Typically, it takes four years to obtain a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management; however, there are many ways to reduce that time, such as a fast-track or online distance learning programs.

According to the “College Board” the average tuition and fees cost of a four-year bachelor’s degree program for in-state students is $8,655 per year and for those out-of-state students $21,706 per year. The cost at private institutions is even higher. However, each institution sets their own tuition cost, so you should do some research at the institutions near you or the online programs you are considering before assuming an institution is out of your financial reach.

The coursework required to obtain a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management will equal about 60 credits of major classes and another 60 credits of general education courses. The courses for your major may include the following…

• Restaurant & Hotel Marketing & Sales
• Hospitality Financial Management
• Facilities Management
• Restaurant Management
• Hospitality Law
• Security
• Hotel Operations

While declaring a major when applying to a college may be a good idea at some schools, as it shows you know what path you want to take, and you are committed to it, this can also lead to your status being compared to others who are interested in the same major. Thus, your test scores, math aptitude, and course rigor will go up against others applying for the same major.

Of course, declaring a major in a competitive field can complicate things at some schools, but it can also lead to some generous scholarship programs and financial aid for you.

Schools differ in the way they consider majors; some colleges may not even take the major you are interested in into account, thinking you are still too young to know what you want, as many students tend to change their mind later about the major they choose. In fact, it is estimated that 50-70% of students will change their mind and choose a new major at least once.

These are all good reasons why it is important for you to do some research first, ensure that the major you are interested in is available, and find out the policies the school has on majors.

There are many reasons why a student won’t get their degree on time as intended. One reason is that they might bite off more than they can chew by taking extra courses that they don’t even need to earn their degree and all it does is add time to graduation.

Some research found that a higher percentage of students who are undecided about what they want to major in and wait up to two years before choosing a major, graduate on time in four years. These first two years are mostly focused on completing general education courses and trying out a couple programs that you might want to major in, so this isn’t a bad strategy.

Students should never have to plan their education path alone. It’s not always easy to identify the different career choices available and the roles each position is involved in, not to mention how much they earn, what courses you must take, and how much they cost. This can take a lot of research and time in an effort to gain an understanding of positions in the job industry that you can train to qualify for.

Therefore, many colleges and institutions have job placements help and assistance services available, not only to plan your education path but to also place you with an employer who will be waiting to hire you upon earning your degree. If a school does not offer a professional service to its students, you may want to keep looking for an institution that is more reliable and more of a benefit to your career.

It’s not just that accreditation allows you to receive scholarships or federal financial aid that makes accreditation important. Accreditation is often referred to by employers, recruiters, and higher level education institutions to decide whether or not to hire you, refer you to an employer for hire, or allow you into their educational programs. Even if an employer chooses to hire you without an accredited degree, they will never hire you at the highest level of pay available for the position. The same can be said for unknown institutions who, even though they are accredited, are completely unknown by employers in the field you’re entering. It might be cheaper to go to an unknown school that just got accredited, but they won’t have built up any influence in the corporate world. It’s not impossible to get a good job, but it might be harder and that’s something you need to be aware of.

In order to gain a quality degree, you will need to attend a school that has earned accreditation, ensuring that the school has met certain standards and is up to date on teaching methods and more. Besides the fact that most employers pay special attention to the accreditation of the college you attended when considering whether or not to hire you, think about how much money it costs for you to get a good education. The U.S Department of Education will not offer financial aid to students attending a non-accredited school.