Many people have heard the term hospitality management before, and many have a vague idea of what it is. If you have an interest in the industry, whether in hotel management, motel management, or some other avenue, you will want to know what hospitality management courses cover, and what to expect from them.
What Is Hospitality Management?
Hospitality management is a sweeping term that refers to education and work in the hospitality field. The hospitality field also has a broad definition, but generally includes working in or management of hotels, motels, restaurants, spas, vacation retreats, resorts, amusement and theme parks, and similar businesses.
In basic terms, if a business provides hospitality services (like temporary rooming, accommodation, amusement, food, dining, entertainment) then they are considered a hospitality industry. Therefore, hospitality management would apply to any related types of management positions in these types of businesses.
Education in Hospitality Management
Not all people working in hospitality management have a degree, but more and more it is becoming the norm and the expectation. Some people who have been in the field for a long time come to hospitality management positions through a combination of experience, on-the-job training, mentoring, and usually additional courses in hospitality and/or business. So although a person may not necessarily hold a formal hospitality management degree, there is usually some type of work or course experience that supports their work and career.
As mentioned, many establishments today look for management personnel with hospitality management degrees. There are many levels of degree available within such a major or focus, from the level of certificates to Associate degrees, Bachelor degrees and higher hospitality management degrees, too.
Course Focus in Hospitality Management
Course focus in hospitality management programs combine classes focused on business and business management and classes in customer service, and also in various related facets of the industries.
Some typical course topics include accounting, business management, human resources and human resource management, public relations, finance, hotel operations and related operations concentrations, restaurant management, tourism, global tourism, attractions and attractions management, food and food preparation management, and event management. These are just some examples of some general course topics, but clearly a degree or program in hospitality management covers a lot of ground and draws from a number of general fields.
Should You Pursue A Hospitality Management Degree?
Whether or not a formal degree is right for you will depend on those factors mentioned before – your years in the hospitality industry; the variety and depth of your work experience; your access to a mentor or other support; other business and educational experience.
Most people do find at least some courses in hospitality management to be a big boost to their performance and efficiency as a hotel or motel owner or manager. If you choose not to go the route of a complete formal degree course, you might at least consider taking some select classes in your areas of weakness to fill in your experience and education gaps.
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