Travel, tourism and hospitality have a presence in all states, although it’s likely to be a larger part of a state’s economy in surf-and-sand spots like Hawaii, California or Florida; convention center cities like Atlanta, Las Vegas or Chicago; and business hubs like New York City, Dallas or Seattle. Career opportunities in the hospitality industry cover a broad spectrum, from lodging managers to meeting and event planners to CEOs. Understanding of the hospitality industry is often learned from hands-on experience, and that can make moving up through the ranks easier than in some other fields. However, earning a degree in hospitality management can still be beneficial to helping you advance more quickly or in having an edge in earning a coveted position.

Hospitality-Management_Badge

Best Online Colleges for Hospitality Management in 2018-19

If you're putting in the time and money to go to college and earn a degree, you probably want to be sure you're using your time and money wisely. That's why OnlineColleges.com made this list of the 10 best colleges offering online hospitality management degree programs. We analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) with our proprietary methodology to identify these top 10 accredited schools. If you're considering earning a hospitality management degree, one of these colleges might be the perfect place to do it.

1

Monroe College

Tuition & Fees
$15,428
Distance Education Participation
27%
Location
Bronx, NY
School Type
4-year

Monroe College, a for-profit school located in New York, offers numerous options for students interested in the field of hospitality and tourism. These include online associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs in hospitality management, made available through the Blackboard learning management system.

Accounting, travel tourism and principles of accounting are all part of the coursework for the online associate degree program. The online bachelor's program incorporates general education courses as well as classes in management, law, and labor relations, and a senior seminar. The online master's in hospitality management is an accelerated one- year program that requires a two-week residency at the beginning and end of the program.

Live chat with technical support and access to the news updates and social networks of the MyMonroe mobile app are available to all online learners.

Accreditation:

  • Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
 
2

Albany Technical College

Tuition & Fees
$2,712
Distance Education Participation
68%
Location
Albany, GA
School Type
2-year

Its campus may be in Albany, Georgia, but students from all over can study hospitality management at Albany Technical College, which is part of the Technical College System of Georgia. Through ATC's Distance Learning Program, online students can enroll in an Associate of Applied Science program, a diploma program or a technical certificate of credit (TCC) program for hotel, restaurant and tourism management. Courses across all three programs touch on topics such as event planning, hospitality law and hotel operations management.

Accreditation:

  • Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges

Location:

1704 S. Slappey Blvd.
Albany, GA 31701
3

Bryant & Stratton College

Tuition & Fees
$14,618
Distance Education Participation
100%
Location
Orchard Park, NY
School Type
4-year

Two brothers and a brother-in-law started Bryant & Stratton College in 1854. This private, for-profit school focuses on teaching students career education and life skills, helping students plan their educational path with the Career LifePrep initiative. One of the career-based fields Bryant & Stratton teaches is hospitality management, which students can pursue through an online certificate program and/or an online associate degree program.

Curriculum in the certificate program includes coursework in math, English and computing, as well as marketing, technology in the hospitality field and principles of hospitality management. The online associate degree program incorporates the same general subjects as the certificate program, but goes into more depth on the subject matter, such as convention and events management. The associate program concludes with a capstone project or internship, which can be cited as useful experience on a resume after graduation.

Accreditation:

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education
 
4

Schiller International University

Tuition & Fees
$14,360
Distance Education Participation
100%
Location
Largo, FL
School Type
4-year

Schiller International University boasts campuses at locations in the United States, Germany, Spain and France. With such a global scope, it's no surprise that Schiller also extends online education to students around the world. An online bachelor's degree program in international hospitality and tourism management and an online MBA program with a concentration in the same field are both available to help students work toward their career goals.

The online bachelor's program covers topics such as marketing, human resources, and convention and event management. As a program in international hospitality, classes in a foreign language are also required. International marketing, international travel and tourism and multinational business management are discussed in the MBA program, which can be completed in as little as 15 months. Students also complete a course in case studies during this program.

Accreditation:

  • Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
 
5

Florida International University

Tuition & Fees
$6,546
Distance Education Participation
65%
Location
Miami, FL
School Type
4-year

Through its Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Florida International University hosts a dazzling display of online hospitality degree programs for interested students:

  • Bachelor of Science in hospitality management, with specialty tracks in event management, hotel lodging management, restaurant and food service management, or travel and tourism management
  • Master of Science in hospitality management, with specializations in hospitality real estate development or revenue management
  • Executive Master of Science in hospitality management, specifically designed for students with previous experience in the industry
  • A combined B.S. and M.S. (4+1) program, allowing a student to finish their bachelor's and work on their master's simultaneously
  • A minor in hospitality management, allowing students to pick up to 12 credits of hospitality courses to create their own curriculum

