Grand Valley State University

Hospitality and Tourism Management, B.A., B.S.

Subject Overview

What is Hospitality and Tourism Management?
Hospitality and Tourism Management is a very dynamic sector of the service industry encompassing a wide variety of career opportunities which include lodging, food and beverage, recreation, club management, resort operations, travel, tourism, and event management.

Program Description

The hospitality and tourism management program (HTM) at Grand Valley State University prepares students for management positions and leadership roles in various segments of this dynamic industry. The program was established in 1977 in response to the need for professionally trained managers. It fits Grand Valley's goal of providing a curriculum that integrates liberal arts with professional courses that stress practical application. The industry's diversity and rapid expansion provide excellent career opportunities for Grand Valley graduates.

The program is built on a foundation of applied business management where students are exposed to the development of competencies in service operations management, accounting, human resource management, marketing, hospitality law and an emphasis area of their choice. Opportunities for advancement, specialization, and international work opportunities are especially attractive features of this major. Over the last few years, job placement rates for graduates from the HTM program have consistently been among the highest at Grand Valley.

The industry is very resilient and experts continue to remain positive about the ongoing growth of the service sector. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the future of travel and tourism will remain strong despite a challenging economic climate. They predict future growth over the next 10 years to continue in both economic (GDP) and employment terms (8.4% of total employment). All sectors of hospitality and tourism are attractive to entrepreneurs and graduates of college hospitality programs should have the best opportunities for salaried management positions, according to the Career Guide to Industries. Management jobs have been consistently available and median annual salaries across the United States range from approximately $32,000 to $48,000 (payscale.com).

Faculty
The program is administered and taught by professionals with successful backgrounds in both industry and academia. The faculty offer diverse experiences, drawing from both domestic and international hospitality experience.

Internship Program
One of the significant strengths of the HTM program is the required seven-credit sequence of field experience and internships. HTM majors complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of work in the hospitality industry, providing them with a critical background of work experience and allowing them to explore various segments of this diverse industry. Many HTM graduates secure career positions in the company with whom they completed an internship.

Career Opportunities

Students are assigned faculty mentors who are available to work with them on career planning. In addition, a dedicated advising center offers comprehensive academic support in degree planning. The department also works closely with the Career Services Office which provides additional assistance to students. Both the department and Career Services are involved in a number of career fairs, on campus and off, where students may meet with company recruiters. Students have many opportunities to interview for internship employment as well as placement after graduation.

Typical careers include the following types of positions:
Hotel and Resort Management
- Director of rooms division
- Executive housekeeper
- General manager
- Director of sales

Meetings and Events Management
- Convention sales and service
- Conference services/meeting planning
- Special events management
- Convention and visitors bureaus
- Association meeting manager

Food and Beverage Service Management
- Hotel food service
- Restaurant management
- Institutional food service
- Beverage/lounge management
- Banquet/catering management

Club Management

Tourism
- Tourism manager
- Travel consultant
- Convention visitor bureau manager
- Tour operations
- Tourism entrepreneur

Recreation/Theme Park Management
- Adventure tourism operator

Degree Requirements

The hospitality and tourism management program offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The B.S. degree requires a three-course cognate in quantitative reasoning. The B.A. degree requires third-semester proficiency in a foreign language. The program combines a directed sequence of field experiences with a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum consisting of courses in the arts and sciences, business and hospitality, and tourism.

Students interested in majoring in hospitality and tourism management must complete the following:

1. General university degree requirements as identified in the General Academic Regulations section of the Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate catalog, www.gvsu.edu/catalog.

2. Hospitality and tourism core management courses (minimum of 28 credits).

3. Hospitality and tourism management field requirement (7 credits).

4. Career emphasis (minimum of 15 credits, of which at least six credits must be in HTM, with adviser approval).
- Food management
- Lodging
- Tourism/travel
- Other. A customized emphasis of the student's own choosing, with prior advisor and department chair approval.

5. Science and mathematics core (9 credits).

6. Business cognate (12 credits).

Requirements for a minor:
Students in other majors may minor in hospitality and tourism management by completing a minimum of six courses in HTM, including HTM 101 Fundamentals, totaling a minimum of 21 credits, with advisor approval. Students minoring in HTM are encouraged to consider including at least one field experience course in their program. Interested students should meet with an HTM faculty mentor to establish a specific plan.

For courses, curriculum, other degree related information, and faculty listings, please visit the Grand Valley State University catalog online at www.gvsu.edu/catalog.

For More Information

Hospitality and Tourism Management
Grand Valley State University
B-3-226 Mackinac Hall
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Telephone: (616) 331-3118
Fax: (616) 331-3115
Web: www.gvsu.edu/htm
or
Admissions Office
Grand Valley State University
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Telephone: (616) 331-2025 or (800) 748-0246
Email: admissions@gvsu.edu
Web: www.gvsu.edu/admissions