Masters & Graduate Certificates

Five courses (15 credit hours) of business core classes:

• ACIS 5104 Fundamentals of Accounting
• BIT 5724 Managerial Statistics
• FIN 5024 Principles of Finance
• MGT 5314 Dynamics of Organizational Behavior
• MKTG 5104 Marketing Policy and Strategy

Five courses (15 credit hours) of specialized elective courses selected from the following list. Students do not need to complete a specialization area;  you may choose your five courses from all available course, but HTM courses should constitute at least 50% (three courses) of the 15 credit hours. Students who wish to complete multiple specialization areas can opt to take additional hours.

Course Offerings:

• HTM 5024 International Service Management
  
• HTM 5424 Human Resource Management
• HTM 5444 Financial Management in Hospitality Services
• HTM 5454 Hospitality and Tourism Marketing
• HTM 5464 Franchising in Hospitality Management
• HTM 5514 Contemporary Problems in the Hospitality Industry
• HTM 5534 Competitive Strategies in the Hospitality Industry
• HTM 5564 Hospitality and Tourism Management Information Technology and Business Analytics
• HTM 5574 Revenue Management
• HTM 5614 Current Issues in Travel and Tourism Management
• HTM 5984 Special Studies: Event Management

This graduate certificate will provide middle managers in the Hospitality and Tourism industry with the tools and skills required to engage in high-level strategic thinking and analysis in the areas of revenue management and business analytics. Specifically, this certificate will provide methods for students to utilize information systems as tools for dynamic forecasting of supply and demand and maximize profits in HTM-related businesses. Skills gained will ultimately allow certificate holders to compete for upper-level managerial positions.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Determine the strategic roles of information systems in today’s hospitality/tourism organizations.
• Implement information technology applications.
• Apply the components of Web marketing and distribution practices.
• Compare and contrast information systems that support business intelligence and data analytics in hospitality/tourism.
• Evaluate emerging data analytics tools in operations and strategic decision making.
• Analyze effectiveness and return on investment of information systems.
• Evaluate revenue management (RM) as a dynamic strategic process.
• Create and implement an effective RM process.
• Implement RM within the framework of Customer Relationship Management.
• Analyze the key elements of dynamic forecasting of demand, supply, cancellations and no-shows.
• Apply the key elements of setting RM controls and rate fences / restrictions.
• Analyze positioning, segmentation, target market selection, product development, pricing and channel management within the context of RM policies and processes.
• Manage the interface between revenue management with human resources and information systems management in hospitality service environments.
• Articulate and debate the ethical aspects of revenue management in hospitality services environments.

To earn the certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Business Analytics and Revenue Management, students must complete the following courses:

• HTM 5564 Information Technology and Business Analytics in Hospitality and Tourism
• HTM 5574 Revenue Management for Hospitality Services
• Choose one of the following:
  • BIT 5594 Web Applications and E-Commerce
  • MGT 5804 Strategic Leadership in Technology-based Organizations

The purpose of this certificate is to provide middle managers in the Hospitality and Tourism industry with the tools and skills required to prepare them to engage in high-level strategic thinking and analysis on a global scale. In particular, this certificate will provide specific methods for students to utilize as part of their analysis and understanding of international markets and trends in HTM and ultimately allow certificate holders to compete for upper level managerial positions.

Upon completion students will be able to:

• Apply the concepts of international strategic management and competitive strategy to the hospitality industries.
• Analyze and develop strategies to address contemporary issues in the international business environment facing multinational service firms in the hospitality industry, including global strategy formulation and implementation; technology challenges; diversity in customers and employees; political and legal concerns; and effective organizational structures for long term survival.
• Analyze current macro dimensions of international marketing, e.g., culture, politics, and economics; international comparative marketing systems; international marketing management decisions; and international strategic planning and control and extrapolate these dimensions to the hospitality industry.

To earn the certificate in International Hospitality and Tourism Strategy, students must complete the following courses:

• HTM 5534 Strategic Management and Competitive Strategy in the Hospitality Industry
• HTM 5024 International Service Management
• Choose one of the following:
  • MGT 5784 International Management
  • MGT 5794 Strategic Management
  • MKTG 5704 International Marketing Strategy

New entrepreneurs often possess innovative ideas but lack the business skills that will make them successful. Entrepreneurs differ from other business start-ups in that they are creating a unique and ground-breaking approach to a business. They have unique approaches, different business models, and/or innovative delivery techniques. The purpose of this certificate is to provide students with the specific tools and skills required to prepare them to engage in entrepreneurial activities in Hospitality and Tourism management. Specifically, this certificate will help students create a business plan that includes the financial, human resource, and leadership components vital for their success. What makes the program unique is the inclusion of an optional franchising course to provide students with the expertise needed to consider moving beyond their initial start-up to becoming a franchise in the future.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Create a business plan tailored to entrepreneurial endeavors in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
• Analyze the practical leadership, marketing, financial, and production considerations for a variety of entrepreneurial initiatives for both new ventures and established firms in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
• Analyze and critique both past and current approaches to entrepreneurial leadership.
• Analyze human resources issues relevant to entrepreneurial activities in hospitality and tourism management.
• Apply the processes, practices and legal considerations of entrepreneurial endeavors in hospitality and tourism to real-time cases.
• Analyze and critique the various approaches to franchise concept development, the franchisor-franchisee relationship, franchise agreements, operational problems, and international franchising.
• Apply fundamentals of financial management to cases of entrepreneurial hotels, restaurants, institutions and similar service opportunities.

