Program Overview

Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) Program

The Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program at Virginia Tech offers a comprehensive education in the hospitality and tourism industry. The program provides students with a solid foundation in business principles, as well as specialized knowledge and skills in hospitality and tourism management.

Program Overview

The HTM program is designed to prepare students for careers in the hospitality and tourism industry, including hotels, restaurants, event planning, and tourism management. The program offers a range of courses that cover topics such as hospitality management, tourism marketing, event planning, and hospitality law.

Course Offerings

The HTM program offers a variety of courses, including:

• HTM 1414: Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management (3 credits)
  • Hospitality & Tourism industry segmentation, management structures and practices, the significance of service delivery, economic impact of tourism and career opportunities.
• HTM 1984: Special Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 2104: Careers in Hospitality and Tourism (1 credit)
  • Provide students with an early start on understanding and identifying the many career options in the field of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
• HTM 2314: Introduction to International Business (3 credits)
  • Fundamental concepts of international business.
• HTM 2434: Hospitality Sales (3 credits)
  • A comprehensive study of the management of the sales function and its role in the overall financial performance of hospitality operations.
• HTM 2454: Global Travel & Tourism Management (3 credits)
  • Introduction to travel and tourism both domestically and abroad.
• HTM 2464: Designing the Service Experience (3 credits)
  • An overview of the service industry, its historical and economic importance, social, psychological and cultural impacts and future trends.
• HTM 2474: Introduction to Meetings and Convention Management (3 credits)
  • A study of the meetings and convention industry.
• HTM 2514: Catering Management (3 credits)
  • Introduces students to various venues in which catering services can be offered, and presents an overview of the functions, processes, and controls found in successful catering management and operations.
• HTM 2954: Hospitality and Tourism Study Abroad (3 credits)
  • This course provides students with an international hospitality and tourism management business experience.

• HTM 2964: Field Study (3 credits)

• HTM 2974: Independent Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 2984: Special Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 3044: Private Club Management (3 credits)
  • Develop an understanding of the private club sector of the hospitality industry.
• HTM 3244: Franchising and Ownership in the Services Industries (3 credits)
  • Theory and practice of franchising as a form of business ownership and a vehicle for entrepreneurship.
• HTM 3414: Chef Lab: Culinary Operations Management (4 credits)
  • Food and kitchen safety, hazard analysis, purchasing, recipe development, costing, and volume food preparation, in a commercial kitchen lab experience one day per week along with a two hour per week lecture.
• HTM 3424: Event Management (3 credits)
  • Management of special events in the hospitality and tourism industry.
• HTM 3444: Hospitality Financial Management (3 credits)
  • The application of accounting, finance, and cost control principles to hospitality industry organizations.
• HTM 3454: Social and Cultural Event Planning (3 credits)
  • Overview of social life cycle events such as weddings as a niche within the hospitality industry.
• HTM 3464: Sport and Entertainment Event & Facility Management (3 credits)
  • Overview of sporting and entertainment events and types of facilities.
• HTM 3474: Corporate, Government, and Association Event Planning (3 credits)
  • Overview of the meetings and conventions industry that caters to corporate, government, and association clients.
• HTM 3484: Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism (3 credits)
  • A study of both historic and current impacts of tourism on family, community, culture, government, globalization, and the environment at the domestic and international levels.
• HTM 3524: Lodging Management (3 credits)
  • Organization, function, and management of lodging operations.
• HTM 3900: Bridge Experience (0 credits)
  • Application of academic knowledge and skills to in a work-based experience aligned with post-graduation goals using research-based learning processes.
• HTM 3954: HTM Study Abroad (1-6 credits)
  • This course provides students with an international hospitality and tourism management business experience.
• HTM 3984: Special Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 4334: Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Hospitality & Tourism (3 credits)
  • Analysis of hospitality and tourism innovative and entrepreneurial enterprises to pursue sustainable growth.
• HTM 4354: Information Technology and Social Media in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credits)
  • Introduction to the strategic use of information technology (IT) in today's hospitality and tourism organizations.
• HTM 4414: Restaurant Management: Design and Innovation (3 credits)
  • Reviews organizational structures, terminology, and categories associated with restaurant management.
• HTM 4434: Event and Experience Management Senior Workshop (3 credits)
  • Senior experiential learning workshop to integrate and apply ethics, research, and design concepts from past coursework by engaging in actual professional events and experiences.
• HTM 4444: Winery Tourism (3 credits)
  • The course focuses on the role of wine and wineries in tourism, wine marketing and management in the hospitality industry, and examines the components of a winery.
• HTM 4454: Hospitality Revenue Management (3 credits)
  • Examines lodging and foodservices Revenue Management (RM) issues.
• HTM 4464: Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry (3 credits)
  • An overview of the concepts of human resources management as applied to the specific environments within the hospitality industry.
• HTM 4474: Hospitality & Tourism Law (3 credits)
  • Managerial approach to the law that applies to hotels, food-service establishments, events, and tourism; special focus on manager's duties to guests.
• HTM 4484: International Tourism (3 credits)
  • Survey of global travel and tourism issues, including trends and patterns of global tourism, flow models, constraints and obstacles to international travel, demand for travel and tourism, tourism supply distribution, destination competitiveness, tourist safety and security, international travel and tourism organizations, performance measures.
• HTM 4514: Hospitality Market Data Analysis (3 credits)
  • Extraction and analysis of industry data on a selected market for development and presentation of the Market Study in a worldwide competition among other universities.
• HTM 4954: Study Abroad (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course

• HTM 4964: Field Study in HTM (3 credits)

• HTM 4974: Independent Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 4984: Special Study (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course
• HTM 4994: Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits)
  • Variable credit course

Program Requirements

The HTM program requires students to complete a minimum of 120 credits, including:

• 45 credits of general education courses
• 30 credits of business core courses
• 24 credits of hospitality and tourism management courses
• 12 credits of electives
• 9 credits of free electives

Admission Criteria

Admission to the HTM program is competitive and based on a student's academic record, including GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and letters of recommendation.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for the HTM program vary depending on the student's residency status and the number of credits taken per semester.

Research Areas

The HTM program offers research opportunities in a variety of areas, including:

• Hospitality management
• Tourism marketing
• Event planning
• Hospitality law
• Sustainable tourism
• Entrepreneurship and innovation in hospitality and tourism

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the HTM program can pursue careers in a variety of fields, including:

• Hotel management
• Restaurant management
• Event planning
• Tourism management
• Hospitality marketing
• Hospitality law

Conclusion

The Hospitality and Tourism Management program at Virginia Tech offers a comprehensive education in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a focus on business principles, specialized knowledge, and skills in hospitality and tourism management. The program provides students with a range of courses, research opportunities, and career paths to choose from, making it an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality and tourism industry.