Program Overview

Hospitality Business Management Program

The Hospitality Business Management program at Washington State University is designed to help students learn the fundamentals needed to advance in the fast-growing and wide-ranging hospitality industry. The program is offered entirely online and is part of WSU's AACSB-accredited Carson College of Business.

Program Overview

• The program focuses on operations under the tourism umbrella, including lodging, attractions, transportation, and food and beverage businesses.
• Students gain expertise in operations, revenues and cost controls, sales, service, event planning, and leadership.
• The program is designed to help students apply their skills to careers at hotels, restaurants, sports and convention centers, senior living communities, and tourist destinations, both in the U.S. and across the world.

Program Strengths

• WSU's hospitality program was established in 1932, making it the third-oldest such program in the U.S.
• The program consistently ranks among the nation's top 10 hospitality programs.
• The Marriott Foundation Industry Relations Manager works with students and employers for internship and graduate placements.
• As part of the online hospitality degree program, students work 1,000 paid hours in the hospitality industry, providing career connections and raising their profile for corporate recruiters.

Courses and Curriculum

• The Carson College of Business offers its lower and upper division courses in a 7-week format.
• Several required upper division courses are offered only once per year.
• Students will be required to take some courses during the summer.
• The 7-week sessions allow students to complete two or four 7-week courses during a traditional 16-week semester and can be taken concurrently with 16-week non-business courses.

Program of Study

University Requirements

• All WSU undergraduates must complete a minimum of 120 semester credits of which 40 credits must be at the 300 – 400 level.
• Students must also complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE).

College of Business Requirements

• To be eligible to be admitted to a WSU Carson College of Business major, students must meet the following minimum requirements:
  • Complete ECONS 101 or 102, MATH 201 or 202, B_A 100 and HBM 105 with a C or higher
  • Complete the applicable portion of the Carson Career Amplifier Program (Tier 1 or Crimson Pathway 1)
  • Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and not be on academic probation
  • Complete at least 27 credit hours

HBM Core Requirements

• 7-WEEK COURSES: Offered on a Rotation Schedule, and Require that Students are Admitted to the Major
  • HBM 105 – Navigating Careers in Business (required for all HBM majors)
  • MGMT 450 – Personnel and Human Resources Management
  • HBM 280 – Hospitality Systems
  • HBM 358 – Foodservice Systems and Control
  • HBM 381 [M] – Hospitality Leadership and Organizational Behavior
  • HBM 401 (1 cr) – Career Management
  • HBM 491 – Operational Analysis
  • HBM 494 [M] – Service Operations Management
  • HBM 495 [CAPS] – Case Studies and Research

HBM Electives

• 6 credits of upper division business courses.
• All upper division business courses are 7-weeks.
• Upper-division electives include courses from ACCTG, B_LAW, ENTRP, FIN, HBM, I_BUS, MGMT, MGTOP, MIS, MKTG.

University Writing Requirements

• Students must complete the University Writing Portfolio, and two Writing in the Major [M] courses.
• For online HBM majors, the Writing in the Major requirement will be fulfilled with HBM 381 and HBM 494.

Additional College of Business Graduation Requirements

• 12 credits of Social Science or Humanities Electives
• One of the following Communication courses:
  • COM 102 [COMM] – Public Speaking in the Digital Age
  • H_D 205 [COMM] – Developing Effective Communication and Life Skills
• 3 credits Written Communications: ENGLISH 402 [WRTG] [M] – Technical and Professional Writing OR ENGLISH 403
• 2.5 cumulative grade point average in all WSU business courses
• Nine upper division (300- and 400-level) business courses must be taken at WSU
• 6 credits International Experience Requirement

Industry Experience Requirement

• As part of the hospitality business management program, students work 1,000 paid hours in the hospitality industry, providing career connections and raising their profile for corporate recruiters.

Related Certificates

• Global Campus offers these related undergraduate certificate programs that you can consider pairing with your Hospitality Business Management major.
  • Human Services Case Management and Administration
  • Sustainable Organizational Leadership

Application Deadlines

• Spring: December 5
• Summer: April 20
• Fall: July 24

Class Begins

• Spring: January 12, 2026
• Summer: May 11, 2026
• Fall: August 24, 2026

Degree Awarded

• Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Business Management

WSU College

• Carson College of Business

What is Hospitality Business Management?

• Hospitality business management focuses on operations under the tourism umbrella–lodging, attractions, transportation, and food and beverage businesses.
• This broad and opportunity-rich industry represents a large and growing portion of the world’s economic output.
• The people who are most successful in this field have a mastery of industry-specific knowledge, theoretical and applied management methods, interpersonal skills, leadership competencies, and teamwork strategies.