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Lasell University
Lasell University

Hospitality Management

Major

What You'll Learn
Career Outlook
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The Hospitality Management major will teach you the inner workings of the hospitality industry including lodging, food and beverage, service quality, hospitality law, and facility operations.

Gain a comprehensive background in business fundamentals including accounting, human resources, organizational behavior, technology, and marketing.

Students learn about service quality and the operations of hotel companies, private clubs, spas, stadiums, arenas, airlines, performing arts centers, concert halls, convention centers, cruise lines, and resorts.

Internships and courses allow students to choose to learn more about hotel operations, private club management, restaurant management, global tourism, entrepreneurship, sport facility management and sustainability.

Program Features

  • Gain valuable connected learning experience both on campus and at site visits throughout New England like MGM Grand, Boston Harbor Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, TD Garden, Woodland Country Club, Fenway Park, Hynes Convention Center, Foxwoods , Mohegan Sun, and the Taj Hotel.

  • Complete two Field Experiences and one full internship and build a resume with both academic accomplishments and real-world experiences.

  • Gain networking and job opportunities through our professional Advisory Board, have the opportunity to attend the International Hotel Experience Show in New York City, meet one-on-one with successful business owners and directors in their respective field, and create marketing and business plans for local business owners.

  • Hospitality Management students are strongly encouraged to study abroad, considering the diverse and global nature of the hospitality industry.

  • Complete globally recognized prestigious professional hospitality and event industry certifications and designations. See list below.

What You'll Learn

From your first day, you’ll take courses in your major and advance towards graduation with a yearly plan. Not sure what classes to take? We’ll help you create the perfect plan. 

Courses and Sample 4-Year Plan

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

WRT101
Writing I

In this course, students gain understanding of and confidence in strategies for effective writing by composing and reading in a variety of genres. The course emphasizes writing as a process and focuses on the rhetorical choices writers make. Students engage critically with sources by examining how genre, context, purpose, credibility, and bias work together to create meaning and impact audiences. Students who choose to take Writing I Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a “C” or higher in order to pass this course

The First Year Seminar (FYS) is part of the Core Curriculum and a requirement for all incoming first year students and transfer students with fewer than 15 credits. The First Year Seminar is a theme-based inquiry course that engages students in a specific area of interest while providing support for a smooth transition into the Lasell University community and the Connected Learning philosophy. Through studying an academic topic, students develop and apply core intellectual skills and receive an introduction to the core knowledge perspectives. At the same time, students connect to the experiences and people that make up the Lasell University Community. Course outcomes are accomplished through engaging activities including reading, writing, class discussions, presentations, team projects, field trips, and exploration of campus resources. Civic engagement and service-learning activities are often part of this course as is participation in the Connected Learning Symposium. Through the seminar, students develop close ties with faculty and peer mentors who serve as advocates for first year students' academic success. Past course titles have included: The Immigrant Experience, Fashion & Film of the 20th Century, The Social History of Rock & Roll, Exploring Cultures & Languages, The Spark of Creativity, Women and Sports, and Latin America: Food And Traditions. This requirement may be fulfilled by taking either FYS103 or HON101 (for students enrolled in the Honors Program).

For freshman only. This is a comprehensive course that introduces students to the skills they need to develop themselves professionally. It cultivates and hones the skills necessary for students to communicate effectively and professionally in a business environment. This course provides students with the skills necessary to engage in field experience, internship and post-graduate employment searches as well as for the general business world around them. Using myriad methods, students will develop the necessary professional skills for professional presentation, professional communication, negotiation, personal branding, networking and team building. Students will also be introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence and its impact on overall career and academic outcomes. Students will complete a minimum of three professional presentations as part of this course. Prerequisites: None

This course is the foundational course for mathematical and quantitative reasoning at Lasell College. Mathematical reasoning is the critical skill that enables a student to solve real-world problems involving quantitative analysis by making use of particular mathematical skills. Through the development of their mathematical reasoning skills, students will recognize the power of mathematics in its own right as well as its relevance in the real world. Students will develop and enhance their mathematical reasoning skills through a project/application-based curriculum supported by readily available current technological tools and topics that will include, but not be limited to, the following: solving systems of equations, linear programming, statistical, and graphical data analysis.

