Hospitality

Are you a people person? Do you love to travel or like hosting people? You might be a good fit for the worldwide service industry! Through course work, internships and on-site learning labs, we’ll teach you the skills needed to succeed.

For those interested in business and wanting to lead a customer-focused team, our industry-specific Hospitality and Tourism Management program will get you on the right track to a career in the hotel, restaurant, event planning, theme park or management fields.

The Hospitality and Tourism Management major prepares students for careers by incorporating real-world projects into the curriculum that tackle issues faced by hospitality and tourism businesses today. Students in the program can get hands-on problem-solving experience and understand how to integrate technologies into the work as needed, a vital skill in this competitive, rapidly changing field. Companies in the hospitality and tourism industry, especially in West Virginia, look to the Chambers College of Business and Economics as a good source for interns and full-time employees.

The Hospitality and Tourism Management major is designed to meet the needs of West Virginia's second-largest industry. Hospitality/Tourism is one of the top 10 biggest industries in the world in terms of revenue. This program is available to any students enrolled in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics and includes the following classes, in addition to general business courses:

• Hospitality and Tourism Leadership
• Hotel Operations Management
• Restaurant Operations Management
• Tourism Management
• Hospitality Revenue Management
• Hospitality Social Customer Relationship Management
• Event Planning Practicum

Careers

The Hospitality and Tourism Management major has a placement rate of more than 90%. The success is due to the requirement of two internships as part of the major. Students who have completed their internships successfully were given full-time job opportunities after their graduation. For instance, one student completed a College Experience Internship at Disney while she was a junior, and after graduation was selected as a Professional Intern at Disney. Another student was selected for the Marriott Voyage global leadership development program.

• Several other students completed internships that led to a full-time job, including hotel operations manager at the Marriott International, event operations voyager at Gaylord Rockies Resort, and revenue manager at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.

• Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Hospitality and Tourism Management major? Check out these ideas fromWVU Career Servicesand theOccupational Information Network (O*NET). Keep in mind, a median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

Related Minors

Marketing

Professional Sales

Learning Labs

Students gain real-world experience in restaurant and hotel management by spending time in learning labs including Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe in the WVU Mountainlair and Waterfront Place Hotel, including the Regatta Bar and Grille.

Internships and Jobs

Hospitality and Tourism majors are required to take two field experience (internship) courses. Companies in the Hospitality & Tourism industry, especially in West Virginia, look to the WVU College of Business and Economics for interns and full-time employees. The College has a staff dedicated to helping students find internships and employment.