interests them. Hospitality internships may cover such areas as general management, restaurant management, beverage management, spa management, event planning, management, or hotel hospitality. Hospitality interns also learn about entry-level hospitality positions, such as housekeeping, room service, catering, and bartending, and about the background of different aspects of hospitality, such as food service, event planning, hotel finance, and guest relations.