This course examines the Hospitality and Tourism industry with emphasis on individual sectors of the industry and their business functions. The infrastructure and interrelationships of lodging, tourism, food service, events, and entertainment organizations are examined. Career opportunities, current operational issues, and emerging trends in the hospitality industry are also explored. Students will have the opportunity to become Certified Guest Service Providers (CGSP) as part of the course.

This course is an introduction to the principles of the economic behavior of individuals, firms, and industries in the mixed economic system. Topics include consumer demand; elasticity; supply and costs of production; the allocation of economic resources; international trade; and the role of government in promoting economic welfare.

This course is a continuation of Writing I and focuses on research and public writing. Theme-based courses provide students with lenses to explore issues of interest and develop their reading, research, and writing skills. Students work with a topic of their choice, broadly based on the course theme. Assignments build upon each other, lead up to a researched position paper, and culminate in a public piece. Students who choose to take Writing II Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in order to pass this course. Prerequisite: WRT 101

This course introduces students to basic Microsoft Excel skills. Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. It is critical to the business world today as the volume data generated has exploded. This introductory course will provide students with information and skills needed to create basic workbooks and worksheets, create simple formulas, copy and move data, format data and cells, work in large spreadsheets and with data series, create pivot tables, and more. As part of this course, all students will have the opportunity to become certified in Microsoft Excel through the professional certification called Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel 2016 – Core Data Analysis, Manipulation, and Presentation. The certification also comes with an electronic badge. Students are also introduced to Income Statements, Balance Sheets, Statement of Cash Flows, Ratios, and the Basic Accounting Cycle

Equity & Intersectionality(KP)

This course offers a survey of trends and developments in the hospitality and tourism industry, including a total approach to lodging operations, events management, global tourism, and foodservice establishments. It offers an introduction to the broad fields of travel and tourism. Among the topics covered are cultural tourism, eco-tourism, sociology of tourism, tourism development, the economic role of tourism demand and tourism marketing. Prerequisite: HEM101

BUSS227
Managerial Accounting

In this course, students gain experience in the development and use of information within an organization. Course topics include: cost terms; production costing; cost allocation for planning and control; cost behavior patterns; cost-volume-profit relationships; budgeting; inventory planning and control; pricing decisions; and aspects of investment decisions.Prerequisite: BUSS105

In this course, students will examine the position of hospitality in the global market place. The course explores factors influencing the global environment and the contemporary struggle for economic/political power between world regions and the impact on the hospitality industry. The role and significance of hospitality multinationals in light of the current trend of sustainability is analyzed. In addition, the global drivers and industry strategies affecting multinationals are explored. Finally, students will analyze the role of culture and its impact on different management styles in an international industry. Prerequisite: HEM101 or HEM102 with a grade of C or better

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

In this course, the fundamentals of marketing are explored for practical application in today's business environment. The process of creating value for customers by utilizing the tools of marketing -- market segmentation, targeting and positioning, marketing research and communications, product development, channels of distribution, and pricing -- are explored with a project-based, interactive approach. Additionally, there is a service learning component included in this course that enables students to further apply the course concepts while working to advance a participating non-profit organization. Prerequisites: BUSS101, COM101, HEM101, HEM102, FASH101, or SMGT102 AND ENG102 or WRT102.

This course provides a supervised work experience in the hospitality or event management industry as a complement to academic coursework. Students earn 150 hours in the field, gain practical skills in a business environment, and begin to view the workplace from a management perspective. During the course of the field experience, students keep a personal reflective journal of critical incidents. In addition, they complete a detailed profile of the management systems and policies at their workplace for submission at the end of the field experience. Students participate in weekly discussion groups during the course of the semester to evaluate and compare their experiences. No Prerequisite.

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

In this project-based course, students explore a social or intellectual problem using at least two knowledge perspectives. Faculty and students follow a collaborative process of exploration, discussion, and problem solving that integrates knowledge perspectives and core intellectual skills.

