A hospitality management degree can prepare you for a rewarding career in the hotel, restaurant, cruise ship, spa, resort or other entertainment and leisure industries. These industries are extremely lucrative, and there is a great deal of work all over the world in management positions. If you earn a hospitality management degree, you will be well on your way to a career that can really take you places.

The curriculum involved in a hospitality management degree will vary depending on the school you attend, the specialization you choose and the specific degree you are going after (associates, bachelor’s or master’s). A typical Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality management will require courses such as Mathematical Analysis for Business, Economic Analysis, and English/Written Composition courses. Then you can begin the core curriculum for the hospitality management degree, which may include the following courses:

1. Introduction to Hotel Management

2. Introduction to Restaurant & Institutional Food Service

3. Introduction to Commercial Recreation & Resort Management

4. Principles of Financial Accounting

5. Principles of Managerial Accounting

6. Hospitality Management Law

7. Business Statistics

8. Event Planning Management

9. Business Finance

10. Foods, Production & Service

11. Foodservice Systems Management

12. Introduction to Management and Organizational Behavior

13. Marketing

14. Hospitality Human Resource Management

15. Hotel Operations

There will also probably be an internship and seminar course required for completion of a hospitality management degree, which is an important component of the curriculum. This will provide an opportunity to get hands on experience in the field, to network and to meet potential future employers. Then you will be more prepared to enter the hospitality management career of your choice.

Once you’re working in the field you will have great opportunities set out before you. While entry level hospitality managers’ fresh out of college may only earn $25,000 annually, it will not take long to gain experience and move into more lucrative positions making $80,000 or more annually. The job outlook is also good, as the hospitality industry in the United States is currently searching for approximately 200,000 new executives in hotels, resorts, restaurants, spas and wineries.

Institutions offering quality Hospitality Management Programs include The International Culinary Institute at the Art Institutes, Le Cordon Blue Schools, Strayer University, Everest University, and The University of Phoenix.