PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management enables students to build on their strengths and interests, broadens their knowledge of the industry; sharpens their management skills; and incorporates their professional and extracurricular experiences. The Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management enables students to build on their strengths and interests, broadens their knowledge of the industry; sharpens their management skills; and incorporates their professional and extracurricular experiences. The Rosen College of Hospitality Management candidates are especially attractive hires for hospitality and tourism organizations around the globe.
The typical Hospitality and Tourism Management MS candidate:
- Works as a professional for a leading hospitality organization within the central Florida region or beyond.
- Holds an undergraduate degree in hospitality, business management, or a related discipline.
- Realizes that advanced educational training is required to be competitive in this growing and vibrant hospitality and tourism industry.
The program offers thesis and nonthesis options. The thesis option is intended for students who are interested in the scientific study of the various aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry and who may anticipate pursuing a doctoral degree or a professional research position. The nonthesis option is intended for students who anticipate a leadership position in the hospitality and tourism industry. The emphasis of the nonthesis option is on course work, practical experience and real-world insight.
The Rosen College of Hospitality Management aims to provide students with an outstanding graduate hospitality management educational experience, and serve other stakeholders with continuing education, research, and service. The College is committed to UCF goals by providing intellectual leadership through quality hospitality education, international prominence by means of educational and research programs, promotion of a global perspective, nurturing inclusiveness and diversity, and partnerships with local, national, and international hospitality and tourism constituencies.
CURRICULUM
The Hospitality and Tourism Management MS program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours for students who choose the thesis option, and 39 credit hours for students who choose the nonthesis option. For both options, 27 credit hours are required core courses. Students in the thesis option must also take three credit hours of a restricted elective and six credit hours of thesis work. Students in the nonthesis option must take 12 credit hours of restricted electives.| Total Credit Hours Required: |
| 36-39
Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree |
Candidates for the MS degree are constantly challenged with numerous requirements to engage in independent learning throughout the program of study through special projects and papers. For example, the capstone course, HFT 6296 Hospitality/Tourism Strategic Issues requires a critical strategic audit project and a reflective paper. The project demonstrates a range of cross-discipline knowledge and analytical skills to perform an executive level analysis of an enterprise. The reflective paper has guiding questions that are subjective in nature and successful completion requires a thorough, insightful, and well articulated document that describes the learner’s value proposition to industry and society.
Required Courses—27 Credit Hours
- HFT 6245 Managing Hospitality and Guest Services Organizations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6251 Management of Lodging Operations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6710 International Tourism Management (3 credit hours)
- FSS 6365 Management of Food Service Operations (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6477 Financial Analysis of Hospitality Enterprises (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6596 Strategic Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6228 Critical Issues in Hospitality Human Resources (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6586 Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6296 Hospitality/Tourism Strategic Issues (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses—3 Credit Hours
All students must complete at least one course (three credit hours) from the specified list below. Students in the non-thesis option will take an additional 9 credit hours from the list for a total minimum of 12 credit hours of electives. A maximum of three credit hours of restricted elective may be taken as an independent study.
- HFT 6446 Hospitality/Tourism Information Technology (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6533 Hospitality/Tourism Industry Brand Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6608 Hospitality/Tourism Law and Ethics Seminar (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6476 Feasibility Studies for the Hospitality/Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6319 Convention Center Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6636 Hospitality/Tourism Risk Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6267 Case Studies in Restaurant Management (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6347 Advanced Vacation Ownership Resort Planning (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 6707 Travel and Tourism Economics (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6797 Event Administration (3 credit hours)
- HFT 6247 Organizational Communication in Hospitality/Tourism Enterprises (3 credit hours)
Thesis Option—6 Credit Hours
- HFT 6971 Thesis (research for thesis option only; 6 credit hours)
An appropriate culminating academic experience is required of all master’s degree candidates. For those students in the thesis option, a thesis defense is required. Thesis defenses will be approved by a majority vote of the thesis advisory committee. Further approval is required by the Dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the UCF College of Graduate Studies before final acceptance of the thesis in fulfilling degree requirements.
Nonthesis Option—9 Credit Hours
- Electives (9 credit hours) chosen from the list above
An appropriate culminating academic experience is required of all master’s degree candidates. For students in the nonthesis option, an appropriate culminating academic experience is the successful completion of HFT 6296 Hospitality/Tourism Strategic Issues, a required course in the curriculum that is designated as a capstone course. This capstone course acquaints students with the principles of strategic decision-making in various sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry. Students are required to apply skills, knowledge, and understanding in order to identify areas of concern encountered by managers responsible for formulating and implementing operational strategies.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
For students in the nonthesis option, an appropriate culminating academic experience is the successful completion of HFT 6296 Hospitality/Tourism Strategic Issues, a required course in the curriculum that is designated as a capstone course. This capstone course acquaints students with the principles of strategic decision-making in various sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry. Students are required to apply skills, knowledge, and understanding in order to identify areas of concern encountered by managers responsible for formulating and implementing operational strategies.
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.
Admission is restricted each semester to individuals showing high promise of success in postgraduate studies. In addition to the requirements noted below, other indicators of promise include the applicant’s extracurricular activities, work experience, job responsibilities, and leadership experience, which will be considered in making admissions decisions.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
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 83 (iBT), 220 (Computer), or 560 (Paper). Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0 or higher as an equivalent.
Prerequisites
For students with undergraduate majors in Hospitality Management or Business Administration, there will be no undergraduate course prerequisites, provided they have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher.
For industry professionals with an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than Hospitality Management or Business Administration, the following three undergraduate courses are required to be completed with a grade of "B" or higher within the first year of course work in the program:
- HFT 3540 Guest Services Management
- HFT 4295 Strategic Management in Hospitality Industry
- HFT 3431 Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting
These students would also have to have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher within the first year of course work in the program.
For applicants with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than Hospitality Management or Business Administration and no significant hospitality industry experience, the following five undergraduate courses are required to be completed with a grade of "B" or higher within the first year of course work in the program:
- HFT 1000 Introduction to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
- HFT 3540 Guest Services Management
- HFT 4295 Strategic Management in Hospitality Industry
- HFT 2403 Hospitality Industry Financial Accounting
- HFT 3431 Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting
These students would also have successfully completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher within the first year of course work in the program.
Application Deadlines
| Hospitality and Tourism Management MS |
Fall Priority
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Fall
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Spring
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Summer
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Domestic Applicants
| Jan 15 | Jul 15 | Dec 1 | Apr 15 |
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International Applicants
| Jan 15 | Jan 15 | Jul 1 | Nov 1 |
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International Transfer Applicants
| Jan 15 | Mar 1 | Sep 1 | Dec 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.