graduate program
The M.S. in Hospitality Management (HM) will prepare students for managerial and leadership positions within the hospitality, tourism, and sport industries such as Director of Sales and Marketing, Director of Food and Beverage, Director of Convention Sales, and Director of Sport & Entertainment for a variety of venues, such as theme parks, sports arenas, motor speedways, and convention centers. Earning a graduate degree in Hospitality Management will also serve as a qualification for entering a doctoral program in Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, Sport and Entertainment Management.
Two curriculum plans are available for Hospitality Management graduate students.
Plan I: Student must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit, including HES 509, and 18 hours in HM courses. Plan I students must complete at least 6 semester hours of thesis research and write a thesis. A final oral examination is required upon completion of the thesis, and a manuscript of publishable quality based on thesis research is expected of each Plan I degree candidate. Student must schedule an appointment with his/her advisor to discuss their thesis topic within the first 4 weeks enrolled in graduate school.
Plan II: Students must complete 30 hours of coursework and successfully pass a comprehensive exam or complete a Capstone Special Project. Students must schedule an appointment with their advisor to begin discussing their special project topic during the first 10 weeks of their first semester in graduate school.
For both options, a grade of “B” or higher must be earned in all courses.
Suggested Plan of study for the hospitality management specialization
30 credit hours
Fall Semester (choose 9-12 hours)
- RHM 596 Seminar in Hospitality Mgt (3hrs) (F)
- RHM 576 Strategic Mgt in the Hospitality Industry (3hrs) (F)
- RHM 521 Hospitality Law (3hrs) (F, SP)
- Elective (3hrs) or Pre-requisite*
Spring Semester (choose 9-12 hours)
- HES 509 Research Methods (3hrs) (F/SP/SU) (statistics required as pre-requisite)
- RHM 575 Financial Mgt and Hospitality Operations (3hrs) (F, SP)
- RHM 570 Leadership in the Hospitality Industry (3hrs) (SP)
- Elective (3hrs) for non-thesis and RHM 599 Research Hours for thesis track
Summer (choose 6-10 hours)
- RHM 592 Special Problems in Hospitality Mgt (3-6 hrs) (F/SP/SU)
- Elective (3hrs) for non-thesis and RHM 599 Research Hours for thesis track
If students make below a "C" in any course, the class credit hours will not be counted toward the 30 required credit hours. For both thesis and non-thesis options, a grade of "B" or higher must be earned in all courses taken in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
Recommended Graduate Course Electives
RHM 551: Sport Properties and venue Management
RHM 561: Marketing, Sales & Public Relations in Sports
RHM 555: Sports Sales and Entrepreneurship
RHM 559: International Strategies in Sports
RHM 570: Leaders Mgt Hospitality Industry
RHM 576: Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism
RHM 596: Seminar Hospitality Management
CSM 525: Conflict Resolution Workplace
CSM 527: Emotional Intelligence
CSM 528: Processes of Negotiation
CSM 572 Needs Assessment Plan & Evaluation
CSM 575 Entrepreneurship in HES
Graduation Requirements:
GPA of 3.0 or higher
Successfully completed and defended a thesis, or Capstone Special Project or
Comprehensive ExamCompleted at 30 credit hours
Hospitality Management graduate students must successfully complete a written comprehensive exam and an oral exam over course content within the College of Human Environmental Sciences to fulfill requirements for the degree.
The comprehensive written and oral exam must be scheduled with the faculty advisor a minimum of six weeks prior to the end of the semester in which the student plans to complete his/her requirements for the degree.
Additional information
To request further information regarding the Hospitality Management Program, contact Dr. Kimberly Severt at ksevert@ches.ua.edu or at (205) 348-8169.
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