PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The PhD in Hospitality Management prepares individuals for teaching and research-based careers in academia or as practitioner researchers and field consultants in hospitality and tourism enterprises.
CURRICULUM
| Total Credit Hours Required: |
| 58
Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Master's Degree |
Required Courses—43 Credit Hours
Core—16 Credit Hours
- HFT 7587 Foundations in Hospitality and Tourism Research (3 credit hours)
- HFT 7589 Advanced Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 7588 Research Seminar in Hospitality and Tourism (1 credit hour)
- PAF 7802 Advanced Research Methods in Public Affairs I (3 credit hours)
- PAF 7804 Advanced Quantitative Methods I (3 credit hours)
- PAF 7806 Advanced Research Methods in Public Affairs II (3 credit hours)
Specialization—27 Credit Hours
At least 6 credit hours should be from HFT 7XXX level courses. Course selection should be based on the student's area of interest in consultation with the major adviser and approved by the graduate program director.
Select a minimum of two courses from the following list:
- HFT 7258 Strategies and Tactics: Lodging (3 credit hours)
- HFT 7546 Strategies and Tactics: Guest Service Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 7715 Strategies and Tactics: Travel and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 7876 Strategies and Tactics: Foodservice (3 credit hours)
Select a minimum of three Research Electives from the following list:
- HFT 6586 Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6918 Directed Research (3 credit hours)
- PAF 7805 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods in Public Affairs II (3 credit hours)
- PAF 7820 Seminar in Qualitative Methods in Public Affairs (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7475 Qualitative Research in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7463 Multivariate Statistics (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7406 Analysis of Survey, Record, and Other Qualitative Data (3 credit hours)
Select the remainder of your minimum 27 credit hours from any HFT 6000 level or greater courses or approved 6000/7000 level courses from other UCF colleges.
- FSS 6365 Management of Food Service Operations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6227 Advanced Training and Development in the Hospitality Industry (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6228 Hospitality Human Resources and Leadership (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6245 Managing Hospitality and Guest service Organizations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6247 Organizational Communications in Hospitality/Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6251 The Management of Lodging Operations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6267 Case Studies in Restaurant Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6291 Hospitality Entrepreneurship (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6296 Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6319 Convention Center Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6347 Advanced Vacation Ownership Resort Planning (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6446 Hospitality/Tourism Information Technology (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6476 Feasibility Studies for Hospitality Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6477 Financial Analysis of Hospitality Enterprises (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6529 Vacation Ownership Resort Sales Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6528 Convention and Conference Sales and Services (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6533 Hospitality/Tourism Industry Brand Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6566 Principles of Destination Marketing and Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6596 Strategic Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6608 Hospitality/Tourism Law and Ethics Seminar (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6636 Hospitality/Tourism Risk Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6707 Economics of Travel and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6710 International Tourism Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6738 Tourism Industry Analysis (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6797 Event Administration (3 credit hours)
Dissertation—15 Credit Hours
- HFT 7980 Dissertation Research (15 credit hours minimum)
Doctoral students must present a prospectus for the dissertation to the doctoral adviser, prepare a proposal and present it to the dissertation committee, and defend the final research submission with the dissertation committee.
Candidacy
To enter candidacy for the PhD, students must have an overall 3.0 GPA on all graduate work included in the planned program and pass all required examinations. Examinations will be scheduled by the student and major adviser in collaboration with the Rosen College Examination Committee. The associate dean for graduate studies and research must be notified of the date and location of the exam 30 days in advance. Students must be enrolled in the university during the semester an examination is taken.
The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours:
- Completion of all course work, except for dissertation hours.
- Successful completion of the candidacy examination.
- The dissertation advisory committee is formed, consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.
- Submittal of an approved program of study.
Candidacy Examinations
All PhD candidates will be required to complete two examinations.
- Research Methodology/Statistics and Specialization—8-hour written examination.
- Specialization—1-hour oral examination.
Please note that there may be variations in length of exam time and content based on the respective requirements of each track.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
The dissertation satisfies the independent learning requirement.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- A master’s degree in a closely related field.
- Official, competitive GRE or GMAT score taken within the last five years.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Goal statement.
- Résumé
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
- Applicants to this program are strongly encouraged to complete the necessary information requested for the ETS PPI (Personal Potential Index) report that is available during the GRE examination. All official PPI reports must be submitted directly to the UCF College of Graduate Studies (use UCF Institution Code: 5233).
The Rosen College of Hospitality Management requires a higher level of proof of English language proficiency than the university. If an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or equivalent test that is acceptable to the university must be submitted by the application deadline regardless of the institution or the country from which their degree (s) was received.
The UCF Rosen College has established a minimum TOEFL score of 91 (iBT), 233 (Computer), or 577 (Paper). Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 8.0 or higher as an equivalent.
Application Deadlines
| Hospitality Management PhD |
Fall Priority
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Fall
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Spring
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Summer
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Domestic Applicants
| Dec 20 | Feb 15 | - | - |
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International Applicants
| Dec 20 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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International Transfer Applicants
| Dec 20 | Feb 15 | - | - |
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FINANCIALS
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see
Funding for Graduate School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The
Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see Fellowships, which includes descriptions of UCF fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.