Graduate Study
Service Management
Program Overview
This program fills an emerging need in the many service businesses and industries that focus on understanding various customer relationships. Such businesses will find this program in tune with their educational and training investments. Attention is focused on the management interface between the customer and the service provider, innovation of products and services, and building customer relationships. This program gives individual students access to the interdisciplinary expertise of a technological university.
The program is flexible: five core courses (20 credit hours) are required. The choise of professional electives from a wide array of disciplines (computer science-information technology, quality and applied statistics, business and others) responds to individual student needs.
Both full-and part-time study are allowed. Courses are offered in the evening and on weekends. Full-time students may complete the master of science program within one calendar year (four academic quarters). The program is also offered in the executive leader format (eight one-week sessions delivered over two summers).
Curriculum Review
The service management program includes a minimum of 48 quarter credit hours of graduate credit (36 of which must be registered through RIT) and can be completed in four full-time quarters or in seven to eight part-time quarters. The basic curriculum is a combination of required core, professional concentration, and elective courses that will satisfy the student's individual needs.
Students who already are qualified for one or more required courses may substitute other course work with the permission of the program chair. Students whose prior undergraduate work has not been in the service industries field may be required to complete additional courses and/or a cooperative educational experience. This will be determined after a review of their work by the program chair. A thesis or final project also is required for all students.
The student may choose elective courses with the approval of the program chair. Elective courses may be selected from the colleges of Business and Computing and Information Technology, or from the programs of hospitality and service management, project management, or human resource development. Of the possible 8 to 12 hours of electives, students are relatively free to select courses they feel best meet their needs. The only limitations are:
Note: Students matriculated in RIT’s MBA program may use service management courses offered through hospitality-tourism management and service management programs as a concentration within their degree program.
Required core courses (20 credits)
0625-750 Elements of Service Management: A Systems Approach
0624-770 Service Leadership: Examining and Implementing Change
0624-825 Strategic Process of Service Firms
0626-780 Human Resource Management I or
0626-891 Workforce Development
0625-849 Service Performance Metrics
Executive Leader MS program
This is an intensive program consists of eight, one-week summer sessions and an independent research project, both conducted over the span of two summers. It emphasizes the strategic dimensions of service innovation, leadership, and customer relationship management, and the development of metrics for the 21st century. It is designed to enhance the continued lifelong learning and career development of executives and midlevel hospitality professionals without disruption of employment. Graduate credit is granted for life and management experiences. Students can also elect to participate in various international locations to complete the required coursework.
The executive leader MS program is offered to service management practitioners who have a minimum of five years of experience beyond the baccalaureate degree. Certification through various professional associations (such as CFE, CFP, CCM, CCTE, CHA, CTC, CTP, CMP) is accepted as documentation of professional commitment. Endorsements from senior management and administrators are preferred. Graduate credit granted for life and professional experiences is determined by an executive leader portfolio assessment.
ConcentrationHospitality and Service Management; Instruction Technology; Human Resources Management; Information Technology; College of Business; College of Engineering, Center for Quality and Applied Statistics - Graduate Certificate in Statistical Quality
Concentration List- Hospitality and Service Management Concentation, Master of Science, Service Management
- Instruction Technology Concentration, Master of Science, Service Management
- Human Resource Management Concentration, Master of Science, Service Management
- Information Technology Concentration, Master of Science, Service Management
- College of Business Concentration, Master of Science, Service Management
- College of Engineering Concentration, Master of Science, Service Management
Admission Requirements
The complete list of admission requirements includes:Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), 89 (Internet-based) for international students. All international students will take the Michigan Test at entry unless approved otherwise. Students should arrive on campus early enough to guarantee they have sufficient time to take the English test before starting their normal graduate course work.