Due to the demand for a graduate hospitality management education, hospitality management schools and programs can be found all over the world along with companies looking to hire individuals with this advanced training. A master’s program in hospitality management is designed to provide you with additional higher-level skills and training in a specialty concentration that you would not receive with a bachelor's program. Many companies recognize these accredited graduate programs and understand that future hires with an advanced degree have a higher level of training and the ability to typically manage a team of professionals.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Hospitality Management Managers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119081.htm (visited March 24, 2022).
First, you're going to have to take a set number of credits at minimum each quarter or semester. If you have chosen a major in hospitality management without any concentrations, you'll likely be able to complete your courses and earn your degree sooner.
Even better, one university will allow you to earn academic credit for several forms of applied education and real-world experience including job-related courses and military training.
Many universities require its hospitality management masters majors to earn between 36 to 54 semester hours for a doctorate. For those students who want to earn an advanced hospitality management degree, they will need to take at least 36 semester hours to graduate depending on the college program. If you take at least 9 credit hours per semester, you'll earn your graduate program degree in 2 to 3 years; if you take 12 credit hours per semester, you'll graduate in closer to 18 months to 2 1/2 years.
Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.
When you know that you want to major in hospitality management, you should find out if the colleges and universities you're most interested in carry this major. You should check the academic catalogs of each university to verify which ones do carry a hospitality management specialty and verify with your state's department of education that the colleges you're considering offer the appropriate graduate hospitality management education program you need for your field.
If a university you're considering doesn't carry a master’s in hospitality management major, then it's time to cross that school off your list. Keep checking the other schools. For those that do have a hospitality management major, begin looking over their programs so you get a better idea which university interests you the most.
A hospitality management master's degree will consist of some really particular training courses to increase your subject knowledge. Generally, a master's degree in hospitality management looks like your upper division classes on a bachelors, but with a graduate degree or advanced degree the courses are more specific and will require additional critical thinking skills. Below is a sample of online master's degree courses so you can see the kind of curriculum that will be typically found. Universities will differ in their specific studies needed and required. Compare colleges very carefully on the courses they will require you to take to gain your master's degree in hospitality management. Sample courses you may need:
Currently, students enrolled in masters programs at universities have less than a 50% chance of graduating within two years. Statistics vary from university to university, but many students are graduating closer to the three-year range.
If you want to be one of the lucky 40% who do graduate in your second year, you'll need to make a few sacrifices. First, you'll have to take more than the minimum 9 credit hours per semester. Take 12 credits per semester, because you'll finish earning the required credits in around two years.
Go to school each summer session. Take at least one class per summer semester. Not only will you be sure to graduate on time, but you may also benefit with lower per-credit tuition charges, as well.
Declare your concentration as soon as you can. You won't be moving between concentrations this way. If you have to work for gas or rent, work for the fewest number of hours per week that you can. Your studies are vital.
Accreditation is a very important facet of your career since, if the college you attend is accredited by a reputable association, the doctorate degree you earn from that college will have more value and some employers include this information when evaluating you for employment.
The reason why accreditation is so important is that, without it, it's hard to determine what kind of standards the training programs hold and if they are up to date with technology and innovation.
A college gets accredited voluntarily by an association of their choice. The association will interview and inspect the college thoroughly to see if they meet their standards of everything from cleanliness to academics and, if the college passes the inspection, the association puts their stamp on them as an assurance that they meet all their requirements.
Employers today want only the best of the best working for them. Some businesses are even willing to pay for the education of potential candidates. So, when it comes to degrees, most employers look at the accreditor of the school you earned your degree from, since this says a lot about the kind of education you acquired. If an employer is willing to go so far as to pay for a student's education, imagine what kind of salary they will offer to those holding a degree from a highly reputable association.
The cost will depend on several factors. Are you pursuing your doctoral hospitality management degree online or in a traditional setting? If you attend your courses on campus, you will also need to pay for food, room and board, and other fees. This can increase the cost of your hospitality management education significantly unless you have a plan in place to keep these costs low. If you attend a public, state school, it will depend on whether or not you are a resident. In-state students usually pay much lower rates than out-of-state students. However, this can be overcome by attending classes online, as most institutions charge in-state rates for all online courses. Either way, you need to research the costs for each doctoral program you are considering applying to, as each institution will have their own rates.
You can't afford to take time to redraft your resume, write attention-grabbing cover letters, schedule job interviews, practice your interview skills, or parry salary offers. Not when you're student-teaching and getting ready to graduate.
That is why most universities and colleges have offices where career and placement service professionals can help you with all of the above. If your resume needs to be updated or even totally rewritten, they will help you. If you need to brush up on your interview skills, they can assist you.
Some campuses even hold professional development workshops. These may include networking skills, resume writing, and interviewing skills.
