Bachelor’s degrees in hospitality management

Want to work in the growing hospitality sector? Learn how earning your hospitality management bachelor’s degree online can prepare you for in-demand careers.

Explore online hospitality management programs

Why pursue an online bachelor's in hospitality management?

Qualify for management roles

Strengthen your leadership, budgeting, and planning skills for hospitality, service, entertainment, and tourism management roles.

Develop customer service skills

Learn how to run a customer-service-focused operation successfully.

Gain hands-on hospitality experience

Build career-ready skills through case studies and hands-on internships in the hospitality field.

What jobs can you get with an online bachelor’s in hospitality management?

Millions of workers work in the hospitality sector. Earning a can lead to supervisory and management roles in the food service, lodging, or leisure and entertainment industries. Hospitality management majors also work in tourism, event planning, and related fields.

Career paths with a bachelor's in hospitality management include:

Lodging manager
Event planner
Restaurant manager
Travel agent
Entertainment manager

Your bachelor's degree program can help you strengthen hard skills like revenue and service management. You'll also explore hospitality law and learn how regulations apply in this industry. majors also develop in-demand soft skills such as and .

Salary expectations and career outlook for hospitality management professionals

The hospitality sector reports strong job growth and above-average salaries for many careers. Because job demand and earning potential vary by location, it's a good idea to research career paths in your local area.

Here are a few examples of hospitality management careers with salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lodging manager

Median annual salary (May 2024): $68,130
Projected employment growth (2023–33): +10%

Meeting, convention, and event planner

Median annual salary (May 2024): $59,540
Projected employment growth (2023–33): +7%

Entertainment and recreation manager

Median annual salary (May 2024): $77,180
Projected employment growth (2023–33): +11%

What can you learn in an online bachelor’s in hospitality management program?

As a hospitality management major, you’ll strengthen your customer service, planning, and communication skills. While taking courses in business and management, you’ll also learn about finance and marketing in the hospitality industry. Graduates can take on leadership roles in the tourism, food service, event management, or entertainment industries.

Common hospitality management courses include:

Service management
Business operations
Hospitality marketing
Revenue management
Hospitality law and labor relations

Some hospitality management programs incorporate an internship to gain hands-on experience. Programs may also offer concentrations in sustainability and ecotourism, lodging, food and beverage, and event management.

Hospitality management majors typically complete general education requirements and electives to complete a minimum of 120 credits. Adding a minor in a field such as human resources, marketing, or communication can help you further strengthen in-demand skills.

Online format

Earning your hospitality management degree online can mean a more flexible schedule. Many colleges offer the same courses in their online and on-campus programs with identical diplomas.

When researching programs, learn about the delivery format and any in-person requirements. If your program requires an internship, you’ll usually complete it in your local area.

Further education in hospitality management

Master’s in hospitality management: A master’s in hospitality management provides advanced courses in food service, lodging, and hospitality management, helping professionals advance their careers or break into leadership roles in hospitality.
MBA in hospitality management: An MBA in hospitality management combines core business courses with graduate-level hospitality management electives. The degree strengthens management and leadership skills.
Doctorate in hospitality management: With a doctorate, hospitality management graduates can work in research or academic roles. A doctorate can also prepare graduates for executive-level positions in the hospitality field.

Explore online hospitality management programs

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest-paying job in hospitality?

The highest-paying hospitality jobs include director and executive-level roles, including business owners or chief executive officers. Earning a hospitality management degree can prepare you for roles in this growing field.

Is hospitality a hard major?

Hospitality management can be a hard major, depending on your soft skills when you enroll. These programs require strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Is hospitality the same as business management?

Hospitality management is related to business management, and some business programs offer concentrations in hospitality management. However, hospitality management focuses on industry-specific skills for the lodging, entertainment, food service, and tourism industries, making it a subfield of business management.

Do you need math for hospitality?

Earning a hospitality management bachelor’s degree may require general education math or business statistics courses. Students may also use their math skills to build budgets. However, hospitality management typically does not require advanced math courses.

What jobs can you do with hospitality?

With a hospitality management bachelor’s degree, you can work as an event planner or a restaurant, lodging, or recreation manager. Some hospitality majors work in specialized areas such as ecotourism, casino, or resort management.

Published July 22, 2025