This course provides an in-depth view of the various aspects and departments that fall under what is commonly known as Lodging Management or Lodging Operations. Some of the specific departments this course explores are - Front Office, Housekeeping, Human Resources, Security, Engineering, Maintenance, Food and Beverage, Recreation, and Accounting and Finance. Aside from the various operational procedures utilized, the course also addresses service philosophies, best practices, revenue management, and technology. Prerequisite: HEM 101 with a grade of C or better

HEM321
Revenue Management & Technology

This course provides an advanced overview of the revenue management function in the hospitality industry. Revenue management is a method for managing capacity profitability. This course offers an integrated approach to maximizing revenue that includes capacity analysis, demand forecasting, differential pricing, and distribution technology. The objective of this course is to help students learn how to apply the principles of revenue management to maximize profitability in the hospitality industry. Topics to be covered include demand forecasting, competitive analysis, overbooking, distribution channels, reservations systems, information technology, process design, differential pricing, inventory control, performance measurement and related management and marketing issues. An academic certificate of completion in Revenue Management from American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute is also embedded in this course. Students learn to distinguish between tactical and strategic revenue management, addresses the proper use and importance of revenue management in hospitality operations, and describes a wide range of elements that must be considered in order to use revenue management effectively. Prerequisite BUSS226

This course provides a working knowledge of everyday law as it applies to both business and personal needs. The primary focus is on contract law and property law. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Students can choose any section that they prefer, regardless of major.

This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics focused on applications in business. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, time-series analysis, trend and seasonality analysis, simple and multiple correlation and regression analysis, sales and cost forecasting, probability, expected monetary value, and the Normal distribution. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102. With permission of the instructor only.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

This course will address the interaction between the lives we lead and the application of traditional (and some nontraditional) ethical theories and principles to important decision points in our lives. Students will take on real-life ethical problems and dilemmas for each class; each student will be responsible for presenting a number of issues, as well as for guiding the discussion of those issues in class. The problems we address will largely span a lifetime of experiences and concerns. Students will also write several papers that evaluate formal arguments, using standard tools of critical thinking and philosophy. The course is discussion based, so a willingness to read carefully, to think critically, and to engage in classroom presentations and discussions is essential. Prerequisite: Junior standing, MDSC203 & ENG102.

This course provides an additional supervised work experience in the hospitality or event management industry as a complement to academic coursework. Students earn 150 hours in the field, gain practical skills in a business environment, and begin to view the workplace from a management perspective. During the course of the field experience, students keep a personal reflective journal of critical incidents. In addition, students complete a detailed profile of the management systems and policies at their workplace for submission at the end of the field experience. Students participate in weekly discussion groups during the course of the semester to evaluate and compare their experiences. Students must have the company and position approved by the course instructor. Prerequisite HEM299

This course focuses on building and enhancing skills from the Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence course. Students will expand their concepts of Business Intelligence, Visualizations, Dashboards, and Descriptive Analytics. The core tool used in this course is SAS Visual Analytics. Students will create visualizations, dashboards, and export reports to be able to present to the class. Prerequisite: DSCI105.

This course examines management considerations for the successful operation of a major hospitality organization. Emphases is placed on the various departments and how each contributes to the recreation, ancillary and lodging areas including service experiences. This includes recreation development, risk management, visitor education, rental and retail operations, lodging, guest services, and human resources management. Students will learn how each of these departments function, along with the many skills required to address the issues and challenges faced in everyday operations. Course assignments focus on human resources operations, industry regulations and certification, risk management, guest service, and dealing with seasonality. These particular areas are studied in relation to resorts of different sizes and scales from all over the world so that comparisons can be made regarding different management and operational procedures, regulations, and guest expectations. Prerequisite: BUSS224.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

HEM401
Managing Quality in Hospitality

This course explores the application of customer service quality as well as management theories and techniques in the hospitality industry with a focus on organizational effectiveness. Case studies and major projects with real hospitality companies facilitate students’ synthesis of previous knowledge with the principles of service quality and excellence. This is a research project driven course. Prerequisites: BUSS 224 & MATH 208.

This course examines the details of food and beverage management, with an emphasis on running a profitable operation and understanding basic menu and beverage detail. It examines the impact of menu planning, purchasing, receiving, inventory control, production, pairing and service to the guest. Students apply commonly-used formulas and strategies for calculating appropriate selling prices and evaluating actual cost percentages. Special attention is paid to the use of management systems and tools to help minimize food, beverage and labor costs, to ensure collection of revenue, and ultimately to maximize profits. Topics include purchasing, safe-serving, receiving, storage, production, beverage management and appreciation, beverage service and cost control. The course also explores basic culinary and beverage menu building and appreciation topics. Case studies are incorporated into class discussions. Students must be 21 years of age prior to April 1st of the course year to register. Prerequisites: HEM101 or HEM102 with a grade of C or better and Permission of the Instructor

