What You Should Know About This Degree
The hospitality industry includes a wide range of fields, including travel, tourism, event and meeting planning, gaming management, food and beverage services, and hotel and resort lodging. Projected growth and salary potential for each specialty area varies. For example, there is little expected growth in lodging management positions in the United States through 2029.
Demand for professionally planned meetings is expected to remain steady as companies and organizations continue to host events regularly. Projected job growth for meeting, convention, and event planners is expected to grow by 8% from 2019 to 2029.
Hospitality managers with degrees and certifications in meeting and event planning, tourism, and food and beverage service should have the best job opportunities. Job seekers with virtual meeting software and social media experience will have a competitive advantage.
Many large hospitality companies provide their own career training and professional development programs for employees. Although there are no required licenses or certifications for hospitality managers, there are industry-specific credentials you can earn, including the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification from the Events Industry Council.
What’s Next?
Here are some questions to ask when researching online associate in hospitality management programs:
- Am I eligible for this program? Many hospitality management associate degree programs are available at community colleges, trade schools, and online universities and accept students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most programs require a high school diploma or equivalency.
- How long does it take to complete this online degree? Most associate degree programs take two years to complete and include 35 to 90 credit hours of coursework, which includes general education courses and degree-specific classes.
As you research online hospitality management degree programs, review each school’s admission requirements and application deadlines. Learn about the different scholarships, grants, and federal loans that are available to help you finance your associate degree education.
Contact the school’s admissions office for specific questions about the hospitality management program, and make sure to track all your correspondence for future reference.