Students selecting a hospitality management career generally thrive in an environment of assistance to others, personal accountability, and nontraditional work hours. The industry is ideal for individuals who are interested in customer service. Ability to work with diverse personalities, solve conflicts, and provide innovative leadership are key to a graduate’s success. This growing industry demands flexible hours from employees.
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The Hospitality Management curriculum offers a variety of courses designed to develop the skills and abilities required for a management career in the hospitality industry. The curriculum prepares students for a career in restaurant, commercial, and institutional food-service operations; hotel and lodging operations and management; and/or convention, meetings, sports, and event marketing and management.
Students must complete a 500-hour work practicum or internship in a hospitality organization. Students may also select a concentration in:
- Restaurant/Food and Beverage Management
- Hotel/Lodging
- Meetings and Events
- Sport, Entertainment and Event Management
Students completing a minor outside of the Hospitality Management program are not required to choose a concentration. Students may complete requirements for the Manage First Professional (MFP) certification available from the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association and/or the Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) certification or the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) available from the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
The hospitality management major is offered through the traditional on-campus setting (all concentrations) or via distance education with no concentration. Students who have completed 90 hours of undergraduate work with a 3.3 GPA overall are eligible to apply to the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP). If accepted, then up to 15 graduate credit hours of the 30 hour master's program could be taken as cross-listed courses or would substitute for required undergraduate coursework while finishing the undergraduate degree. Any coursework taken in this manner would apply towards both the undergraduate degree and a master's degree at The University of Alabama.
Campus Education Hospitality Management Curriculum
Students must file a plan of study for their concentration with the department office within the first semester of the sophomore year. The plan of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor. Students choosing a concentration in restaurant/food and beverage, hotel/lodging, meetings/event, or sport/entertainment must take the required classes mandated by their chosen concentration.
Distance Education Hospitality Management Program
Students completing the Hospitality Management program via distance education must complete the Hospitality Management Core Courses and the additional courses to meet the 120 hours requirement. The student's academic advisor will assist in selecting appropriate online courses to fulfill academic requirements. Students may fulfill degree requirements for the Hospitality Management major entirely online.