Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management (B.S.)
The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest, most dynamic industries in the world.
Students of the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program are introduced to this exciting industry and will be prepared to enjoy a successful career in the hospitality and tourism industry. The program offers a comprehensive foundation of courses and an opportunity for students to select elective courses in specific areas within the hospitality and tourism industry.
The Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Bachelor of Science degree has three concentration options for majors: Hotel Management, Restaurant Management or Tourism Management. All courses are taught by faculty who combine excellent academic credentials with a strong professional background.
The Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program is further enhanced through activities supported by the hospitality industry. Students participate in hotel and restaurant shows, tour hospitality facilities, listen to industry speakers, attend career days, and conduct special projects for the industry.
All About HRTM at ESU
What do students learn to do?
From our challenging coursework, students will learn subjects such as:
- Hospitality & Tourism Human Resources
- Marketing Tactics
- Food Service and Operations Management
- Financial Management
- Legal and Ethical Issues in the Hospitality and Tourism industry
Students will be able to apply management skills and practical knowledge learned from the classroom to identify problems, resolve conflicts, manage decisions, and resolve issues when working in different sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry.
- See the HRTM major's mission and accredited learning outcomes, and student success metrics.
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The mission of the Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management program is to prepare graduates to become successful professionals and leaders in the global Hospitality and Tourism industry and in the community.
HRTM students will:
- Identify and apply the knowledge and skills necessary for hospitality and tourism operations.
- Develop and integrate a core set of business skills necessary to successfully operate a hospitality and tourism organization.
- Demonstrate competence in the communication skills necessary for hospitality and tourism management.
- Formulate business decisions in hospitality and tourism management.
- Evaluate leadership principles necessary in the diverse and global hospitality and tourism industry.
Student Success Metrics
2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 Retention Rate % – Freshmen to Sophomore (for all Programs) 94% 92% 81.1% % Students employed in the hospitality industry or a related field within 90 days after graduation 95% 93.3% 84.6% % Students continuing their education within 90 days after graduation 3% n/a 15.3%
Earn Credly digital credentials as you complete the HRTM major.
ESU has partnered with Credly, the digital credential platform leader best known for
verifying skills and knowledge earned through specific coursework. Credly makes talent
more visible and opportunity more accessible for those who earn the proficiencies.
- Complete specific curriculum in areas of expertise as part of earning your degree.
- Earn electronic badges from Credly, endorsing your knowledge in these specific areas.
- Use your badge on electronic resumes, job applications and job posting sites to get a competitive advantage.
- Ten Credly badges may be earned as you complete the major.
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Most Credly badges are earned through a mix of required courses and particular electives. Contact the department chair for information on the courses required for each credential.
- Food & Beverage Management
- Lodging Management
- Club Management
- Hospitality and Tourism Financial Management
- Hotel Development & Design
- Travel & Tourism Management
- Hospitality & Tourism Human Resource Management
- Hospitality & Tourism Marketing
- Wine Appreciation & Wine Management
- Hospitality Data Analytics
Career Opportunities
ESU graduates achieve a wide range of positions in the hospitality industry. Alumni of the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management major have earned positions including:
- Vice President & Managing Director, Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Director of Communications and Events, The Union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
- President, CTC Events, Fairfax, Va.
- Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Minnetonka, Mn.
- Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Chicago, Ill.
- Director of Human Resources, The Manhattan Club, New York, NY
- Senior Vice President, Compass-USA, Duluth, Ga.
- Food & Beverage Director, Bally’s, Atlantic City, N.J.
- General Manager, Embassy Suites, Valley Forge, Pa.
Hands-on Learning
East Stroudsburg University is conveniently located in the heart of the Pocono Mountain Region, with more than 600 hotels, four water park resorts, six major ski areas, year-round festivals, and events, two National Parks, and nine state parks covering a total of 105,537 acres. Students have abundant opportunities to part take in various sectors of the Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism industry.
Specialized Facilities
Smith Travel Research (STR) SHARE Center
Provides large volumes of hotel and tourism data, in-depth resources and training materials for students. SHARE Center also provides global industry articles, publication, webinars for students, and newsletters.
Surface Hub 2S
An all-in-one 50-inch conferencing system is a digital whiteboard, meetings platform and collaborative computing device. Allow coalition on course projects, case studies, senior seminars, and further develop a collaborative culture. Guest speakers will be able to meet with our class through this technology to better interact with our students.
Virtual Reality System
The HTC Virtual Reality system provides students the understanding of the emerging technology in the hospitality, recreation and tourism industry, enriching students understanding how VR videos are filmed, produced, and delivered.
Operations and Lodging Management Simulation Software
The software allows students to master the details of running a hotel that meets customer demands in Front Desk operation, staffing, housekeeping, and much more. Students will learn hands-on experience on how to balance the many needs of a well-run hotel.
Experiential Learning Laboratory
This laboratory is a fully functional student-run restaurant. Students are exposed to all aspects of kitchen and dining operations including cooking & baking, haute cuisine and wine pairing, restaurant point of sale operations. Students learn beverage management, hosting/serving, and dining room leadership including financial management and cost controls.
Toast
Toast is a highly flexible cloud-based point of sale system built exclusively for small and mid-sized restaurants and other food service operations. It is consistently rated a best in class software package. Students gain real-world experience using Toast system as part of the restaurant operations classes. Toast manages guest ordering, kitchen/dining room communication, payments, and back-of house, front-of-house, and guest-facing technologies. Students in other classes also use the Toast system to learn revenue management, data analytics, cost controls including loss prevention, payroll, and inventory management.
Experienced Faculty
ESU's HRTM faculty are dedicated and experienced hotel, restaurant and tourism educators who bring the industry into the classroom.
Learn more about ESU and the Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management major.
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- Gessner Science Hall
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3511
- Fax:
- (570) 422-3198 (Fax)
- Title of Department Leader
- Department Chair
- Name
- Stanley Li-Ming Chiang
- E:
- lchiang@esu.edu
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3624
