Starting this fall, Montana State University students will see increased career opportunities due to a revamp of the hospitality degree program.
Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management will now have two paths to choose from: a business-specific concentration from MSU’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship or a sustainable food systems-focused concentration from the College of Education, Health and Human Development.
The previous iteration of the degree was housed entirely in EHHD and had elements of both business and food systems. Now, the strategic split will allow for each college to focus on its strengths and provide a new option for students seeking an exclusive focus on business management, according to Brian Gillespie, dean of the business college.
The hospitality business option has been in design for two years, Gillespie said. It received final approval in the spring and will be available to students this fall semester.
Hospitality is the third-largest and fastest-growing industry in the state, Gillespie said, with around 5,400 new jobs in hospitality added in 2022 alone, according to data from the U.S. Census Quarterly Workforce Indicator program.
Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana has seen huge job growth in sectors such as lodging, event management, restaurants and guided travel. MSU’s business-focused hospitality program will provide what the industry wants and needs, Gillespie said, citing conversations he’s had with major hotel developers and entities including Lone Mountain Land Company and the Yellowstone Club.
Indeed, industry partners have donated more than $1 million to support the new programs, Gillespie said, including an associate’s degree in hospitality at Gallatin College MSU also launched this year.
“The business hospitality degree is a direct response to the needs of the state of Montana,” Gillespie said. “It’s also a degree that our students have expressed interest in as they seek careers that will have very high job placement after graduation.”
The program is already attractive to students, with more than 100 incoming business students signed up for the Introduction to Hospitality course this fall and more than 34 students already declaring it as their major as of mid-August.
Once fully developed, Gillespie envisions the program growing to 300 to 400 students, or even more.
The program curriculum is based on the fundamentals of business, Gillespie said, and was developed collaboratively by MSU faculty, hospitality faculty from other schools who served as consultants, and industry partners. Students will take classes in topics including revenue management, purchasing and cost control, and advanced customer experience, which will reinforce lessons from the foundational business courses taken by all students in the business college, including accounting, finance and marketing.
The business college will hire a program director to support the new degree option and teach classes alongside existing and visiting faculty.
Hospitality business students will also be required to complete 1,000 hours of paid work in the hospitality industry while enrolled. That experience is expected to allow students to move straight into a management-level position upon graduating, if they desire, and provide ample opportunities for experiential, real-life learning.
“They’re going to be able to step into management positions in hotels, restaurants or tour companies, for example, already with a solid understanding of the business side of the operation,” Gillespie said.
The program requires students to take 120 credits, and the introductory courses overlap with existing requirements for business students. A sophomore could easily switch their major to hospitality and still graduate in four years, Gillespie said.
“We’re excited to create a pipeline of career-ready hospitality leaders for Montana’s fastest-growing industry,” Gillespie said. “Additionally, we’re grateful for strong support from industry partners and employers who will ensure the program is well-resourced and sustainable.”
For students interested in sustainable food systems and farm-to-table operations, the Hospitality Management degree also offers a sustainable hospitality concentration. Housed in EHHD, this option caters to students who seek to learn sustainable business practices that benefit both communities and the environment.
In addition to the shared core hospitality classes, EHHD students will take classes such as Human Nutrition and Food Fundamentals, and select from electives such as Food Processing and a practicum at MSU’s Towne’s Harvest community garden. The 120 credits and internship requirement are the same in each concentration.
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