Description Degree Offered Admission Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management Contact Info

Description

At the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, you'll find a supportive community where each candidate's interests and ideas make a difference. An academically challenging curriculum, courses tailored to your professional career goals, and opportunities for experiental learning are attributes that set our M.S. program apart from others.

Our M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism enables you to build on your strengths and interests, broadens your knowledge; sharpens your management skills; and incorporates your professional and extracurricular experiences. We can tell you with confidence that Rosen College candidates are especially attractive hires for hospitality and tourism organizations around the globe.

The Ph.D. focused in Hospitality Education, offered jointly by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the College of Education, provides an option for those seeking a tenure-earning position in university research and teaching.

Candidate Vision

The typical M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management candidate:

• Works as a professional for a leading hospitality organization within the Central Florida region or beyond.
• Holds an undergraduate degree in hospitality, business management, or a related discipline.
• Realizes that advanced educational training is required to be competitive in this growing and vibrant hospitality and tourism industry.

The program offers thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option is intended for students who are interested in the scientific study of the various aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry and who may anticipate pursuing a doctoral degree or a professional research position. The non-thesis option is intended for students who anticipate a leadership position in the hospitality and tourism industry. The emphasis of the non-thesis option is on coursework and practical experience.

The Rosen College of Hospitality Management aims to provide students with an outstanding graduate hospitality management educational experience, and serve other stakeholders with continuing education, research, and service. The School is committed to UCF goals by providing intellectual leadership through quality hospitality education, international prominence by means of educational and research programs, promotion of a global perspective, nurturing inclusiveness and diversity, and partnerships with local, national, and international hospitality and tourism constituencies.

Degrees Offered

Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management

Admission

For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).

Admission to graduate study in the Rosen College of Hospitality Management is open to individuals with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a regionally accredited college or university. Admission decisions will not be based on race, gender or ethnicity.

Admission is restricted each semester to individuals showing high promise of success in postgraduate studies. In addition to the requirements noted below, other indicators of promise include the applicant’s extracurricular activities, work experience, job responsibilities, and leadership experience, which will be considered in making admissions decisions.

In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must provide:

• Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), which must have been taken within the last five years.
• GPA of 3.0 or GRE of 1000 or GMAT of 475.
• For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
• A one to two page essay concerning your career goals.
• A current copy of your resume.
• Three letters of recommendation.

Prerequisites

For students with undergraduate majors in Hospitality Management or Business Administration, there will be no undergraduate course prerequisites, provided they have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher.

For industry professionals with an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than Hospitality Management or Business Administration, the following three undergraduate courses are required to be completed with a grade of "B" or higher within the first year of course work in the program:

• HFT 3540 Guest Services Management I
• HFT 4295 Strategic Management in Hospitality Industry
• HFT 3431 Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting

These students would also have to have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher within the first year of course work in the program.

For applicants with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than Hospitality Management or Business Administration and no significant hospitality industry experience, the following five undergraduate courses are required to be completed with a grade of "B" or higher within the first year of course work in the program:

• HFT 1000 Introduction to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
• HFT 3540 Guest Services Management I
• HFT 4295 Strategic Management in Hospitality Industry
• HFT 2403 Hospitality Industry Financial Accounting
• HFT 3431 Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting

These students would also have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher within the first year of course work in the program.

Application Due Dates

All students applying for fellowships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.

U.S. Applicants

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management	Jan 15	Jul 15	Dec 1	Apr 15

International Applicants

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management	Jan 15	Jan 15	Jul 1	Nov 1

International Transfer Applicants

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management	Jan 15	Mar 1	Sep 1	Dec 15

Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management

Minimum Hours Required for M.S.—39 Credit Hours for Non-thesis Option or 36 Credit Hours for Thesis Option

The course work for the master’s degree consists of core courses, restricted electives, and thesis research for those students choosing the thesis option.

Core Courses—27 Credit Hours

• HFT 6245 Managing Hospitality and Guest Services Organizations (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6251 The Management of Lodging Operations (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6710 International Tourism Management (3 credit hours)
• FSS 6365 Management of Food Service Operations (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6477 Financial Analysis of Hospitality Enterprises (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6596 Strategic Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6228 Critical Issues in Hospitality Human Resources (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6586 Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6296 Hospitality/Tourism Strategic Issues (3 credit hours)

Restricted Electives—9-12 Credit Hours

The restricted electives in the thesis option consist of six credit hours of thesis research, and one course (three credit hours) from the specified list below. The restricted electives in the non-thesis option consist of four courses (12 credit hours) from the list. A maximum of three credit hours of restricted elective may be taken as an independent study.

• HFT 6446 Hospitality/Tourism Information Technology (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6533 Hospitality/Tourism Industry Brand Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6608 Hospitality/Tourism Law and Ethics Seminar (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6476 Feasibility Studies for the Hospitality/Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6259 Case Studies in Lodging Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6319 Convention Center Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6636 Hospitality/Tourism Risk Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6267 Case Studies in Restaurant Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6347 Advanced Vacation Ownership Resort Planning (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6526 Vacation Ownership Resort Sales Management (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6528 Convention and Conference Sales and Services (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6707 Travel and Tourism Economics (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6797 Event Administration (3 credit hours)
• HFT 6971 Thesis (research for thesis option only; 6 credit hours)
• HFT 6247 Organizational Communication in Hospitality/Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)

Culminating Experience

An appropriate culminating academic experience is required of all master’s degree candidates.

For those students on the thesis option, a thesis defense is required. Thesis defenses will be approved by a majority vote of the thesis advisory committee. Further approval is required by the Dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and UCF Graduate Studies before final acceptance of the thesis in fulfilling degree requirements.

For students in the non-thesis option, an appropriate culminating academic experience is the successful completion of HFT 6596 Strategic Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism, a required course in the curriculum that is designated as a capstone course. This capstone course acquaints students with the principles of strategic decision-making in various sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry. Students are required to apply skills, knowledge, and understanding in order to identify areas of concern encountered by managers responsible for formulating and implementing operational strategies.

Financial Support

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Key points about financial support:

• If you’re interested in financial assistance, you’re strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
• You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
• If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
• UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. All admitted graduate students are automatically considered in this nomination process. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
• Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
• For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.

Contact Info

Randall Upchurch, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-903-8024
hospitality@mail.ucf.edu