HM Student greets visitors at the Hotel Madison
Hotel Madison, Shenandoah Valley Conference Center

You can gain practical knowledge and a head start in the industry through shadowing employees, manager-in-training programs, internships, working events and research right on campus.

NASCAR University

You can start your career in the fast lane by participating in the NASCAR University initiative, a program which provides training, internships and networking opportunities for sports marketing majors. Students who do well in the program will be guaranteed interviews for sales associate positions with NASCAR and will be invited to work the big race at Richmond.

JMU students participating in the NASCAR University training and internship initiative

#1

Best Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management program
Best Accredited Colleges

BestAccreditedColleges

Best Accredited Colleges has ranked James Madison University #1 Best Bachelor's Degrees in Hospitality Management, 2023

School Highlights
  • At the 2023 Provost Awards, Professor Julia Wallace Carr was awarded the Distinguished Service Award.
  • The Hart School hosts a range of guest speakers each semester. Check out who has visited recently. 
  • Director Stephanie West was elected a fellow of the Academy of the Leisure Sciences.
  • Named as one of the top 50 best hospitality and hotel-management schools in the world for 2022 by CEOworld magazine. 
  • Professor and SRM Program Director David Shonk was recognized for his service to the profession and discipline with the 2021 Accenture Professional Service Award.
  • Hospitality management lecturer Tassie Pippert won a Capital Emmy Award in 2021 in the category Lifestyle: Long-Form Content for her role as host of the Virginia Public Media TV show UnWine’d. The show educates the audience about Virginia wine, winemaking techniques and features cooking demonstrations of dishes designed to pair with specific wines.
  • Professor Gilpatrick Hornsby was awarded the J.W. and Alice S. Marriott Professorship beginning July 2021
  • The Hart School is well represented on the Board of Directors of the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Educators, or ICHRIE.
    • Theresa Lind serves as the president of the Northeast North American (NENA) Federation of ICHRIE. The NENA Federation comprises 13 of the 50 United States and Canada.
    • Reg Foucar-Szocki serves in a volunteer capacity as its interim executive director of operations.
    • Tassie Pippert serves as the international secretary and as a member of the executive board.
    • Tony Kim is NENA’s director of conferences and events, and Ruth O’Rourke is chair of the Board of Governors for Eta Sigma Delta, the international honor society administered by ICHRIE.

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