Hospitality Degree Programs in Florida

Broward College

Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism

Formerly known as “Broward Community College”, Broward College is ranked in the top 10 community colleges by the Aspen Institute. It serves its students out of Fort Lauderdale. Students may take classes at any of three campuses within Broward County. They may also attend classes online. Historically, Broward College awarded only associate degrees. However, in 2009, Broward broadened its educational spectrum and began to offer several baccalaureate programs. Broward maintains associate programs that prepare students to proceed to baccalaureate degrees in Florida Colleges or the State University System. The Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism department awards three certificates and two associate degrees, with an opportunity to pursue a baccalaureate upon meeting certain requirements.

Associates

Culinary Arts Management
Management requires not only an understanding of how production occurs, but the means by which things are produced. As such, completion of this degree requires mastery of both technical and practical skills. In order to do this, students must attend classes at both Broward College and Broward Technical Center. At Broward Technical Center, they must acquire 39 credits in the Commercial Foods & Culinary Arts program. They must also complete core courses at Broward College.

Hospitality and Tourism Management
Hospitality is the business of providing for a client’s needs. But before a client can be provided for, they must be understood. For this reason, this program emphasizes communication and interpersonal skills. Several certificates are also available under this program. Namely, the Food & Beverages Management Certificate, the Guest Services Specialist Certificate, and the Rooms Management Division Certificate. The Hospitality and Tourism Management degree is only available from the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus.

Baccalaureate

While Broward College does not offer full education up through a baccalaureate degree in Hospitality, Tourism & Management, students may pursue baccalaureate education through Florida Colleges and the State University System. Broward College provides specific paths by which students may achieve this goal.

If students pursue an Associate of Arts, they are positioned first and foremost as students who wish to move on to completion of a baccalaureate degree. At Broward, these students must complete the 36 credit-hour Baccalaureate General Education requirement. At this time, they will be ready to move on to a baccalaureate program in the State University System. For example, they may choose to complete a four-year degree in Hospitality Administration, or Leisure Service Management.

Conversely, an Associate of Science prepares students for either immediate employment or further education in a baccalaureate program. Both of Broward’s associate degrees in Hospitality, Tourism & Management are Associate of Science programs.

Contact

Broward College
111 East Las Olas Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-201-7350
rcortez@broward.com

Florida Atlantic University

Hospitality Management

Florida Atlantic University is a four-year public institution with multiple locations in southeast Florida. FAU is the only Florida State University accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business to provide the Bachelor of Business Administration. The Hospitality Management department operates out of the Boca Raton campus. It prepares students to work in a variety of fields within the hospitality industry, ranging from resorts and hotels to sports facilities and arenas. This degree also opens avenues to other related fields, such as sales and marketing, human resource management, and hospitality law.

Baccalaureate

Given the importance of the hospitality industry in Florida, FAU’s Hospitality Management department offers a program of promising breadth. FAU recognizes the diversity within the field of hospitality, and provides opportunities for students to develop their skills and pursue their interests according to their unique personalities. The degree prepares students to assume managerial positions with resorts, hotels, dining facilities, destination marketing organizations, vacation and rental facilities, cruise lines, car rental agencies, entertainment venues, spas, and cruise lines, among others.

Students build upon a foundation of social and biological sciences accompanied by quantitative skills before they approach the business “core” of the Hospitality degree. The first two years of the major are spent developing intellectual acumen in the liberal arts. Students devote the following two years to the business core, and to hospitality-specific courses. Field experience plays a necessary role in the acquisition of the degree.

Contact

Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-297-3666
peter.ricci@fau.com
Link

Florida International University

The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Located in the ideal city of Miami, Florida International University is a top-tier public university and research institution. With a highly diverse campus, FIU is number one in awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees to Hispanic students. The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management follows FIU’s mission of excellent education and active research. Through ongoing research, the Chaplin School’s faculty maintains relevant expertise in an ever-changing field. Also, between its campuses in Miami, Florida, and Tianjin, China, the Chaplin School pursues the development of service education on an international scale.

Baccalaureate

While other institutions prepare students for a wide variety of potential employment positions, FIU’s program is designed to provide specialization within the baccalaureate program itself. By focusing their education at this early point, students gain higher levels of expertise within their chosen field.

There are six majors contained within the Chaplin School’s baccalaureate program: Beverage Management, Culinary Management, Hotel/Lodging Management, Restaurant/Foodservice Management, Event Management, and Tourist and Travel Management. These six fields share a set of core requirements. Every student becomes versed in a foundation of finance, logistics, business management, accounting, and various other relevant operations, before moving on to curricula specific to their chosen major.

