Launch Your Career in the Hospitality Industry
You're interested in what's happening behind the scenes in hotels and restaurants. Or maybe you want to play a part in event planning and tourism. Wherever you see yourself in the hospitality industry, IUP’s Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management AS can help you get there.
Why Major in Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management at IUP?
In this associate's degree program, you'll
- Learn from faculty members who have extensive industry experience.
- Network with hospitality industry professionals by joining these organizations:
- Club Manager’s Association of America
- Meeting Professionals International
- Get hands-on operational management, leadership, and customer service experience working at IUP’s student-run restaurant, the Allenwood.
IUP has the largest hospitality management program in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education and has been accredited continuously since 1994.
Along with earning your associate's degree, your classes will prepare you for your Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points). You’ll also complete the Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP) training from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
What You'll Learn
Your classes will help you:
- Become proficient in wine service and beverage management.
- Build soft skills such as team building, emotional intelligence, self-managing, creativity, and innovation.
- Develop technical skills in food preparation and service.
- Learn to solve complex problems and communicate effectively.
- Master budgeting and operational control.
You might hear this degree called different names—an event planning degree, tourism degree, hotel management degree, or restaurant management degree—because it prepares you to handle the many diverse responsibilities in the field of hospitality.
Imagine Your Future
The hospitality industry is the world’s largest service industry. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, the industry needs managers who are well-educated and professionally trained.
You can apply the knowledge and expertise you learn at IUP to positions in:
- Beverage operations
- Catering
- Clubs
- Contract food services
- Corporate support centers
- Cruise lines
- Gaming operations
- Hotels
- Resorts
- Restaurants
- Special events
- Supply chain and logistics management
- Theme parks
- Tourism
- Travel-related venues
You’ll discover that professionally trained managers are needed in boom times and during slowdowns. This gives you long-term financial stability. Working in the hospitality industry means you'll enjoy competitive salaries, bonuses, and benefits.
Service-related careers
- Banking
- Car rental agencies
- Health care
- Insurance
- Real estate
Classes and Requirements
Hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management is a hands-on field. If you want a hands-on approach to learning, you'll get it in your classes in IUP's Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management AS program. This is a "we show you how to do it, and then you do it" major.
You’ll develop your operations management, leadership, and customer service skills in IUP’s student-run restaurant, the Allenwood. This one-of-a-kind learning environment is the only student-run restaurant in the country where the student is empowered to perform every task beginning with planning the menu, then ordering the food, scheduling the “staff,” cooking the food, and serving it to the guests in our recently remodeled Isabella Wilkinson-Green Dining Room.
When you work in the hospitality industry—whether as an event planner, hotel manager, restaurant manager, or caterer—you need to know how to work with a chef-led team to create events that exceed guest expectations. You’ll learn these skills in required courses such as:
- Applications of food production and service
- Cost management
You'll gain valuable on-the-job training with two professional work experiences. You might experience how to work in:
- Amusement parks
- Country clubs
- Event planning venues
- Hotels
- Resorts
- Restaurants
- Travel and tourist bureaus
You can choose the electives that match your career goals. IUP’s electives include:
- Brewpub and brewery operations
- Hotel revenue management and casino industry
- International tourism
- Theme park and attraction management
- Wedding planning and consulting
- Wine and wine service
Full Academic Catalog Listing
The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.
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Get Involved with Student Organizations
It makes sense to make friends with other students in the hospitality industry—you'll have a lot in common. And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet like-minded people. Here are groups you can join.
Club Management Association of America (CMAA)
Since 2006, CMAA has provided mentoring, internships, and career opportunities. IUP’s student chapter is affiliated with the Pittsburgh CMAA chapter.
Eta Sigma Delta (ESD)
IUP’s chapter of Eta Sigma Delta, the International Hospitality Management Honor Society, was established on March 26, 1990. This organization recognizes outstanding academic achievement, meritorious service, and demonstrated professionalism of hospitality and tourism students.
