Prospective Students
What you'll learn
Profile: David Siegel, Senior
David is taking an elective class called “Strategic Hospitality Management and Hospitality Leadership.” Professor Michael Oshins designed the class to encourage students to think critically and creatively about the role leadership plays in hospitality management and in their personal lives.
“This is definitely one of the more challenging classes I’ve taken so far. Certainly, the concept of leadership is a theme throughout the curriculum at SHA, but this class takes it to the next level by focusing on real-life case studies and doing hands-on exercises to apply to everyday life in the workplace. There are only eight of us, so we all have to participate. If one of us doesn’t do the reading, then we all suffer. It’s a real test of teamwork and leadership. We work together to solve the problems, but we have to understand them individually first. Professor Oshins is also a professional hospitality leadership consultant, so we’re learning the same things top companies hire him to teach. And it’s directly applicable to my work as the kitchen manager at a local pub. What we discuss in class literally comes to life before my eyes there, and I’ve already put to use some of those strategies and concepts. Great leaders constantly adapt to the changing situations around them and strive to do a better job. I feel good about my strengths as a manager because of what I’ve learned in this class.”
In the School’s professional kitchen — one of Boston’s largest — students learn the basics related to food preparation, safety, sanitation, and hygiene. Working in teams, they prepare recipes developed by renowned chefs exclusively for the School. Additionally, students write a research paper to complete each of their culinary experiences. They learn what it is like to work in a kitchen in order to better manage a hotel, restaurant, casino, convention center, or catering company.