Accreditation:

  • Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges

Location:

11200 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33199
6

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Tuition & Fees
$9,552
Distance Education Participation
99%
Location
Tempe, AZ
School Type
4-year

The University of Phoenix, a for-profit school based out of Arizona, offers numerous online programs for new students and returning adult learners. In hospitality management, two online certificate programs and a bachelor's degree program are available:

  • Hospitality fundamentals undergraduate certificate
  • Hospitality management undergraduate certificate
  • Bachelor of Science in business management with a hospitality management certificate add-on

The undergraduate certificate programs are 18 credit hours each, while the bachelor's program covers 120 credit hours. To help with accelerating program completion, students may be able to transfer credits into these programs from prior military experience, work experience or education.

Accreditation:

  • Higher Learning Commission
 
7

Pulaski Technical College

Tuition & Fees
$5,252
Distance Education Participation
33%
Location
North Little Rock, AR
School Type
2-year

This two-year technical college in Central Arkansas seeks to help students everywhere work toward their career goals, and it hosts online programs to help accomplish this. Pulaski Technical College offers an online Associate of Applied Science degree program in hospitality management, which focuses on food service and managing businesses, lodging and tourism.

Distance learners can complete Pulaski's A.A.S. program in as little as four semesters. The program includes core coursework in subjects like dining room operations, fundamentals of tourism, and hospitality facilities. Students also select two electives in hospitality management to customize their curriculum, and the program concludes with a practicum.

Accreditation:

  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
  • Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration
 
8

Chemeketa Community College

Tuition & Fees
$4,725
Distance Education Participation
36%
Location
Salem, OR
School Type
2-year

Based in Salem, Oregon, Chemeketa Community College supports its nontraditional learners with Chemeketa Online, a source of training and education programs alike for students across the U.S. Chemeketa endeavors to make all of its degree programs compliant with the Oregon Transfer Module -- a state-standardized curriculum to aid in transferring between Oregon schools -- including its online programs in hospitality and tourism management.

In addition to an Associate of Applied Science program in hospitality and tourism management, Chemeketa offers several certificate programs that can help students further specialize their studies: event management, food and beverage management, lodging management, tourism and travel management and more.

Accreditation:

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Location:

4000 Lancaster Dr. NE
Salem, Oregon 97309
9

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Tuition & Fees
$4,725
Distance Education Participation
36%
Location
Salem, OR
School Type
2-year

At the nonprofit University of Massachusetts-Amherst, students have the opportunity to improve their skills in hospitality management through multiple online program paths. Options include a certificate in casino management and a certificate in meeting and event management, which are both 15 credit hours each. An online Bachelor of Science in hospitality and tourism management is also available through the school's University Without Walls (UWW) platform, which is focused on online programs for adult learners. This bachelor's program requires a minimum of 120 credits to be completed, including general education requirements, core business courses, major requirements, and hospitality electives.

Accreditation:

  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges
 
10

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Tuition & Fees
$32,441
Distance Education Participation
14%
Location
Providence, RI
School Type
4-year

At Johnson & Wales University, which was founded in 1914, there are numerous online degree programs available for students who are interested in pursuing a career in hospitality management. The Bachelor's of Science in hospitality management, for example, is a four-year program that divides coursework into 11-week segments. Additionally, students can find online bachelor's degree programs in related fields such as residential hospitality management or hotel & lodging management.

Other online programs offered through the university include a Master of Science in hospitality management and an MBA program with an emphasis in hospitality. These graduate-level programs offer career-focused curriculum, eight-week classes and a two-year timeline for completion.

Accreditation:

  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges Inc.
 
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
 

Degree Overview: Hospitality Management

From hotels to casinos to restaurants to events, the hospitality industry is a fast-paced, rewarding profession that requires strong business acumen. Students who enroll in online colleges for hospitality management have the opportunity to explore many areas of the field and gain several invaluable skills along the way.

Online Hospitality Management Courses

Hospitality management is a diverse field, so it's not surprising online hospitality management degrees have similarly diverse curriculums. Although the exact coursework that students can expect to complete depends on the school they enroll in, below are examples of classes that may be available in a hospitality management program.

  • Casino management: Students in this course may learn about the history of the gaming industry, mathematics and statistics of casino games, laws that govern the field and strategies for marketing casinos.
  • Hotel management: These classes involve learning about the day-to-day operations of hotels and motels. Specific coursework might address how reservation systems work, expense control strategies, housekeeping and laundry management, food and beverage services, and labor productivity.
  • Restaurant management: This course teaches the fundamentals of running a restaurant, from food purchasing to customer service to staffing. Specific topics covered may include sanitation, marketing strategies, cost control measures, revenue controls and the challenges managers face when running start up or established restaurants.
  • Beverage management: These courses address how those in the hospitality industry manage alcoholic beverages in their establishments. For example, students may learn about applicable liquor laws, alcohol product marketing, quality assessment strategies for liquor products, and the social and health effects of alcohol consumption.
  • Event and meeting management: Students who take this class are introduced to the mechanics of how meetings, conferences and other events are planned from start to finish. The course may cover topics such as site selection, catering and banquet management, preparing event proposals, organizing events with sustainability in mind and security procedures.