You'll have a chance to volunteer as a hospitality ambassador through a partnership between ESD and Indiana Regional Medical Center. This volunteer program, established in fall 2016, is specifically for hospitality management students.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
You’ll have access to innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities, and business exchanges through the IUP chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Organized in 2015, the IUP MPI chapter is affiliated with the Pittsburgh MPI chapter.
National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)
Consider joining the NSMH. To help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, all students are invited to join NSMH. The IUP chapter was organized in 1992 to support minority students interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.
Statler Hotel Association
Organized in 2022, the IUP Statler Hotel Association is designed for students pursuing careers in the lodging and hotel industry. Scholarships, networking, internships, and mentoring opportunities await. The Statler Hotel Association is affiliated with the Greater Pittsburgh Hotel Association and The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. Support is provided by the Statler Foundation.
Facts about This Program
IUP has the largest hospitality management program in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. More than 125 students enroll each year. The program been accredited continuously since 1994 by Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA).
IUP works with alumni and industry professionals, plus local and international professional organizations, to give you a well-rounded view of the hospitality field.
You'll have internship opportunities in local, national, and global properties. You might study internationally with:
- International College of Management in Sydney, Australia (ICMS)
- SAI, Florence, Italy
Or you could do an internship in Pennsylvania:
- Growth of PA Regional Niche Tourism
- Heritage Tourism
- Oil Region Alliance
- PA Wilds
Our Industry Advisory Board (IAB) and alumni work with the hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management program at IUP to:
- Provide updates on trends affecting curriculum.
- Participate in the annual career fair.
- Mentor and hire students for internships and full-time employment.
Accreditation
Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)
The hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management program has been Serving up Hospitality since 1916!
Continuous accreditation with ACPHA since 1994
One of only approximately 70 ACPHA accredited programs worldwide
Program Student Profile
- 69% Students graduating in May/August 2021 employed in the hospitality industry or a related field within 90 days after graduation
- 19% Students graduating in May/August 2021 continuing their education within 90 days after graduation
Student Retention Rate
- Retention Rate %—Freshmen to Sophomore (For all Programs)
- 2017/18 = 80%
- 2018/19 = 76.19%
- 2019/2020 = 70%
Earn Credit for Professional Experience
IUP offers professional work experience equivalence for academic credit. If you're currently working in the hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management industry, you might be able to count some of your work experience as credit toward your associate's degree.
And you might even decide to continue your education and earn your bachelor of science degree in hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management at IUP.
Mission, Vision, and Motto
Mission Statement
IUP's Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program educates, mentors, and enhances innovative and professional skills for the next generation of hospitality management leaders.
Vision Statement
The Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program aspires to be the premier hospitality program in Pennsylvania. We intend to be recognized nationally and internationally and to be the program of choice for students and hospitality industry employers.
Motto
Our students are genuinely interested in the hospitality industry. They are enthusiastic about what they learn, passionate about customer service, and dedicated to enriching their experiences here at IUP.
BS Program Named to the Top Ten
IUP's Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management BS program is recognized for its excellence in hospitality management education.
- Ranked number nine of 50 on the list of "2021 Best Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management" in the US by Study.com.
- Highest-ranked program in Pennsylvania by Study.com.
Scholarships
IUP Scholarships
You may be eligible to receive scholarships to help with your tuition. No application is needed for awards from IUP. These scholarships include:
- Elizabeth LaVelle Scholarship
- Laura Mateer Scholarship
- Patricia Brown Simkins and Ronald E. Simkins Scholarship
- Pennsylvania Broker's Association Scholarship
- Scanian-Reilly Scholarship
- William G. Gressley Memorial Scholarship
Industry-Specific Scholarships
You need to apply for industry-specific scholarships. Check each organization's website for details on how to apply.
- Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) Pittsburgh Chapter Scholarships*
- Greater Pittsburgh Hotel Association (GPHA) Scholarship
- International Gold and Silver Plate Society Scholarship
- National Restaurant Association (NRA) Scholarship
- National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) Scholarship
- Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Pittsburgh Chapter Scholarships*
- Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA) Scholarships
- SKAL Pittsburgh Scholarship
- Statler Foundation Scholarship
*You need to be a member of this IUP student organization to be eligible to apply for a scholarship.