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. You can customize this major to fit your interests. Along with your advisor, you’ll choose a focus area such as revenue management, resort real estate development, hospitality e-commerce or tourism sustainability, so that you can specialize in a particular area of hospitality, 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. Two integral parts of the HSIM curriculum are the 400 hours of hospitality-related work experience. Hospitality student organizations take students to national industry conferences and provide networking opportunities with leaders and managers in the hospitality field.

Industry Experience

All classes are taught by faculty with real industry experience and academic credentials. And 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. The student clubs take our students to national industry conferences, providing networking opportunities with leaders and managers in the hospitality field.

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
HOSP 180 – Introduction to Hospitality Business Management
ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
MATH 221 – Calculus I or MATH 241 – Analytic Geometry and Calculus A (3 or 4 credits)
History & cultural change breadth course
BUAD 110 – Basics of Business
 
Second semester
Foreign language (3 or 4 credits)
HOSP 187 – Hospitality Business Computing or MISY 160 – Business Computing
ENGL 110 – Seminar in Composition
ECON 103 – Introduction to Macroeconomics
Free elective
Sophomore Year
First semester
STAT 200 – Basic Statistical Practice
HOSP 314 – Hospitality Entrepreneurship
ACCT 207 – Accounting I
Creative arts & humanities breadth course
Free elective
 
Second semester
ACCT 208 – Accounting II
MISY 262 – Fundamentals of Business Analytics
FINC 311 – Principles of Finance
HOSP 230 – Executive Presentations & Problem Solving
BUAD 309 – Organizational Behavior
Junior Year
First semester
HOSP 380 – Management of Lodging Operations
HOSP 382 – Managerial Accounting & Finance
HOSP 481 – Marketing Hospitality Experiences
BUAD 306 – Service and Operations Management
Focus area course
 
Second semester
HOSP 381 – Management of Food & Beverage Operations
ACCT 352 – Law and Social Issues in Business or HOSP 482 – Hospitality Business Law
HOSP 448 – Data Analytics in the Hospitality Industry
Focus area course
Focus area course
Senior Year
First semester
HOSP 495 – Hospitality Feasibility Studies
Focus area course
HOSP 487 – Revenue Management
HOSP 450 – Strategic Hospitality Management
Free elective
 
Second semester
Focus area course
ENGL 312 – Written Communication in Business
Hospitality elective
Free elective (1-3 credits)
Free elective

Career Opportunities

Within 6 months of graduating, on average, 98% of Lerner’s hospitality industry management graduates are employed (earning a mean starting salary of $48,724) 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:

  • Bozzuto
  • CACI International
  • EY
  • 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

  • 2021 Summer Travel Outlook: Cautiously Optimistic - With COVID-19 restrictions easing up, UD Hospitality Professors Sheryl Kline, Sri Beldona and Robert Nelson predict a “cautiously optimistic" 2021 Summer Travel Season outlook.
  • Lerner Builds Community through Nests - UD’s Lerner College Nest program helped new Blue Hens build connections and community with peers, upperclassmen and faculty virtually this semester.
  • Lerner Remote Resources - The Lerner College is committed to supporting our community during this uncertain time. Please refer to this page for important resources and contact information.
  • Hotel Stay? Stay Safe - Research from UD Lerner hospitality professor Sheryl Kline can help travelers to understand the cleanliness of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • What I Love About My Major: Hospitality - In this video, students majoring in hospitality business management and hospitality industry management share their favorite things about their major.

Learn More

Dr. Bob Nelson: bnelson@udel.edu; 302-831-6455
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