About

Do you picture yourself planning for and working at the US Open, the Olympics, and other high profile events? Interested in learning how to manage a successful restaurant, bar or club? Do you picture yourself running a five-star hotel or perhaps an out-of-the-way bed and breakfast?

East Carolina University's bachelor degree in hospitality management offers three concentration areas.

A focus on conventions and special events management allows students to explore the excitement of the hospitality industry. This major focuses on educating and training individuals to work in environments such as convention centers and private clubs or to run their own event planning business. Students learn the ropes of special event planning and coordinating through projects, faculty mentoring, and a required internship.

The concentration in food and beverage management will allow you to become a part of one of the largest industries in the country. Students focusing in food and beverage will learn the ins and outs of working in the food industry through hands-on experience in our culinary labs and a required internship. Graduates could work in restaurant management, contract food service, catering, fine dining, quick service or using their education and entrepreneurial spirit to open their own restaurant.

Hospitality management students who concentrate in lodging management are preparing themselves for a career that can provide international opportunities as well as local career options. Students will learn from industry-leading professionals to work in a lodging operation by taking courses that teach and train them to work with a team in a professional environment. Graduates of this program have found jobs in different operations such as local bed and breakfasts or large corporations like Marriott and Hyatt.

The School of Hospitality Leadership at ECU assures that students in all concentration will receive a high-quality education and preparation for a career in the hospitality industry. Our internationally recognized faculty work side-by-side with students on building their expertise in their chosen field.

ECU Advantage

The largest hospitality program in North Carolina and one of the largest in the Southeast, the ECU School of Hospitality Leadership is well known. Our partnerships with Universidad San Francisco de Quito, (Ecuador) Universitaria Poliécnico Grancolombiano (Bogata, Colombia), Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (Lima, Peru) and Universidad Nacional de San Agustin (Arequipa, Peru) and the Disney International Program bring an international perspective to our eastern North Carolina program.

ECU has relationships with companies such as ARAMARK, Darden restaurants, Chick- Fil-A, and the Biltmore Estate. Through these partnerships, our students participate in internships often leading to full-time jobs upon graduation.

Our internationally recognized faculty work side-by-side with students on building their expertise in their chosen field. The School of Hospitality Leadership is devoted to helping students achieve and succeed at ECU and in the lodging industry.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Robert O'Halloran (3417 Bate Building; 252-737-1604; ohalloranr@ecu.edu)

The Hospitality Management, BS is designed to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully manage a wide variety of hospitality operations, from hotels and restaurants to conventions and special events. Students gain practical experience with hands-on training and outside work experiences. 

The degree requires students to complete a 51 semester-hour common hospitality core, 11-14 semester-hour general electives, and 9 semester-hour in one of three concentrations: food and beverage management, lodging management, or convention and special events management. Students may complete the Hospitality Management, BS either on campus or via distance learning.

A minimum grade of C- (1.7). must be earned in each HMGT course.

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

1. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • ECON 2113 - Principles of Microeconomics

  • MATH 1065 - College Algebra OR
  • or any higher approved general education math course
    • Note:

    MATH 2228 or MATH 2283 count as the general education elective. See 3. Cognates.

    2. Common core - 51 s.h.
    • HMGT 1350 - Introduction to Hospitality Management
    • HMGT 1500 - Multicultural Hospitality Management
    • HMGT 2100 - Lodging Management I
    • HMGT 2170 - Hospitality Services Management
    • HMGT 2200 - Introduction to Conventions and Special Events
    • HMGT 2300 - Principles of Food Preparation and Menu Planning
    • HMGT 2301 - Principles of Food Preparation and Menu Planning Laboratory
    • HMGT 2591 - Field Experience
    • HMGT 3200 - Dimensions of Tourism
    • HMGT 3750 - Hospitality Facilities Management
    • HMGT 3990 - Hospitality Internship
    • HMGT 4244 - Hospitality Law
    • HMGT 4300 - Advanced Food Production and Service Management
    • HMGT 4301 - Advanced Food Production and Service Management Lab
    • HMGT 4308 - Cost Controls for Hospitality Operations
    • HMGT 4440 - Hospitality Marketing
    • HMGT 4450 - Hospitality Human Resource Management
    • HMGT 4650 - Hospitality Financial Management
    • HMGT 4700 - Hospitality Management Current Issues Seminar
    3. Cognates - 6-9 s.h.

    (MATH 2228 or MATH 2283 counts toward the general education elective requirement for this degree. Semester hours earned for one of these courses are not included in the total cognate semester hours requirement.)

    • ACCT 2101 - Survey of Financial and Managerial Accounting
      • OR
    • ACCT 2401 - Financial Accounting AND
    • ACCT 2521 - Managerial Accounting

    • FINA 3004 - Survey of Financial Management
      • OR
    • FINA 3724 - Financial Management

    • MATH 2228 - Elementary Statistical Methods I
      • OR
    • MATH 2283 - Statistics for Business
    4. Concentrations - 9 s.h.

    (Choose one.)

      a. Convention and special events management concentration
      • HMGT 3400 - Meeting, Event, and Convention Planning
      • HMGT 4040 - Producing Meetings, Events, and Conventions
      • HMGT 4400 - Convention Sales and Services Management
      b. Food and beverage management concentration
      • HMGT 3300 - Food and Beverage Management
      • HMGT 4120 - Wine and Beverage Management
      • Select one 3000 or 4000
      • Select one 3000 or 4000 level HGMT course in addition to core and concentration courses.
      c. Lodging management concentration
      • HMGT 3600 - Lodging Management II
      • HMGT 4100 - Lodging Revenue Management
      • Select one 3000 or 4000
      • Select one 3000 or 4000 level HMGT course in addition to core and concentration courses. 
    5. General electives to complete requirements for graduation.
      For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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