Hospitality and Tourism Management 

Our first-ranked undergraduate program will prepare you for a management career in the fast-paced hospitality industry. Coursework is challenging, relevant to the needs of today's employers, and you'll learn from faculty who bring years of industry experience into the classroom. A key component of the hospitality and tourism management program is hands-on learning, and you can choose to concentrate your studies in one of three emphasis areas:

  • foodservice
  • lodging
  • tourism

A two-year, associate's degree program in Foodservice and Lodging Supervision will prepare you for the position of a mid-level manager or supervisor in a variety of foodservice and lodging operations.

Plans of Study

Career Options

  • director, convention and visitors bureau
  • convention/event planner 
  • corporate travel manager
  • hotel general manager
  • hotel operations director 
  • restaurant owner/manager
  • travel agency manager
  • catering director
  • country club manager
  • food and beverage director
  • travel agency manager
  • Visit CFS Graduates at Work to see how alumni are using their degrees in the real world

Where You Might Work

  • airlines
  • convention and visitor bureaus
  • convention centers
  • corporate travel management
  • cruise lines
  • destination management
  • event planning
  • gaming entertainment
  • sports arenas and recreation facilities
  • state and national parks
  • state tourism
  • theme parks
  • tour operations
  • travel agencies 

Coursework

  • accounting
  • beverage management
  • convention sales and service
  • feasibility studies in tourism
  • foodservice management
  • hospitality and tourism law 
  • human resources management
  • introduction to tourism
  • lodging management/operations
  • marketing and sales 
  • purchasing
  • quantity food production and service
  • resort, cruise, and entertainment operations
  • sanitation
  • service operations management 
  • tourism marketing
  • travel industry operations and technology
  • complete course list 

Learn from Experience

  • During the senior year, students take a capstone course that pulls all the hospitality management knowledge together as the class works in groups to make plans to build a hospitality business — from selecting a location site to a final operating establishment.

  • All undergraduates must complete a paid industry internship of 400 or more hours.

  • Students train in the department's two restaurants, the John Purdue Room (fine dining) and the HTM Cafe.

  • Represent Purdue at industry trade shows where you will meet industry executives and help host industry and alumni receptions.

  • Develop team-building skills by helping organize the annual Black Tie Dinner, a prestigious fundraising event organized by students in the HTM Society. 

You'll Have Help Finding a Job

  • The HTM Career Center provides career-planning services and coordinates more than 700 interviews each year with corporations recruiting on campus.
  • The HTM Career Day brings representatives from the hospitality industry to campus each fall. Activities include a career fair, keynote address, and a reception for employers, faculty, and seniors.

For More Information

CFS Undergraduate Student Services
700 W. State Street
Stone Hall, Room 110
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059
Phone: (765) 494-8533
E-mail: cfsundergrad@purdue.edu