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Hospitality Management

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THE MAJOR	WHO SUCCEEDS	CAREERS	INTERNSHIPS	WEBSITES

THE MAJOR
The Hospitality Management (HM) major is one of two programs in the School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management. Students within the major will receive a Bachelor of Science degree.

Admission and Progression Standards for this major:
Click on the link to learn more about the admission and progression standards of this major: http://www.jmu.edu/advising/snapshots/SSHTM.shtml. *Please note: The information on this website will be updated soon, to reflect the change in curriculum and degree requirements.*

Description of Major
The hospitality leaders of tomorrow must be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. The Hospitality Management program at JMU prides itself on being a leading Bachelor of Science hospitality degree program in the country. The HM major emphasizes practical experience through the curriculum and students are encouraged to participate in opportunities to study abroad.

The HM mission is to develop hospitality leaders through sound theoretical coursework, innovative learning activities, mentoring opportunities, exposure to premier hospitality organizations, and interaction with dynamic industry professionals. Together with alumni, students, parents, and friends of the program, HM at JMU will be recognized as the preferred provider of hospitality graduates.

Hospitality Management is an extremely dynamic field and students may pursue careers in hotels, resorts, restaurants, private clubs, travel, various food service operations or convention management and meeting planning.

The goals of the program are:

To expose students to a rigorous academic and experiential learning program, including a 400 hour internship prior to graduation.
To provide an intimate educational setting of small classes, team learning experiences and meaningful personal contacts with faculty and industry professionals.
To promote the use and development of technology, critical thinking and communication skills in hospitality leadership.
To ensure that all HM students have a meaningful choice of job opportunities upon graduation.
To build a set of leadership skills while providing students exceptional financial acumen.
To maintain a faculty of knowledgeable and respected industry professionals, dedicated to continuous improvement via internships, authorship, industry contacts and participation at national and international industry conferences.

Tell me more about this field of study.
The Hospitality field, also known as the mega-industry, includes many career opportunities. Recent statistics include the following:

Hospitality Management provides $98.3 billion in tax revenues or federal, state and local governments.
Total Hospitality Employment in the United States includes 15.4 million jobs.
Pleasure travel volume was 950.4 million; personal-trips with business travel accounted for over 251 million trips in the United States alone.
The World Tourism Organization forecasts a growth in international tourist arrivals of between 3% and 4% in the next year. International visitors spend $79.4 billion a year.
The travel field is America's largest services exporter, with international travelers spending over $110 billion in the United States.
The US hotel and motel industry consists of about 40,000 companies that operate 48,000 properties, with combined annual revenue over $120 billion.
The restaurant industry’s total economic effect is $1.5 trillion.
The restaurant industry remains one of the nation’s largest private-sector employers with its 12.7 million employees, comprising 9% of the U.S. workforce.
The restaurant industry is projected to add 1.3 million career and employment opportunities by 2020. Dining is the most popular domestic trip activity and is included in 31% of all domestic trips. On a typical day, 130 million Americans will visit a restaurant.
The private club industry represented by The Club Managers Association of America had $13 billion in revenue in 2008 employing 290,749 associates.

Tell me more about specializations in this field.
Individuals can pursue entry level management paths in the hospitality industry. General Managers of clubs, resorts, hotels, and restaurants coordinate a team of managers to deliver exceptional service and a memorable experience, relative to the following: Convention services managers coordinate meetings, conventions, and other special events for a hotel. Food and beverage managers direct the food services of hotels. Front office managers coordinate reservations and train front desk staff to deal with the public. Executive housekeepers insure that guest rooms, meeting rooms and public areas are well maintained and train and supervise housekeepers. Restaurant managers are responsible for all phases of a food service operation.

What common major or minor combinations from other departments complement this major?
There are many compatible combinations with an HM degree, including: Accounting, Communications, English as a Second Language, Finance, Foreign Languages, Human Resource Development, or Psychology.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
Good business skills, exceptional written and oral communication skills, and excellent interpersonal skills are essential in this field. Individuals must also be able to adapt and work well under pressure in order to solve problems and handle emergencies.

CAREERS
Many graduates choose typical career paths associated with this major. However, some graduates choose unrelated careers that utilize skills and experiences developed during their years in college. Keep in mind, that some fields will require graduate study or further training. The listing below offers a few examples of some career paths taken by recent graduates of the HTM program:

Banquet Director
Cake Designer
Catering Director
Club Manager
Conference Coordinator
Event Planner
Food/Beverage Manager
Food Cost Accountant
Human Resource Specialist

Lodging/Resort Manager
Operations Manager
Purchasing Agent
Retail Manager
Sales Manager
Special Projects Assistant
Technical Recruiter
University Food Service Manager

Who employs Hospitality Management graduates?
Airlines, Amusement Parks, Associations, Catering Companies, Colleges/Universities, Country/City Clubs, Cruise Lines, Bridal Establishments, Conference Centers, Convention Centers, Hotels/Motels, Lodging Corporations, Resorts, Restaurants, Special Events/Promoters, Tourism Companies, Travel Agencies.

INTERNSHIPS AND PRACTICA THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT
Hospitality Management requires the student to complete 1,000 hours of work experience in the hospitality field prior to graduation. This is reflected in two courses:

HM 310: 600 hours of Work Experience
HM 402: Supervisory Internship

Students pursue internships under the direction of a faculty advisor and our Internship Director. In addition, students have a variety of opportunities to gain practical experience. For example, in HM 440: Hospitality Leadership, students are required to plan, organize and execute all aspects of a creative, fun-filled Senior Project with high quality food and entertainment while staying within budget. Students may wish to become active in one of the related student organizations:

CMAA – Club Management Association of America
NSMH – National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
PCMA – Professional Conference Management Association
ESD - Eta Sigma Delta

NSMH and PCMA participates in the regional and national NSMH Conferences and CMAA members attend regional events as well as the World CMAA Conference. Information on Hospitality Management related internships can also be found in the Career and Academic Planning Resource Center located in Wilson Hall 303.

WEBSITES
What are JMU graduates doing with this major?: http://oirsacs.jmu.edu/alumni/alumempl.asp
A Day in the Life of a Chef: http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=32
A Day in the Life of a Food Service Manager: http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=221
A Day in the Life of a Hotel Manager: http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=77
A Day in the Life of a Restauranteur: http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=137
Careers in Hospitality Management: http://www.intstudy.com/articles/saap5a03.htm
Leisure and Hospitality: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cg1009.htm
Meeting and Convention Planners: http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1121.00
Meeting and Convention Planners: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos298.htm
Federal Jobs: http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/programs/calltoserve/toolkit/#3 (scroll to Academic Guides, then "Business")
Food Service Managers: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos024.htm
Food Services and Drinking Places: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs023.htm
Hotels and Other Accommodations: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs036.htm
Lodging Managers: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos015.htm
Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos020.htm
Travel Agents: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

A broad range of resources on career fields, internships, and job search information is also available in the Career and Academic Planning Resource Center located in 303 Wilson Hall.