Upon completion of the common core, students move on to specialized courses within each major, such as Wine Technology and Introduction to Brewing Science under Beverage Management, or Sustainable Tourism Practices and Tourism Destination Marketing under Tourist and Travel Management.

Masters

In an international world, the hospitality industry is key. Every day, international travelers cross borders into unknown territories. Where language falters, and ideas are lost in translation, comfort and service fill in the gaps. Through the advancement of multicultural research and global awareness, a Masters in Hospitality and Tourism Management provides students with a nuanced grasp of the developing world of hospitality.

The Chaplin School’s curriculum focuses on building international and multicultural savvy. The thesis track trains students to interrogate issues and conduct thorough research on the condition of the service industry.

Students who wish to complete a Masters with Florida International University must have maintained a B, or 3.0 average on a 4.0 scale during their undergraduate career. They must continue to maintain this level of academic excellence throughout the pursuit of their Masters. Any grade of C or lower will not be counted to the degree.

Contact

Florida International University
3000 N.E. 151 Street
North Miami, FL 33181-3000
305-919-4500
hospitality@fiu.edu
Link

Florida State University

Dedman School of Hospitality

Perhaps the greatest accolade any institution of higher learning can boast, the Dedman School of Hospitality is known for its near 100% placement rate for graduating students. Between an acute focus on individual attention and an international mindset, the Dedman School provides personalized education that elevates its students in its exacting fields. The Dedman School’s parent institution, Florida State University, proselytizes the fundamentals of Strength, Skill, and Character. These values carry over into the rigorous curriculum at the Dedman School, whose faculty were ranked 10th in scholarly productivity in 2012.

Baccalaureate

The Dedman School of Hospitality offers two majors within its baccalaureate program. Students in both of these majors benefit from access to multiple internship opportunities, as well as the availability of a dedicated networking community, from which they can gain valuable industry connections.

Hospitality Management
Enrollment in the Hospitality Management program means intensive training for a professional career. The Dedman School’s facilities include teaching kitchens, libraries and resource centers, a placement center for career opportunities, and an in-institution, elegant city club. While working in the club, students gain practical experience under the watchful eye of their professors, who can then provide invaluable feedback.

PGA Golf Management
Just like the Hospitality Management program, the Dedman School’s PGA Golf Management program is designed to bring students real-world experience in their chosen field. Classes take place in facilities with access to a golf course and a related restaurant. Students graduate with unique and desirable degrees.

Contact

Department of Hospitality, UCB 4100
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306
850-644-4787
johlin@fsu.edu
Link

Pensacola State College

Hospitality and Tourist Management

Pensacola State College provides a more intimate education opportunity than a large, research university. Its mission is to provide excellent and affordable education. As one of 28 public colleges in the state of Florida, it offers a wide range of degrees, from associates and baccalaureate to certificates, GEDs, and high school diplomas. Its hospitality department is designed for those who would like to enter into the field, or who would like to advance in the position that they currently hold.

Associates

Students who complete this degree acquire a flexible and multi-applicable background in the hospitality industry. PSC has designed a three-fold approach to hospitality education. Students are educated in 1) management, 2) administration, and 3) application. These three competencies prepare students to assume managerial positions in any part of the industry they choose to pursue.

The management component of a PSC degree enables students to manage both people and businesses. The administrative section of training applies to business operation. Thirdly, the combined application of these skills to various situations as they arise ensures that students will be able to utilize their degree in meaningful ways upon graduation from PSC.

Students who wish to progress in their education may take their Associates from PSC and move on to other Florida universities, provided they have met all the necessary academic requirements.

Contact

Pensacola State College
1000 College Blvd.
Pensacola, Florida 32504
850-484-1159
rbracken@pensacolastate.edu
Link

St. Petersburg College

Hospitality and Tourism Management

As Florida’s first two-year college, as well as first community college to offer a baccalaureate degree, St. Petersburg College considers itself a leader in today’s rapidly progressing field of education. Indeed, the institution continues to remain nationally ranked when compared to other two-year programs, and maintains a 13th place rank overall among associates degree programs. Contained within its Social & Behavioral Science department, SPC’s hospitality degree program is designed to prepare students to find gainful employment. All of its certificates lead into associate degrees, which themselves lead to baccalaureate programs at other institutions.

Associates

St. Petersburg College has five skillsets for its students to obtain by the time they complete their Associate of Science. Students must have a competent grasp of management theory, guest experience and marketing, decision-making and leadership, communications and human relations skills, and the legal and ethical requirements of a career in the hospitality industry.

