Hospitality Management, B.S. (Berks)

Spring 2024 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2024. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2024, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2023, please visit the 2023-24 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Program Description

The School of Hospitality Management (SHM) prepares our graduates to make a difference in the global world of hospitality through their skills in management and problem-solving, by combining people-skills along with analytical prowess. Our graduates learn in real-world facilities, research labs solving real-world problems, travel for domestic and international learning experiences, and engage as much with people as with novel technologies. The learning and engagement at SHM reflect today's relevant industry landscape providing experiences that prepare students for the many career opportunities offered in the diverse and exciting segments of the global hospitality industry, and will power their success in any complex, people-centric enterprise. Penn State's Hospitality Management program is amongst the oldest program in the nation, and amongst the most prestigious of its kind in the world.

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT OPTION

Available at the following campuses: University Park

This option prepares students for management positions in any sector of the hospitality industry, including lodging, event planning, food service, food supply chain, gaming, and with a wide range of manufacturing and service businesses that support the hospitality industry. The management focus helps provide students with the analytical, interpersonal, and organizational skills necessary to effectively function as hospitality professionals. 

HOSPITALITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPTION

Available at the following campuses: Berks

This option helps prepare students for careers as owners or managers of small independently-owned hospitality operations or as entrepreneurs within large hospitality corporations or management companies in hospitality segments such as a restaurants, hotels, and non-commercial operations. The entrepreneurship focus helps provide students with creative problem solving, opportunity recognition, and leadership skills necessary to effectively manage small or individual unit's hospitality operations.

What is Hospitality Management?

Hospitality refers to the relationship that exists between a host and a guest. The Hospitality discipline prepares students to create value in this relationship, both from the host and the guest’s perspectives. This involves the creation and management of products and services by the hosts for the guests, based on the preferences and behaviors of the guests. Hospitality major is therefore an interdisciplinary field of study that prepares students for a global and diverse, world of management and entrepreneurship opportunities. Hospitality graduates are trained to own and manage hotels, restaurants, resorts, corporate dining, stadiums and arena catering, theme parks, country clubs, cruise ships, casinos, event management, and the vast array of manufacturing and service businesses that support the hospitality industry. From exotic locales to familiar destinations, from international postings to entrepreneurial prospects, from planning events to corporate finance, and from school food service to senior living, the possibilities are endless. This major prepares students for the multi-faceted hospitality industry and for the many career opportunities available to hospitality management graduates.

You Might Like This Program If...

If you enjoy working with people and helping others, have strong interpersonal skills, creativity, and a strong work ethic. Also, if you are looking for a non-traditional, fast-paced career, in a diverse and high-energy environment, that provides you opportunities to work in a variety of locations, within the US and internationally. The program will prepare you to apply a balance of interpersonal and people-management skills, with operations and business analysis abilities in a variety of professional settings.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Spring 2024 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2024. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2024, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2023, please visit the 2023-24 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Spring 2024 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2024. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2024, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2023, please visit the 2023-24 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

9-12 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. For the Hospitality Management option, this includes 12 credits of General Education courses: 6 credits of GQ courses; 3 credits of GS courses; 3 credits of GHW courses. For the Hospitality Entrepreneurship option, this includes 9 credits of General Education courses: 6 credits of GQ courses and 3 credits of GS courses.

Per Senate Policy 83.80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. SHM requires students to complete 24 credits for the major through courses taken at University Park. Courses taken at other Penn State campuses may not be counted toward this 24 credit minimum. For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for this major.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Common Requirements for the Major (All Options)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
HM 202	Colloquium in Hospitality Management	1
HM 203	Hospitality Professional Development Seminar	1
HM 271	Hospitality Information Technology Fundamentals	2
HM 330	Food Production and Operations Management	3
HM 336	Hospitality Managerial Accounting	3
HM 366	Human Resource Management in the Hospitality Industry	3
HM 430	Applied Leadership in Foodservice Operations Management	3
HM 490	Strategic Hospitality Management	3
HM 492	Advanced Professional Seminar in Hospitality Management	1
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
HM 101	Exploring the Global Hospitality Industry	3
HM 230	Principles of Food Production Management	3
HM 235	Hospitality Financial Accounting	3
HM 242	Hospitality Marketing	3
HM 265W	Teams and Leadership in the Hospitality Industry	3
HM 272	Introduction to Worksheet-Based Analysis and Modeling for Managerial Decision Making	2
HM 280	Fundamentals of Hotel and Accommodations Management	3
HM 350	Hospitality Revenue and Profit Optimization	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
STAT 100	Statistical Concepts and Reasoning	3-4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Requirements for the Option
Select an option		24-34