To earn the certificate in Entrepreneurship in Hospitality & Tourism Management, students must complete the following courses:

• MGT 5814 Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Choose two of the following:
  • HTM 5424 Human Resource Management
  • HTM 5464 Franchising in Hospitality Management
  • HTM 5444 Financial Management in the Hospitality Service Industries

ACIS 5104 Fundamentals of Accounting (Required Core Course)
This course examines the fundamentals of accounting systems as they relate to decision making. Attention is directed toward accounting for the core of management control and financial reporting systems, and as integrally related to the information system.

BIT 5594 Web-Based Applications and Electronic Commerce
An examination of the concepts, technologies, and applications of electronic commerce. Topics include the world wide web as a platform for electronic commerce; intranets; electronic data interchange; electronic banking and payment systems; security and firewalls; software agents; and the social, legal, and international issues of electronic commerce.

BIT 5724 Managerial Statistics (Required Core Course)
Introduction to basic statistical (inference) tools necessary in managerial decision-making. Topics include, but are not limited to, descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, sampling and sampling distributions, portfolio management, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, quality improvement, and Six Sigma concepts and methodology.

FIN 5024 Principles of Finance (Required Core Course)
This course explores the basic concepts underlying the finance function, relevant to finance and non-finance majors. It provides an understanding of the firm's decision-making framework in the context of the economic environment (financial markets) in which the decisions are made. The specific topics covered, at a basic level, include investment decision making under uncertainty, valuation, risk and return, market efficiency, portfolio theory, asset pricing, cost of capital, capital investment decisions, and futures and options markets.

HTM 5024 - International Service Management
Overview of the contemporary issues in the international business environment facing multinational service firms in the hospitality industry. These issues include such topics as: global strategy formulation, and implementation; technology challenges; diversity in customers and employees; political and legal concerns; and effective organizational structures for long term survival.

HTM 5424 - Human Resource Management
This course focuses upon the attainment and retainment of employees within the hospitality industry. Topics include the processes, practices and legal considerations involved in the employment of people in hospitality organizations.

HTM 5444 - Financial Management in the Hospitality Service Industries
Fundamentals of financial management as applied to hotel, restaurants, institutions and similar service organizations.

HTM 5454 - Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Strategy and Policy
Examination of the role of marketing within the strategic planning of hospitality service organizations.

HTM 5464 - Franchising in Hospitality Management
Role of franchising in hospitality management. Contemporary issues related to franchising in different segments of hospitality industry, including franchise concept development, franchisor-franchisee relationship, franchise agreements, operational problems, and international franchising.

HTM 5564 - Information Technology and Business Analytics in Hospitality and Tourism
Theoretical foundation of IT applications in hospitality and tourism. Widely used information systems in operation, management, and e-business in HTM. Web marketing and distribution practices. Emerging analytics tools for business intelligence and strategic decision making. Impacts of IT on organizations and the industry as a whole.

HTM 5574 - Revenue Management for Hospitality Services
Dynamic forecasting of supply and demand, customer relationship management, services production, pricing, promotion, and distribution. Implications for human resources and information systems management. Application and integration of revenue and customer centric management theory.

MGT 5314 Dynamics of Organizational Behavior (Required Core Course)
This course examines the determinants and consequences of human behavior in formal organizations. The specific graduate focus is on understanding the individual, interpersonal, and group processes which underlie all human dynamics.

MGT 5784 International Management
This course focuses on the management challenges associated with the development of strategies and the management of organizations in business enterprises whose operations stretch across national boundaries. It will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivities that will help them manage more effectively in an international environment.

MGT 5804 Strategic Leadership in Technology Based Organizations
Takes a general manager’s perspective to examine the challenges of managing innovation and the impacts of innovation upon organizations. Although some companies have developed impressive functional expertise in innovation, integrating their contributions into a coherent whole still remains a significant challenge. But many of today’s most vexing problems in innovation don’t occur within these functions. They arise across the boundaries of functional organizations, in many ways. They are not just engineering, marketing, production, nor finance problems, but relate to the interactions of such experts from across the organizations. These are some of the reasons why this course takes the general manager’s perspective. Only the general manager can mold the resources, processes and values that affect innovation into a coherent capability to develop and launch superior new products and services repeatedly (Christensen, 1999). Prerequisite: MGT 5314 and Third Term Standing.

MGT 5814 Entrepreneurial Leadership
This course discusses the concepts and techniques for providing leadership in the entrepreneurial venture. It provides the theoretical basis for understanding the entrepreneurial process in the economy. It discusses the practical leadership, marketing, financial, and production considerations for entrepreneurial initiatives for new ventures and established firms.

MKTG 5104 Marketing Policy and Strategy  (Required Core Course)
Principles and processes of strategic marketing planning. Emphasis on development and implementation of marketing plans and programs. Comprehensive case studies are used as the basis for analysis.

MKTG 5704 International Marketing Strategy
This course provides the background to make managerial marketing decisions at the international level. It is composed of four sections: macro dimensions of international marketing, e.g., culture, politics, and economics; international comparative marketing systems; international marketing management decisions; and international strategic planning and control.