Online Hotel and Hospitality Management Degree Programs

Online Hotel and Hospitality Management Degree Programs

The hotel and hospitality management industry is a thriving industry that is one of the biggest in the world. It requires effective and excellent management professionals and online hotel and hospitality management degree programs prepare students to be successful in a wide variety of careers. Students gain the essential skills in business, management, critical thinking, and conflict management to be competitive and lead a rewarding career. Read more about online hotel and hospitality management degree programs.

Some Stats

In 2006, there were 4,633 bachelor, 256 master, and 15 doctorate degrees conferred in general hospitality administration and management. There were 1,745 bachelor, 109 master, and 7 doctorate degrees in hotel/motel administration/management and 563 bachelor, 20 master, and 3 doctorate degrees in other hospitality administration/management (1). In 2006, lodging managers held 71,000 jobs with 54% being self-employed as owners of small hotels and bed and breakfast locations. According to Payscale.com, hotel and hospitality management professionals earned average annual salaries between about $37,000 and $63,000 depending on field and position (3).

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook for hotel and hospitality management jobs varies greatly among degree, field, and position. Employment of lodging managers is expected to grow as fast as average for all professions from 2006 to 2016, increasing 12% and adding 8,700 new jobs (2). General hotel managers with less than 1 year experience earned average annual salaries between $34,206 and $49,297 (4).

Specialties

Hotel and hospitality management is a large field and students can choose from many different specialties to pursue an interesting career. Hotel and hospitality management specialties include international hotel management, international human resources, food service management, restaurant management, catering management, dietary management, meetings and event management, pastry arts, culinary arts, tourism, global travel, sports and recreation management, vacation ownership/timeshare management, club management, casino management, and lodging management. Students who are interested in a certain specialty should choose schools that offer strong programs in that particular area.

What to Expect

Hotel and hospitality management degree programs provide students with a solid education to enter a broad range of management positions. Undergraduate hotel and hospitality management degree programs require general education courses in English, composition, mathematics, science, history, art, and electives. Core coursework varies by program, but most programs require courses in economics, marketing, accounting, human resources management, managing organizations, introduction to hospitality, hospitality law, customer service, meeting planning, and hotel management. Graduate hotel and hospitality management degree programs focus on more in-depth concepts and prepare students for more advanced positions.

The End Result

Undergraduate hotel and hospitality management degrees open the door to a of variety job opportunities in many sectors of the industry. Students who obtain graduate degrees will be prepared to transition into more advanced positions. Career opportunities for hotel and hospitality management graduates include:

A career in the hotel and hospitality management field will be satisfying for individuals who have a strong interest in the industry and enjoy helping customers enjoy their business and leisure accommodations. Hotel and hospitality management professionals enjoy managing people and activities in the hotel and hospitality field from food service to private meeting rooms. They solve problems and attempt to accommodate their guests as much as possible.

(1) SOURCE: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics
(2) SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition
(3) SOURCE: Payscale.com, Salary Survey for Industry: Hotel and Hospitality Management
(4) SOURCE: Payscale.com, Salary Survey Report