This course overs an in-depth study of Hotel Franchising & Brand Management, particularly focusing of key advantages & disadvantage of franchising, evaluation of hotel brands & their fees, growth strategies, entry into new global markets, importance of franchisor & franchisee relationships, franchise & management contracts, & key insights of brand management in the hotel industry. Prerequisite: HEM401 with a grade of C or better.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

This capstone course requires students to apply a broad knowledge of management and administrative techniques to specific situations. An emphasis is placed on strategy formulation and implementation. This is a writing intensive course. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Students can choose any section that they prefer, regardless of major. Prerequisite: Senior standing, Major within the School of Business

This internship for students within the School of Business is scheduled to take place during the student's senior year (juniors are permitted with permission). Students serve as interns for a total of 150 hours in a position related to their field of study. The hours are completed concurrently with weekly class meetings and course work. Detailed reports, reflective exercises, weekly journal entries, a final comprehensive project, and other written requirements are completed throughout the internship process. The internship supervisor monitors each student's performance and visits each internship site as needed. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Students can choose any section that they prefer, regardless of major. Prerequisite: Senior Standing, Major within the School of Business

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

The Longe School of Business provides students the opportunity to gain prestigious industry certifications while pursuing their degree:

  • Certified Hospitality Department Trainer (CHDT)
  • Certified Guest Service Provider (CGSP)
  • Certification in Event Planning (CVENT)
  • Certification in Hospitality Analytics (CHIA) - STR and Ameirican Hotel & Lodging Education Institute
  • Certificate & Training in Understanding Unconscious Bias from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
  • Problem-Solving Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification
  • Hospitality & Tourism Specalist (HTS) - American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
  • Delphi
  • Social Tables

The Longe School of Business also holds memberships with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education

AHLAServing the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.9 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers.
International Council on Hotel Restaurant and Institutional EducationThe International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education is the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges, and universities offering programs in hotel and restaurant management, food service management and culinary arts.

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

4-Year Plan
Student and Alumni Profiles
Sandra Fakih headshot

“Each professor and mentor has found me opportunities, whether it was running social media accounts, an internship, or working with Lasell’s marketing team.”

Kaleigh Miller '26

Marketing

Read More about Kaleigh
Sandra Fakih headshot
Sandra Fakih headshot

"My academic program combined entrepreneurship and fashion allowing me to pursue two of my career interests."

Sandra Fakih '24

Entrepreneurship

Read More about Sandra
Sandra Fakih headshot
Caroline headshot

"I was able to get two degrees within 5 years and saved a significant amount of money."

Caroline St. Croix '23 G'24

Fashion Media and Marketing

Read More About Caroline
Caroline headshot

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge in the area of service quality and event operations strategies within the greater hospitality industry.
  • Demonstrate a comprehensive level of knowledge in all sectors of the events industry including management & leadership.
  • Learn skills such as leadership and team building, and they acquire understanding of individual and group behavior in organizations to enhance their effectiveness as business leaders.
  • Gain strong competence in critical thinking and hands on business experience.

For a complete list of courses and learning outcomes, view the Academic Catalog

Career Outlook

Students pursue careers in fields such as hotel operations, food and beverage operations, resort management, franchise and brand management, and more.

Our students have interned with:

  • Franklin Park Zoo
  • Greater Boston Convention and Visitors' Bureau
  • Homewood Suites Hilton
  • Hyatt Boston Harbor
  • Loews Boston Hotel
  • Marina del Mar - San Diego
  • Marriott Boston
  • Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino
  • Mystic Aquarium

Beyond the Classroom
Learning in Las Vegas Trip

Lasell hospitality management students met with hotel and casino executives in Las Vegas  on an industry exploration trip.

DECA Chapter

DECA prepares emerging leaders for successful careers in industries including fashion, business, hospitality, and communications. Create programs and participate in regional and national DECA collegiate events and competitions.

School of Business Day

The 6th annual School of Business Day highlighted the challenges and opportunities of using Artificial Intelligence in a variety of business sectors. Speakers included executives from the Boston Red Sox.

Boston Marriott Partnership

Lasell's partnership with Boston Marriott Newton gives students real world experience in every aspect of the hotel business.

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