Completion of the associate degree requires the completion of 64 credit-hours in the General Education and Professional Core curricula. Training in the General Education curriculum covers such subjects as Composition, Public Speaking, Mathematics, and Humanities. Meanwhile, training in the Professional Core curriculum develops competencies in Hospitality Law, Financial Accounting, Computer Applications, and multiple courses in marketing, service, and business operations.

Along with its fundamental associates program, SPC offers five individual certificates: the Food and Beverage Management, Food and Beverage Specialist Certificate, Rooms Division Management, Rooms Division Operation Certificate, and Rooms Division Specialist Certificate. The completion of these certificates is geared to lead into an associate degree.

Contact

St. Petersburg College
P.O. Box 13489
St. Petersburg FL 33733-3489
727-341-4772
Email Unavailable
Link

University of Central Florida

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Housed by the second largest university in the United States, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management has access to resources beyond what most schools can imagine. UCF was recently called a “Top Up-and-Coming” institution by U.S. News & World Report and is considered an excellent value in terms of educational affordability. Its Rosen College of Hospitality Management takes full advantage of its Orlando location. With a state-of-the-art campus designed to resemble a Mediterranean resort, students are guaranteed a practical, hands-on approach to a world-class education.

Baccalaureate

Three different baccalaureate degrees are available to the Rosen College undergraduate student. Students may choose between Event Management, Hospitality Management, and Food & Service Management. The Event Management is considered ‘one of a kind’.

Event Management
As the first of its kind in the entire United States, the Event Management degree at Rosen College has set the bar for other programs to follow. Students who complete the Event Management degree will have the skills to conduct large and small-scale events.

Hospitality Management
Hospitality Management, meanwhile, applies itself to a broader spectrum of skills than Event Management. Those who pursue the Hospitality Management degree will be able to find employment in a wide variety of hospitality industry positions. The Hospitality Management degree also offers students the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science before applying themselves to a Bachelor of Science.

Food & Service Management
Finally, the Food & Service Management degree prepares students to enter the dining industry at large. Students gain competency in technical and managerial skills that will aid them in the development of food franchises, catering, and preparation.

Masters

Those who already hold baccalaureate degrees but who wish to sharpen their skills will benefit from the advanced courses available through Rosen College. The Master of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management curriculum focuses on honing analytic abilities and strategic marketing vision. Previous professional experience will be called upon to provide insight into theory that is presented over the course of various classes.

Students may opt-in or opt-out of composing a thesis. Those who write a thesis must complete 36 credit-hours, while those who do not must complete 39 credit-hours. Students who take the non-thesis option must also complete a nine-hour capstone course. This course will test their abilities to analyze problems within the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as their ability to apply their knowledge and skill set to designing and employing strategic operational solutions.

Contact

UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management
9907 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, Florida 32819
407-903-8000
kathy.king@ucf.edu
Link 

Valencia College

Hospitality & Culinary

Valencia College is a two-year institution located in Orlando with a special connection to University of Central Florida. Many of its associate degrees are designed to enable students to move on to completing baccalaureate degrees with UCF. VC’s Hospitality & Culinary department is no exception. Students who wish to enter the work industry immediately are also easily able to do so with their practical Valencia degrees.

Associates

Valencia College offers four separate associate programs, each with their own set of requirements and specialties.

Baking & Pastry Management
A state-of-the-art kitchen is available to students who choose to specialize in Baking & Pastry Management. They are also exposed to chefs currently employed at top-tier facilities within the local industry. There is also a certificate available for students who wish to earn specific credentials.

Culinary Management
Students who specialize in Culinary Management will learn not only how to prepare food, but how to recognize and command its chemical properties. The culinary arts are treated also treated as a science. Like the Baking & Pastry Management degree, Culinary Management offers lucrative certificates.

Hospitality & Tourism Management
Just because students aren’t working in food preparation doesn’t mean they can’t have hands-on experiences. Valencia College provides high-tech simulation equipment to familiarize students with the practical and technical components of their future careers. Certificates proving competency are likewise available.

Restaurant Food & Service Management
This degree culminates in a 407-hour internship which guarantees a student’s competency in future restaurant employment. Students are encouraged to attend restaurant shows while completing their degree. The certificates available through this program are especially useful.

Contact

Valencia College
P.O. BOX 3028
Orlando, Florida 32802-3028
407-582-1507
Link

As the mecca of the nation’s tourist industry, Florida is the prime location to pursue a degree in hospitality. But what makes the Sunshine State a truly desirable destination is the pure variety of options in educational institutions. These programs fit any beginning skill level, but more importantly, hone the skills the student brings to the next tier of excellence.

 

To get a full list of programs available, please check out “Top 10 Best Online Hotel and Hospitality Management Degree Programs“.