Career-Related Skills to Develop

Online education for hospitality management can teach graduates a number of skills to help them deal with the rigors of the field. The following are some examples of these skills.

  • Customer service: The health of a hospitality business is dependent on the satisfaction of its patrons, so it's imperative to develop strong customer service skills. Whether they work in a hotel, convention center or restaurant, hospitality managers need the ability to make their patrons feel comfortable, foster a relationship that inspires loyalty and deal with problems when customers are dissatisfied.
  • Flexibility: Workers in the hospitality field are required to work irregular schedules, so flexibility — and a strong sense of work-life balance — is a must. It's not unusual for people in this field to work long shifts during weekdays, as well as weekends and holidays, so employers look for those who can easily adapt to schedules that may change from one week to the next.
  • Stamina: Hospitality jobs often require workers to remain on their feet for long hours or move around to multiple locations throughout the course of a shift. In order to keep up, physical stamina is necessary, which may be developed through the hands-on work experience of an internship.
  • Problem-solving: When dealing with a lot of guests, all with their own conflicting needs and schedules, it's inevitable that problems will arise. Hospitality professionals need to think quickly in order to solve such issues to their customers' satisfaction.

Hospitality Management Career Outlook

Lodging Managers
Average Salary
$63,570
Projected Job Openings
5,500
Projected Job Growth
1.1
Entry-level Education
High school diploma or equivalent

Whether someone's on vacation or a business trip, chances are a lodging manager's work has made the trip a lot more pleasant. Those who enter lodging manager careers are responsible for ensuring that guests at motels, hotels, casinos, lodges and bed and breakfasts have an enjoyable stay. Daily responsibilities of these professionals include ensuring that rooms and public areas of an establishment are clean; hiring, training and supervising staff; decorating the property; and creating budgets and making sure they are adhered to.

In order to gain employment as a lodging manager, hopefuls are generally required to obtain a degree in hospitality or hotel management. Professionals in this field may want to consider specializing in a specific area of the business by becoming revenue, front office or general managers.

Food Service Managers
Average Salary
$59,820
Projected Job Openings
46,900
Projected Job Growth
10.8
Entry-level Education
High school diploma or equivalent

People who work in food service manager careers have diverse employment options, including restaurants, school cafeterias and hotels. The job duties of this position usually include negotiating prices with food and equipment suppliers, overseeing staff, managing food preparation and portion sizes and enforcing quality and safety standards. In addition, this position requires someone to have strong customer service abilities, as food service managers may also greet guests and field complaints about service and food.

Candidates for the food service management profession should be proficient in a number of skills, such as written and verbal communication, leadership, problem solving and training abilities. In addition, these workers must be able to function under stressful conditions because they often work long hours and are required to deal with unhappy customers.

Travel Guides
Average Salary
$30,670
Projected Job Openings
11,600
Projected Job Growth
6.8
Entry-level Education
N/A

Travel guides work with customers who are interested in taking long-distance trips, expeditions and tours. These professionals are responsible for helping clients with several aspects of their travel arrangements, including itineraries, accommodations, sightseeing, transportation and shopping. In addition, travel guides must ensure that their customers are safe, so they may need to hire qualified medical professionals for a trip, or if they are acting as a tour guide, be able to administer first aid themselves.

People who pursue travel guide careers should have sales, communication, customer service, listening, accounting and negotiation skills. Also, they should know how to use basic software like Microsoft Office and more specialized programs used in the travel industry.

Meeting, Convention and Event Planners
Average Salary
$54,880
Projected Job Openings
16,800
Projected Job Growth
7.2
Entry-level Education
Bachelor's degree

Beginning a meeting, convention or event planner career generally includes obtaining a degree in hospitality and tourism or meeting and event management. Some employers may also expect job candidates to have one or two years of planning or hospitality experience.

In addition, some employers prefer to hire those who have obtained professional certifications. For example, the Convention Industry Council and the Society of Government Meeting Professionals offer credentials that can help job seekers demonstrate their expertise and stand out from the competition.

Meeting, convention and event planners have diverse responsibilities, including meeting with clients to find out their needs; choose venues based on clients' preferences; obtaining and reviewing bids from service providers; and hiring and supervising staff.

Our Partner Listings
 
Sources