Arizona State University offers a B.A. in Tourism Management through the W.P. Carey School of Business. The degree emphasizes the management and leadership aspects of the tourism industry. It includes courses in tourism planning, convention and sales management, and international tourism. If you want to gain more experience working in hotels and resorts, the university offers a Hotel and Resort Leadership program, where you gain course credit while working in the tourism field with a mentor. Arizona State University also offers a minor in tourism management for those looking to specialize in an alternative field, such as business or marketing.
If your interest lies in the tourism opportunities of national parks and aquatic centers, then University of Missouri will fit your needs with their bachelor of science degree in parks, recreation and tourism. The degree program offers concentrations in tourism development, leisure and service management, and natural resource management. University of Missouri also helps you get your start in the tourism industry by requiring that all students complete an internship prior to graduation. Besides just learning in the classroom, there is also a Parks and Recreation student group, so you will be able to meet peers in the same field and participate in local events.
What better place to study tourism than in one of the largest tourism destinations in the U.S. -- Hawaii. University of Hawaii has an entire school dedicated to the industry of hospitality, tourism and transportation management. Students can receive a bachelor of science degree in travel industry management with an emphasis in hotel and resort management or in tourism and transportation management. The university also offers a certificate in sustainable tourism for those interested in promoting environmentally responsible travel. University of Hawaii at Manoa also offers a master of science degree in travel industry management, where graduate students can focus on their specific interests in their course selection and research thesis. Internships are available through the university so students can gain hands-on experience with hotels and tourism bureaus both in Hawaii and abroad.
If you are looking to obtain a graduate degree in the area of tourism, George Washington University may be a good choice for you. The university offers a master's degree in tourism administration, with concentrations in event and meeting management, sports management, hospitality management and sustainable tourism destination management. Because networking and travel are vital to the tourism industry, the university offers many opportunities to work and study abroad as part of the degree program. For those already working in the tourism industry, the university also offers a master's degree online. However, students who choose to participate in the online degree program must travel to the D.C. area for an orientation process at the start of their degree program and again just before they graduate for a capstone interview with their professors. Applications for the program are due in November for the spring semester and in March for the fall term. Financial assistance as well as graduate assistantships are available for those who qualify.