UNH Today

Hospitality management is more than an area of study; it’s a way of life. Hospitality management programs can prepare you for a fulfilling career and offer opportunities for growth and advancement. 

What is hospitality management?

The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes hotels, motels, resorts and inns, restaurant management (food and beverage, catering), event and convention planning, recreation management (clubs, sports, theme parks, camping and park festivals), transportation (cruise line, rail) and marketing and sales (social media, branding, franchise).

Hospitality, including tourism, is one of the world’s largest industries, with a global economic contribution of more than $8.3 trillion in 2017.

What do you learn in a hospitality management program?

A hospitality management major will prepare you to manage operations and people in the hospitality industry. A hospitality management education includes classes that teach you the overall breadth and depth of global business management and operations, including accounting, social channel marketing, talent management and using innovative technology for the hospitality industry. You will also be able to learn problem-solving and leadership and have the opportunity to grow these skills by pairing your class work with professional internships in hospitality management fields.

What can you do with a degree in hospitality management?

There are many career options for hospitality management majors. Career opportunities in hospitality are growing steadily worldwide as the industry continues to boom and evolve. According to jobs.net, the hospitality industry is growing at a faster rate than other fields, and the need for qualified managerial candidates remains high.

The best salaries in these businesses will go to management-level professionals with advanced hospitality management degrees. Here are just a few examples of employment opportunities:

Talent Management

Talent managers are responsible for designing and implementing programs that attract, measure, develop and manage an organization's talent pool. These positions evaluate and provide reports regarding the effectiveness of an organization's talent strategies and may be responsible for the development of training programs aimed at aligning talent management with organizational goals.

Accounting and Finance

Hospitality accounting and finance managers are responsible for providing owners, general managers and other senior-level professionals with accurate, timely and relevant financial data. Additionally, responsibilities may include revenue and pricing management as well as management of the audit function to deliver outstanding guest service and financial profitability.

Meeting and Event Planner

Meeting, convention and event planners are responsible for coordinating all aspects of events on a wide range of scales and scopes. They are depended on to take care of the logistics and budgets and work with vendors to ensure the events meet the clients’ expectations.

Food and Beverage Operations

Food service managers are responsible for carrying out job duties in administration, customer service, employee management and sales and marketing. The industry offers a wide variety of management opportunities in an assortment of establishments.

Hotel Operations

From working in a small boutique inn to a resort or grand hotel, lodging and resort managers are able to influence the guest experience in a variety of ways. Managers make sure company standards are met, establishments are run efficiently, financials are in order, staff is hired and brand loyalty is built through a positive guest experience.

Sales and Marketing Operations

Marketing and sales operations in the hospitality industry cover a broad range of responsibilities, from eCommerce to brand marketing. Managers are expected to understand the company’s brand and services and where they fit into the marketplace and be able to position that brand for success.

So what can you do with a hospitality management degree? It turns out there’s a whole lot. Now that you've seen the many hospitality management career options, it’s time to learn more about the program that can help you get there.

Find out whether a hospitality management degree could be right for you.