Hospitality and Event Management

The Hospitality and Event Management program is the only four-year program in Ohio accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. The curriculum combines specialty classes in hospitality and business management, preparing graduates for well-compensated positions as managers in restaurants, hotels and resorts, meeting, convention, and conference centers, country clubs, and other hospitality venues.

Hear why our students and alumni love the Hospitality & Event Management program!

Undergraduate Hospitality and Event Management Program

The Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality and Event Management prepares leaders for careers in major hospitality industry segments, through academic and research programs valuing quality of life, business success, collaborative partnerships, creative approaches, and ethical principles. Students can choose from one concentration, which include two focus areas. Focus areas include:

• The Event Management focus area emphasizes planning and managing events — from large to small and from corporate to personal — in addition to following protocols and ensuring safety and security during the events.
• The Hotel and Resort Management focus area emphasizes business skills such as managing staff and revenue, as well as the specific skills such as managing clubs and casinos.
• The Food and Beverage Management focus area emphasizes the business side of food, such as ordering and inventory, managing budgets and planning and pricing menus. In addition, students learn food science, food production and the pairing of food and beverages.

Graduate Hospitality & Tourism Management Program

The 100% online Master of Science program in Hospitality & Tourism Management is a combined master's degree that builds off of the Hospitality & Event Management, and the Recreation, Park & Tourism Management undergraduate programs. The program develops students’ critical analysis skills, research abilities, and understanding of advanced hospitality and tourism issues.

The Innovation Teaching Kitchen

The state-of-the-art Innovation Kitchen, built in 2020, supports the culinary classes for the Hospitality and Event Management Program, but also serves as a space for the Design Innovation Hub community to break barriers and biases through cross-disciplinary exposure and team building. The 800-square-foot Innovation Teaching Kitchen, with its capacity to live stream the activity from the master chef’s workstation to the DI Hub’s 200-seat lecture hall, will rival other culinary institutes around Cleveland, making it the perfect venue for a teaching kitchen where innovation will take center stage.

Watch the first Fall DIsh Cooking Challenge to see the kitchen (and our students!) in action.

Mission of the Hospitality and Event Management Program

The undergraduate degree program in Hospitality and Event Management prepares leaders for careers in major hospitality industry segments through academic and research programs valuing quality of life, business success, collaborative partnerships, creative approaches, and ethical principles.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the program will demonstrate:

• Foundational knowledge of hospitality operations
• Competence in business practices and managerial decision making
• Effective written and verbal communication skills 
• Interpersonal skills including professional behavior, collaborative relationships, and proficiency in networking 
• Analytical thinking and problem solving

EVIDENCE OF HOSPITALITY MAJOR SUCCESS

We conducted two surveys in 2014 and 2016 with a group of our program alumni. The results of those surveys were combined. Alumni rated their experience on a scale of 1-7, 1 being not prepared and 7 being excellent.

• 99% rated their quality of preparation in professional conduct a 5, 6, or 7
• 97% rated their quality of preparation in oral and written communication, quality of preparation in leadership, and quality of preparation in food safety and sanitation a 5, 6, or 7
• 96% rated their quality of preparation in problem solving/decision making a 5, 6, or 7

PROGRAMS STATS

• Students employed in the hospitality industry or a related field after graduation: 100%
• Student Retention Rate: 82.4%

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY FACTS

The hospitality management industry is experiencing a period of large growth.

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of foodservice management positions to increase 9% from 2016–2026.
• Nearly 1.6 million additional jobs are expected in restaurants and foodservice by 2028.
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects a 13% increase in casino hotel managers from 2008-2018, and a 4% increase in hotel  and lodging managers from 2016–2026.

Wide Variety of Career Opportunities for Hospitality Majors

With a degree from our accredited hospitality program, you can go on to a range of career roles, including:

Apply Today!

Have any questions? Contact program coordinator Dr. Kiwon Lee at klee47@kent.edu or by phone at 330-672-0653.