Requirements for the Option

Hospitality Management Option (34 credits)

Available at the following campuses: University Park

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
HM 355	Legal Aspects of the Hospitality Industry	3
HM 480	Applied Hospitality Concepts and Decision Making	3
NUTR 100	Nutrition Applications for a Healthy Lifestyle	3
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 25 credits of HM courses from an approved department list, up to 4 credits of any foreign language, and other courses in consultation with an adviser		25

Hospitality Entrepreneurship Option (24-25 credits)

Available at the following campuses: Berks

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

• Entreprenuership: Be an entrepreneur or an intraprenuer within the hospitality industry
  • Demonstrate self-efficacy, leadership, resourcefulness and creativity.
  • Demonstrate the ability to recognize new opportunities.
• Knowledge: Have Substantive Content Knowledge
  • Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to function effectively in a diverse and global organizational environment
  • Synthesize and evaluate core concepts in the areas of hospitality accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, operations, and quantitative methods
• Managerial Skills: Have Leadership, Communication, Interpersonal, and Social Skills
  • Demonstrate the ability to read, listen, and clearly express themselves using written, oral, visual, and quantitative methods to communicate effectively with superiors, coworkers, customers, and members of the community
  • Demonstrate personal and professional standards for ethical decision-making and social behavior
• Skills: Have Analytical, Critical, and Strategic Thinking Skills
  • Apply the basic principles of analytical thinking and problem solving when examining hospitality management issues
  • Demonstrate the ability to integrate concepts and theories across functional business domains (e.g. Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations, etc.)

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Berks

Jennifer Wakemen
Program Coordinator, Lecturer
Gaige 334
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6123
BKHospMgt@psu.edu

University Park

Nada Madrid
Academic Adviser
212 Mateer Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7033
nbm5356@psu.edu

Jeff Heim
Academic Adviser/Senior Instructor
213 Mateer Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7990
jvh4@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2023-24 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contains suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).

Hospitality Entrepreneurship Option: Hospitality Management, B.S. at Berks Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

For General Education Course notations, please be sure to include three (3) credits of United States (US) Cultures and three (3) credits of International (IL) Cultures. Consult adviser for details.

²

The following courses are offered Fall Semester only: ENGR 310, HM 101, HM 202, HM 203, HM 230, HM 235, HM 305, HM 319, HM 366, HM 430, HM 435, HM 490, HM 492, MGMT 215.

³

The following courses are offered Spring Semester only: BA 250, ENGL 202B, HM 242, HM 265, HM 271, HM 272, HM 280, HM 336, HM 350, HM 435, HM 484, MGMT 427.

⁴

Students can complete the Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ENTI_UMNR) Minor - New Ventures Cluster by taking BA 243 and MGMT 425. MGMT 425 is offered Spring Semester only. Consult adviser for details.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

Careers

Penn State Hospitality Management graduates are placed globally to manage hotels and lodging operations, restaurants, resorts, business dining, college and school food service, casinos, clubs, cruise ships, and senior living communities. They work in positions including meeting and events, revenue management, human resources, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, real estate and asset management, and for the businesses that supply them. Hospitality Management graduates are in demand with the many hospitality employers that visit the School’s in-house Career Placement Center each year. Graduates move quickly to upper management roles, corporate-level positions, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT CAREERS

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

• M.P.S.: Prepare students for managerial and executive positions in the hospitality industry.
• M.S.: Prepare students for continued study at the doctoral level or to pursue a career in industry research.

MORE ABOUT THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
MORE ABOUT THE MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

• Ph.D.: Prepare students for advanced academic and research positions at the university level.

MORE ABOUT THE PH.D. PROGRAM IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Professional Resources

• Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society

Contact

Berks

EBC DIVISION
Gaige Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6123
BKHospMgt@psu.edu

https://berks.psu.edu/academics/bs-hospitality-management

University Park

SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
201 Mateer Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-1853
dlq3@psu.edu

https://hhd.psu.edu/shm