Hospitality and Tourism Management

Are you a people-person? Are you passionate about customer service and enriching people's experiences? Do you have exceptional work ethic and enjoy a fast-paced environment? If so, Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) is a great field for you.

As the nation’s number one retail employer, the hospitality and tourism industry employs millions of people. The demand for managers continues to grow as the demand for services grows. Along with this demand for services is an increasing emphasis on comfort, convenience and personalized attention. All of these factors increase the need for effective and efficient professionals to manage hospitality operations and lead teams of people.

The Program

The mission of the Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program is to develop effective and efficient leaders of the Hospitality and Tourism industry. To achieve this mission, it is our goal that students graduating from the HTM program at NDSU will demonstrate leadership skills by having the following:

• Knowledge of the industry
• People management skills
• Problem-solving skills
• A sense of responsibility

We are the only four-year HTM program in North Dakota accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). The program has undergone this process to ensure students receive a quality education. The ACPHA guidelines and standards help us pursue excellence in the area of hospitality administration.

• Our program incorporates a solid foundation of general education courses vital in developing a well-rounded professional.
• All students complete a core of fundamental courses on the management of people, materials, finances, technology, and time in a hospitality and tourism setting.
• Upper-division courses concentrate on project-based, critical evaluation, and production of quality services in hospitality and tourism operations.
• Students choose professional electives in areas such as food and beverage, casino operations, professional club management, resorts, and convention and meeting planning.
• A 24-credit minor in Business Administration is required with this major. The minor provides a strong business background on which we build depth of knowledge concerning the specifics of marketing and management in the hospitality industry. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.5 to enroll in the business administration classes.

Student Advisement

A faculty advisor is assigned to work with each student majoring in HTM. The academic advisor helps students set goals for their college work, choose courses and seek meaningful work experiences during their college career. 

Work Experience

The Fargo-Moorhead and West Fargo area provides many quality hospitality and tourism operations for students to gain work experience while completing their degrees. Supervised, on-the-job experience (internship) is also required of all students in a professional work setting. Students complete the field experience during the summer between their junior and senior years. Placement is determined by the student’s desire for type of operation and preferred geographic location.

Career Opportunities

The HTM program at NDSU provides you with a strong educational background for a variety of career options in the hospitality industry. The starting salary for a graduate in the HTM field can range from $30,000 to $40,000 with great possibility for increase in salary after the completion of management training. Students graduating with industry experience also may start at a higher rate.

Feed your passion and build your career in one of the following areas:

• Hotels, resorts, and other lodging operations
• Restaurants, catering, and other food and beverage operations
• Meetings, conventions, and event planning
• Travel, tourism, and transportation
• Theme parks, private clubs, and gaming operations 
• Services sales and marketing

STUDENT ORGANIZATION 

The Hospitality Student Association (HSA) is open to all majors and minors in the program. They meet monthly, bring in industry speakers, tour local operations, plan and undertake study trips, and plan and produce the Food and Wine Show each spring. 

Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships makes available grants, loans, scholarships and work-study employment. Scholarships are also available through the Department of Apparel, Design, and Hospitality Management. Additionally, several hospitality associations have funds for scholarships, which are awarded by the associations through regional and national competition. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, One Stop or the Department of Apparel, Design, and Hospitality Management for additional information.

 Plan of Study

Please note this is a sample plan of study and not an official curriculum.  Actual student schedules for each semester will vary depending on start year, education goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize an individual plan of study.