田纳西大学

The hospitality and tourism management major focuses on meeting the middle- and upper-level management needs of the food, lodging, and event planning industry. It is a program that assists students in getting the breadth of knowledge, responsibility, and creativity to meet the changing environment of complex management problems in industry. A business minor is built into the degree requirements.

The major requires extensive field experience. The curriculum provides a strong base in management and practical application of these skills. The general education electives help students to sharpen their analytical, conceptual, and communications abilities. Graduates may start as management trainees in restaurants, foodservice, hotels, support industries, or in tourism operations with subsequent upward mobility into management positions.

Through a combination of classroom instruction and field-based experience, students prepare for entry-level positions in diverse occupations and for advanced education. The retail and consumer sciences major is one of the largest programs of this type in the southeast. Retailing is one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, and opportunities for employment will continue to be excellent through the 21st century.

Retail and consumer sciences provides students with knowledge of the retailing industry and the principles and theories involved in managing personnel and merchandising goods for the consumer. A business minor is built into the degree requirements. The progressive direction that this program takes provides graduates with excellent management opportunities in the retail sector.

This program requires field study experiences where students are guided by faculty in the selection of locations for on-the-job experiences related to their career area as a part of their educational program. Professional contacts made in field study experiences often lead to opportunities for career placement upon graduation.

Career Outlook

The career outlook for managerial personnel in the retail and hospitality fields is very bright. Salaries are highly competitive and executive positions in the hospitality and retail industries are forecast to increase twice as fast as in the overall economy.