Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the Student Link for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• SHA HF 723: Case Studies in Corporate Restaurant Management
  Future restaurant leaders must possess many qualities and deal with challenging and complex business situations. This case study based elective course will allow graduate level students to apply the principles of leadership, analysis, and planning that they have learned in their prior required coursework to issues in corporate and multi-unit restaurant management and operations. The planning process for new restaurant ventures is explored. Students will critically analyze financing plans for new concept development. New ways of assessing restaurant success and failure are examined. An emphasis is placed on the use of qualitative and quantitative tools to analyze restaurant performance. Advantages and disadvantages of various market entry strategies are discussed. Opportunities for restaurant organizations to expand globally are addressed. 4.cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 733: Hospitality Organizational Leadership
  The hospitality / travel and tourism industry employs over 284 million people, representing about 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. In such a labor intensive field, leading and managing people are two critical elements for operating successful organizations. This course will focus on leadership and management for the hospitality industry. Using a leadership continuum as a framework, we will explore several different levels of leadership, from a traditional leadership role as the head of a major corporation, team leadership and the personal aspect of self-leadership. Several different leadership models will be analyzed and applied to the hospitality industry. An emphasis on creating organizational culture through human resource strategies and how to manage change effectively will be two critical components of the course. The course explores key aspects of human resources functions such as employment law, employee recruitment & selection, compensation and benefits, labor relations, diversity and managing hospitality human resources in a global environment. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 740: Graduate Internship in Hospitality Management
  The Graduate Internship allows students to gain industry experience. The zero credit internship involves 400 hours of relevant hospitality work experience and is required for all graduate students. Practical learning opportunities are available through our various hospitality partnerships, including hotels, restaurants and other placements. 0 cr. Offered Spring Semester.
• SHA HF 760: Hospitality Sales Management
  A dynamic, interactive and intensive hospitality sales management course which prepares you with fundamental skills on how to create, build and execute an effective sales strategy. This course combines theory with practical application and includes working with source markets and partners, identifying and qualifying prospects, building rapport, overcoming objections for creative proposals and successful closing techniques. 2 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 761: Advanced Consumer Behavior in Hospitality
  In order to create and deliver value for customers, marketers must develop a deep understanding of how their consumers make decisions when purchasing and using their services. In this course those consumer behavior theories will be explored that are most applicable to different types of hospitality purchase experiences. 4 cr. Offered Spring Semester.
• SHA HF 762: Hospitality Marketing and Branding
  This course offers participants innovative and practical approaches for addressing strategic marketing challenges to improve revenue, profit, and customer loyalty. Using case studies from hotels, restaurants, and hospitality firms worldwide, and referencing cutting-edge research, students will learn the latest applications of strategic thinking and analysis to marketing challenges facing the hospitality industry. They will understand strategic-marketing concepts and principles, and apply the ideas, concepts, and principles to develop innovative and profitable strategies. Recent evolutions in globalization, technology and sustainability necessitate that modern marketing be reconstituted to move into the digital age. Given the role and critical importance of a digital mindset in operating today's businesses, the course will also leverage case studies and real-world examples to help students master the "new marketing" on a strategic and tactical level. In so doing, the course will enable students to explore the design and implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity for a sustainable competitive advantage. 4 cr. Offered Summer II.
• SHA HF 768: Digital Marketing Strategies
  This is an advanced course in hospitality marketing focused on the variety of digital marketing tools currently available for hotels and restaurants. Internet marketing for our industry has evolved drastically in the past 10 years. With more than 50% of people researching travel online, an understanding and appreciation of how hotels and restaurants use digital marketing initiatives to reach their consumers is necessary to succeed in the industry. Knowing how to market through Facebook with boosted posts, run search engine marketing campaigns through Google AdWords, and geo-targeting market segments through online media advertising will enhance your marketing savvy and make you more marketable as you enter the job market in hospitality. Effective marketing for your hospitality asset today means taking the following steps: your website must be responsive and provide the most user friendly experience on the desktop as well as mobile and tablet devices; Search Engine Optimization and the technical coding and functionality to ensure your website also ranks high when web surfers conduct searches using key words. Additionally, there will be a review of the most revenue-generating internet marketing techniques and finally booking mechanisms and distribution channels. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 770: Hospitality Ownership Strategies
  This course is an introduction to ownership and management structure of the hotel industry. It discusses the major industry players (stakeholders) and their role and interests in hotel investments from the perspective of owners, independent operations, operating companies, franchisor and franchisee. Hotel management and franchise agreements are examined regarding the legal and practical applications and financial implications of these contracts. A special emphasis is placed on a rapidly growing area of the lodging industry, namely, asset management. The course will define what asset management is today and examine the skills required to be a successful asset manager. There will be a special focus on the benefits to the hotel owner of hiring an asset manager in representing the owner in deliberations about annual operating budgets and capital plans with the hotel management company. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 771: Hospitality Revenue Management Strategies
  Hotel Revenue Management focuses on how a hotel can produce the highest amount of "profitable" revenue given its fixed capacity and variable demand. The fundamental principles and concepts of hospitality revenue management that include pricing and discounting strategies, overbooking practices, segmentation, competitive analysis, demand and revenue forecasting, performance analysis will be discussed throughout the term. To expand revenue management streams outside of the hotel rooms, Total Revenue Management strategies are explored. Non-traditional hospitality segments discussed include space optimization and cruise revenue management. 4 cr. Offered Spring Semester.
• SHA HF 775: Meetings & Conventions
  This course provides an introduction to the methods and techniques utilized in planning, organizing, promoting and delivering of businesses and social events, and the role events play in generating a tourist and business market. Information will be presented that will allow the student to gain general knowledge of planning events. Specifically, the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) sector of the events will be examined in depth from a professional planner's perspective. Information presented will allow the student to gain knowledge of planning events from the role of a meeting professional and assist in preparing for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) or Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) exam. 4 cr. Offered Fall & Spring.
• SHA HF 777: Meeting Planning and Special Events Management
  This course is designed to provide an introduction to the principles of special event management. The planning, development, management, and implementation of festivals, entertainment events, corporate and other events will be the focus of study. Specific topics will include bid preparation, forecasting project revenues, estimating budgetary goals, contract negotiations, event-marketing strategy, event related case studies, event technology, public and corporate sponsorship. Fundraising techniques will discussed. In addition to operational and logistical needs of various types of events, insurance and risk management concerns associated with these events are addressed. The course emphasizes the principles and concepts of etiquette and protocol. Proven event execution tactics are introduced to ensure event return on investment. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
• SHA HF 778: Hospitality Analytics
  This course will provide students with fundamental knowledge of business analytics and information visualization combined with extensive opportunities for developing hands-on skills for applying hospitality business analytics to managerial decision-making. Students will learn fundamental mathematical and statistical concepts as well as statistical modeling techniques to solve operational, financial and marketing issues that hospitality organizations face today. Students will also learn how to leverage widely used Microsoft Excel to build out data-driven insights and craft story telling visualization around the data-driven insights. 4 cr. Offered Fall semester.
• SHA HF 782: Hospitality Communications Practicum
  This course is intended as a 'practicum' in hospitality communications. This course is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. The focus is on the development of those communication skills that are critical to being effective managers. There will be readings on communication, but the majority of the course will focus on skills development. Each week students will be required to deliver presentations to the class. These presentations will be videotaped and critiqued. By the end of this course students will be much more comfortable, clear, and confident speakers in any situation. 2 cr. Offered Fall & Spring.
• SHA HF 790: Independent Study Projects
  With permission from the Program Director, students may engage in independent business or research projects. Independent study projects may be used to satisfy the requirement of elective courses.(1-4 credits). On Demand.

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