B.A. in Hospitality Management: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Management is designed to prepare students for management careers in the Hospitality Industry. The Hospitality Industry comprises Hotels, Food and Beverage Services, Event Planning Services, and Tourism-related Services. This degree is designed to educate students in the principles of business management across all segments of the Hospitality Industry. Many universities offer degree programs in Hospitality Management. Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management at National Louis University is one such university.

What Is a B.A. in Hospitality Management?

A hospitality management program builds a general business sense for managing a service-oriented operation. This includes the study of operations, finance, marketing, and human resources as they apply to a variety of hospitality-related settings, such as hotels, restaurants, event planning companies, and tourism organizations. The practical application of hospitality management is typically learned through a variety of hands-on guest service situations that allow students to gain real-world experience managing and operating various service operations.

The B.A. in Hospitality Management degree at Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management in the United States offers students a flexible, hands-on curriculum that helps them reach their professional goals in the hospitality industry. With a focus on hotel management, food and beverage service, event planning, and tourism, the degree program helps students develop the skills and knowledge to become well-rounded managers in the hospitality industry. The degree is offered at National Louis University in Chicago, a major tourism destination and hub for meetings and conventions.

Why Pursue a B.A. in Hospitality Management?

Pursue a B.A. in Hospitality Management for many reasons, including the numerous careers available within the hospitality industry. Most importantly, there are numerous settings and specialties within the hospitality industry, including hotel management, food and beverage services, event planning, and tourism, to name a few. These settings and specialties are united by a core set of management and guest service skills that can be applied across a range of situations. For those who want to pursue a business degree specifically for service industries with an emphasis on guest experience, a B.A. in Hospitality Management is a great option.

For students who enjoy dynamic, interactive work environments where they can manage a variety of experiences for their guests, hospitality can be an ideal career path. It is an exciting field where you can manage and coordinate events, stay focused on your guests, and oversee staff, rooms, and various aspects of a hotel, restaurant, or other establishment. There are a variety of jobs within hospitality, and, as such, a variety of career paths for students to choose from in the field.

One reason Hospitality Management is an attractive option for many students is the wide variety of opportunities available in the industry. Many of the top Hospitality companies operate around the world, meaning graduates have the opportunity to work in multiple countries and gain diverse experience. The fact that there are also many opportunities to move around within the industry, working in a variety of different environments and for companies of different sizes and types, is another reason that Hospitality Management is a highly appealing option for many.

Key Questions About This Degree

What specific career paths does this degree prepare students for?

Other career paths within Hospitality include food and beverage management, tourism management, conference planning, and event management. Sometimes graduates even specialize in different types of hospitality, depending on their courses, prior experience, and general work style.

Prior experience in the hospitality industry is not required. These programs are designed to teach students the general knowledge and skills that they would learn in any business program, and then apply that knowledge to hospitality-related situations. Students with prior experience in hotels, restaurants, etc., may have a slight advantage in certain courses, but for the most part, they will learn alongside their classmates.

What is the type of hands-on experience that students can expect to have in these programs?

Hands-on experience in the classroom, in the form of real work opportunities (e.g., internships, industry-based projects), and the opportunity to interact with individuals in the industry to gain additional insight.

 While hospitality management shares core business skills with a general business degree — finance, operations, marketing, human resources — it applies those skills specifically to hospitality settings, and includes hospitality-specific coursework (guest

Similar but not exactly the same as General Business. The hospitality management major includes many of the same business functions (i.e., finance, operations, marketing, human resources) but applies them in the hospitality industry, with additional courses that focus on specific areas within hospitality, such as guest service standards, event logistics, and hotel revenue management.

Career Outcomes

The types of jobs available to graduates of a Hospitality Management program include positions as Hotel General/Department Managers, Food and Beverage Managers, Event Planners/Managers, Tourism Marketing Coordinators, and Hospitality Operations Managers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of lodging managers and meeting, convention, and event planners will continue to grow over the next decade as the hospitality and tourism industry recovers from current challenges. For more information on current employment projections, wages, and growth rate for these occupations, go to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Lodging Managers and Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Lodging Managers and Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners entries.

The hospitality industry is global, and there are many opportunities for graduates of Hospitality Management programs to work in countries worldwide. Many of the major hotel brands, event companies, and tourism organizations are based in countries all over the world. Graduates with a Hospitality Management degree will have the skills to work in many countries around the world. In addition, students who attend programs in countries with strong tourism industries, such as Chicago, can take advantage of numerous internship opportunities and networking events throughout their programs.

Career advancement is clear in the hospitality industry. In many large hospitality organizations, there are formal management training programs. These programs start with entry-level positions in supervisory roles. Guests are served by employees supervised by graduates of Hospitality Management programs. Department managers report to graduates. General managers report to graduates who are Regional Managers. Regional Managers report to the President/CEO of the hospitality organization.

B.A. in Hospitality Management at National Louis University's Kendall College - Hospitality Management Program Information and Overview.

National Louis University's Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management offers students a top-ranked B.A. in Hospitality Management program that includes hotel management, food and beverage management, event planning and management, and tourism management. The coursework will provide the student with a solid foundation in business principles applicable to the Hospitality industry worldwide. The Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management is located in the heart of Chicago, one of the world's premier travel and meeting destinations. The B.A. in Hospitality Management program is ranked among the top 25 programs in the world by CEOWORLD.