Evaluate, analyze and strategize for success in hospitality.

As a hospitality industry management (HSIM) student, you will develop the analytical skills to prepare you for careers in hospitality consulting and in the corporate office.

The HSIM program is a business degree with a hospitality emphasis. Students are introduced to the analytics of the hospitality industry through a combination of business and hospitality business classes. With this knowledge, students will excel in one of the world’s largest industries.

What I love about my major
In this video, hospitality students share their favorite things about their major, from favorite classes to meaningful experiences.
Watch the video

Program Highlights

Practical Experience

Nothing complements classroom-based learning like practical, on-the-job learning. An integral part of the HSIM curriculum is the requirement for 400 hours of hospitality-related work experience. Students also can join various hospitality student organizations which take students to national industry conferences and provide networking opportunities with leaders and managers in the hospitality field.

Career Development Opportunities

All classes are taught by faculty with significant industry experience and academic credentials. Through the Blue Hen Alumni Network and events like the Hospitality Career Fair and the Paul Wise Executive-in-Residence Speaker Series, industry alumni, leaders and managers frequently visit campus to meet, mentor and hire our students.

Honors in Hospitality Industry Management

The honors program at UD offers a scholarly and enriching community that extends well beyond graduation. You’ll enjoy smaller, more challenging classes and the opportunity to engage in research and assume leadership roles.

The honors degree requires:

  1. All requirements for the B.S. in hospitality industry management
  2. All of the UD requirements for the honors baccalaureate degree

Program Requirements

Suggested Course Sequence

Freshman Year
First semester
BUAD 110 – Basics of Business
ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
HOSP 180 – Introduction to Hospitality Business Management
MATH 221 – Calculus I or MATH 241 – Analytic Geometry and Calculus A
History & cultural change breadth course

 
Second semester
ECON 103 – Introduction to Macroeconomics
ENGL 110 – Seminar in Composition
MISY 160 – Business Computing
Foreign language
Free elective

Sophomore Year
First semester
ACCT 207 – Accounting I
HOSP 314 – Hospitality Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation
STAT 200 – Basic Statistical Practice
Creative arts & humanities breadth course
Free elective
 
Second semester
ACCT 208 – Accounting II
BUAD 309 – Organizational Behavior
HOSP 311 Financial Decision Making in the Hospitality Industry or FINC 311 – Principles of Finance
HOSP 230 – Executive Presentations & Problem Solving or COMM 212 – Public Speaking & Professional Presentation
MISY 262 – Fundamentals of Business Analytics
Junior Year
First semester
BUAD 306 – Service and Operations Management
HOSP 380 – Management of Lodging Operations
HOSP 382 – Managerial Accounting & Finance in the Hospitality Industry
HOSP 481 – Marketing Hospitality Experiences
Free elective
 
Second semester
ACCT 352 – Law and Social Issues in Business
HOSP 381 – Management of Food & Beverage Operations
HOSP 448 – Data Analytics in the Hospitality Industry
Free elective
Free elective
Senior Year
First semester
HOSP 495 – Hospitality Feasibility Studies
HOSP 487 – Hospitality and Sport Revenue Management
HOSP 450 – Strategic Hospitality Management
Free elective
Free elective
 
Second semester
ENGL 312 – Written Communications in Business
Hospitality elective
Hospitality elective
Free elective
Free elective

Career Opportunities

Within 6 months of graduating, on average, 96% of Lerner’s hospitality industry management graduates are employed (earning a mean starting salary of $50,500) or pursuing further education. For more information on career resources please visit the Lerner Career Services Center.

Top Employers

Some of the top employers of Lerner’s hospitality industry management graduates include:

  • Compass Group
  • Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts
  • Hyatt Hotels Corporation
  • Marriott International
  • Yelp

Top Jobs

Job titles of recent graduates with a hospitality industry management degree include:

  • Account Luxury Manager
  • Event Sales Coordinator
  • Operations Administrator
  • Account Executive
  • Sales and Management Associate

Visit the Career Outcomes of Lerner hospitality industry management students to see top employers, job titles, salaries and locations.

News

  • American Hotel Lodging Association - Robert Kyle Dutrow, Class of 2025 hospitality business management major, is the president of the American Hotel Lodging Association at Lerner College. Dutrow shared why he joined the American Hotel Lodging Association and what makes this group unique!
  • Top Tips for Dining Etiquette - Delta Sigma Pi, one of Lerner's business fraternities, learned the top tips for dining etiquette from Vita Nova's Nick Waller and applied their skills at a three-course professional dining event.
  • UD Students Give Championship Effort At National Golf Tournament - Lerner students catered to eager golf fans who flocked to Wilmington to see the top 70 golfers play. Championship golf brought more than 100,000 spectators.
  • Welcome Back To Vita Nova! - Vita Nova had to pivot because of COVID-19 and set a goal to maintain great food and great service. Two new executive chefs will see to it.
  • UDREAM Program Helps Lerner Students Succeed - UDREAM peer mentors help new students pick classes, manage schedules and get involved in extracurricular activities to acclimate them to life at UD.

Learn More

Contact our hospitality administrative team: hospitality-dept@udel.edu; 302-831-6077

Admissions Information

Learn more about undergraduate admissions requirements, deadlines, tuition and financial aid available to you.

Admissions & Financial Aid