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International Hospitality and Service Management BS
Program overview
The BS degree in international hospitality and service management prepares students for a wide variety of career choices in food and beverage management, hotel/resort management, travel management, food marketing and distribution, and event management. A career in the hospitality industry has become highly specialized in today’s business world, and RIT graduates are in demand.
The program’s concentrations provide broad-based views of service management, hospitality, travel, and client care through a common core of courses. This approach promotes an understanding of the interrelationships among the food, lodging, travel, and meeting management industries based on the underlying concept of quality service management. This approach allows students to retain the flexibility to switch majors or jobs if their career goals change. These diverse and specialized fields require creative problem solving, technical knowledge, communication skills, and leadership.
RIT's program is among the nation’s leading hospitality and travel management programs, recognized by Forbes, Travel Weekly, Nation’s Restaurant News, and Corporate Travel magazines. Our alumni come from around the United States and from more than 38 countries.
Curriculum
The program’s is rigorous and challenging as it provides opportunities for students to develop their full potential in a managerial environment. The program is integrated, encompassing a broad base of competencies defined in partnership with faculty, students, and industry. Students take courses that build a strong concept of the industry as a whole by studying accounting, marketing, finance, economics, business management, behavioral sciences, human resource management, service management, nutrition, food preparation, food and beverage service principles, hotel operations, travel, tourism, and other topics.
In addition, some students may opt to create their own unique concentration based upon their interests. A preplanned set of courses must be completed with an adviser.
Cooperative education
The program requires each student to combine 1,200 hours of practical cooperative education experience with classroom theory. In co-op placements, students are introduced to hands-on learning in the service industry. Co-op usually is completed in the summer following the freshman and sophomore years and during any semester in the junior and senior years, except the final semester of the senior year, when students are required to be in residence on campus. Co-op is planned, monitored, and evaluated by the student, the co-op counselor, the faculty adviser, and the employing firm.
International hospitality and service management, BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| HSPT-181 | Principles of Food Hotel and Tourism Operations | 3 |
| Concentration Courses | 6 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| HSPT-284 | Hospitality Industry Sales and Marketing | 3 |
| MATH-101 | LAS Perspective 7A: College Algebra | 3 |
| ECON-101 | LAS Perspective 4: Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: First-Year Writing | 3 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| HSPT-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Second Year | ||
| ACCT-110 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| HSPT-281 | Service Management in a Global Economy | 3 |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 3, 5 | 6 | |
| LAS General Education Elective | 3 | |
| STAT-145 | LAS Perspective 7B: Introduction to Statistics I | 3 |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| LAS Electives | 6 | |
| HSPT-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Third Year | ||
| HSPT-384 | Financial Concepts For Hospitality Managers | 3 |
| HSPT-381 | Technology in Service Systems | 3 |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| Concentration Courses | 6 | |
| LAS Immersion 1, 2 | 6 | |
| HRDE-386 | Human Resources Development | 3 |
| HSPT-383 | Assessing and Improving Service Quality | 3 |
| LAS Elective | 3 | |
| HSPT-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Fourth Year | ||
| HSPT-481 | Leadership Innovation in Service Industries | 3 |
| LAS Immersion 3 | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| LAS Electives | 9 | |
| HSPT-490 | Senior Project (WI) | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 6 | 3 | |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
Concentrations
Students choose one concentration to fit the program to their career interests and goals.
Food and beverage management
It takes a wide range of knowledge to manage the daily operations of restaurants (from full-service to cafeteria, quick-service, and special chain operations); hotel fine dining and catering; clubs; and contract services for business, manufacturing, recreation and sports centers, education, health care, retail stores, government agencies, and food vending.
The food and beverage management concentration prepares students for management positions through lab experience in Henry’s, a full-service, beverage-licensed restaurant. Students learn essential principles and procedures for quality in food production and presentation, sanitation, nutrition, menu planning and merchandising, purchasing, product development, cost control, and service management. In addition, students develop competencies in problem solving and decision making through individual and team-based class projects, computerized exercises, and industry-related activities.
A student chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association fosters the exchange of ideas between professionals working in industry and students. The organization supports professional growth in organizational and social skills, and offers a place for students to network with professionals to make industry contacts. Students in their junior year are encouraged to attend the annual National Restaurant Association show in Chicago.
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD-121 | Principles of Food Production | 3 |
| FOOD-123 | Sanitation and Safety | 1 |
| FOOD-223 | Food and Beverage Management | 3 |
| FOOD-224 | Serving Alcohol Safely | 1 |
| FOOD-226 | Resturaunt Operations | 4 |
| FOOD-325 | Food Innovation and Development | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
International food marketing and distribution
This concentration prepares graduates for industry positions in food marketing, sales, and distribution and logistics. Graduates are uniquely qualified for positions in an array of food marketing and distribution industries worldwide. In particular, they understand a variety of issues, including food service operations and food marketing, logistics, distribution, and packaging.
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD-123 | Sanitation and Safety | 1 |
| FOOD-151 | International Food Distribution | 3 |
| FOOD-153 | Foods of the World | 1 |
| FOOD-251 | Commodity Market Analysis | 1 |
| FOOD-325 | Food Innovation and Development | 3 |
| FOOD-454 | Food Processing, Quality and Integrity | 3 |
| PACK-301 | Packaging Materials | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Entertainment and event management
The entertainment and event management concentration extends the hospitality educational experience to the various venues where special events, meetings, and conventions take place such as country clubs, marinas, sports stadiums, and casinos. Designing “wow” events and providing client satisfaction while managing risk and finances are critical skills developed through the curriculum. Students will participate in Puttin’ on the RITz, a black-tie dinner event and be offered opportunities to participate in off-campus special events as available.
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| HSPT-244 | Meeting and Event Management | 3 |
| HSPT-246 | Casino Management | 3 |
| HSPT-248 | Project Management for Events | 3 |
| HSPT-345 | Venue Management | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| HSPT-234 | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | |
| HSPT-336 | International Risk Assessment and Hospitatlity Law | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
International hotel and resort management
This concentration is focused on preparing students for the management and operation of hotel, resort, leisure, and related enterprises. Students will understand the physical characteristics of specific properties and gain the business expertise to manage and market them.
Industry professionals regularly offer their expertise in all of the program’s courses. Hospitality and service management students, in conjunction with the general manager of a local Rochester hotel, may enroll in a mentorship program sponsored by the Rochester Hotel Association. This allows students to work closely with executive managers on assigned research projects within a hotel.
Hotel and resort management students evaluate various technologies and service strategies in order to familiarize themselves with the industry’s best practices.
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| HSPT- 131 | Hotel Management Operations | 3 |
| HSPT-232 | Hospitality Real Estate and Facilities Management | 3 |
| HSPT-325 | International Destinations | 3 |
| HSPT-334 | International Resort Management | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| HSPT-234 | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | |
| HSPT-336 | International Risk Assessment & Hospitality Law | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |