Quick Highlights:
- Studying hospitality management prepares you for higher-level jobs in the industry, even if some entry-level positions don’t require a degree.
- You can pursue different levels of education in hospitality management, from diplomas to master’s degrees, depending on your career goals.
- The hospitality sector is growing, offering various high-paying roles especially for those with more education and experience.
- Hospitality management degrees not only increase your earning potential but also provide essential skills for managing hotels, events, and other services.
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By pursuing a hospitality management degree, you can prepare yourself for a well-paid career field. While some entry-level jobs in hospitality don’t require a degree, studying hospitality management can prepare you for management positions. Additionally, applicants are more likely to find careers in hospitality management if they have a college degree.
Why study hospitality and tourism management? If you love helping people and care about traveling, this could be the career field for you. Read on to learn more about the many different benefits of hospitality management degree programs.
Related:
- 30 Best Bachelor’s Degrees in Hospitality Management
- Top 8 Hospitality and Tourism Bachelors Online Degree Programs
- Part-Time vs. Full-Time: Choosing the Best Hospitality Master’s Program for You
What Is Hospitality Management?
When you enroll in the top hospitality management programs, you can learn new skills for travel and hospitality careers. If you are employed in most careers in hospitality management, your biggest responsibility is making sure that guests have a good experience. You may work at a:
- hotel
- resort
- similar tourist-focused location
No matter where you work, your job will be to incorporate management, customer service, and marketing into your day-to-day tasks. For example, hotel administration handles the hotel’s operations, marketing, and hospitality.
To succeed in a hospitality management degree, you must possess strategic thinking skills. Additionally, you should learn about:
- finance
- technology
- innovation
Depending on your personal interests, you could be employed in sub-sectors, like travel and tourism or financial services. All of these different fields are included under the hospitality umbrella.
Currently, there are 16,897,000 people employed in the hospitality and leisure industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the median weekly earnings of the average employee is just $747, this represents every position in hospitality. If you only look at management positions and jobs that require a higher level of education, the average salary is significantly higher.
Reasons to Study Hospitality Management
Why study hospitality and tourism management? If you are employed in this industry, you can find many different travel and hospitality careers. In general, these positions pay significantly more if you have more experience or education. Plus, studying hospitality management can prepare you to take on specialized roles in the industry.
Career Opportunities
Over the next five years, jobs in the hotel industry are expected to grow by 12%. In comparison, the average industry is only forecasted to grow by 8%.
Even within the industry, some careers in hospitality are expected to grow more than others. If you want a job with a lot of employment growth, consider pursuing a position as:
- an events specialist
- a performing artist
- restaurant and bar staff
Spectator sports and traveler accommodations roles are constantly looking for new staff members. Because technological developments are rapidly changing the industry, many hospitality employers need cybersecurity professionals.
Skill Development
One of the largest benefits of hospitality management degree programs is that they can help you acquire additional skills. For example, you can improve your organizational, customer service, and management skills. Often, you can even take classes in accounting or finance, which can help you prepare for upper-level management roles.
Industry Growth
Whether you want event planning careers or jobs in restaurant management, you can expect to find many new opportunities in this field. Currently, the global hospitality marketplace is valued at around $4.5 billion. By 2028, it is expected to be worth almost $8 billion. The annual growth rate is expected to be around 11.47%.
Because of this, you can expect to find many different job opportunities in the near future. These job opportunities are available in many different sectors of the industry, so your hospitality management degree can really open the doors to many different opportunities.
Diversity and Inclusion
After studying at one of the top hospitality management programs, you can find a job in a variety of organizations. By its nature, hospitality is an incredibly diverse industry. This field has a global outlook, and many of the customers you talk to will be from a different country.
If you have a diverse background, your personal experiences can help you connect to clients from different countries, religions, and backgrounds. As a result, you can be more effective at doing your day-to-day job.
Travel Opportunities
One of the biggest benefits of hospitality management degree programs is that they can open up the door to more travel opportunities. For example, Southwest Airlines gives its employees and their eligible dependents unlimited, free flights. Meanwhile, Best Western lets its workers get 25% off the flexible rate.
At Holland America, employees work on the cruise ship while it’s traveling to new destinations. Additionally, employees and their families are given a free cruise each year
Other than discounts and free flights, careers in hospitality management make travel easier because they connect you with more opportunities. If there is a discount on a cruise, you’ll be the first person to hear about it.
Educational Pathways
Studying hospitality management may involve getting a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or certificate. The option you choose depends on what you want to do with your hospitality management degree and if your dream job requires an advanced degree.
If you’re just trying to figure out if this is the right field for you or not, you could try taking a free course on hospitality management from Brentwood Open Learning College. For a more in-depth experience, check out the hospitality management diploma at the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI).
Beyond basic certificates and diplomas, you can find colleges that offer entire bachelor’s and master’s degrees. A bachelor’s degree typically lasts for four years, and it can be completed online and offline. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, then you can pursue a master’s degree in the subject.
To find some of the best bachelor’s degrees, check out the following options.
- Cornell University
- New York University
- Fort Hays State University
- Boston University
- University of Alabama
- Virginia Tech
- Florida State University
Meanwhile, the following schools offer master’s degrees in hospitality management.
- University of Nevada
- Florida International University
- Kansas State University
- University of Central Florida
- Auburn University
- University of Southern California
How to Get Started
There are many benefits of hospitality management degree programs. To begin your journey, try reaching out to prospective colleges to get information packets. If you currently work in hospitality management, you can try asking people in management positions what type of degree they got and where they went to school.
Once you find a few colleges that might work, ask them about their financial aid packages and internship opportunities. Real-world experience will make it easier to get a job after you finish school, so you can go to job fairs at your campus or ask your school’s career center about entry-level options.
Achieve Your Career Goals Through a Degree in Hospitality Management
Why study hospitality and tourism management? Ultimately, it comes down to what you want to accomplish in life. If this is the career field you are passionate about, then you can learn a lot through the benefits of hospitality and tourism management programs.
Other than pursuing a hospitality management degree, you can also get a certificate or diploma in the field. There are many methods for studying hospitality management, so pick the one that works best for your needs. With the right education, you can obtain one of many vibrant careers in hospitality management.