Business schools have stringent sets of admissions criteria for entry into hospitality administration programs, particularly MBAs. These commonly include letters of recommendation, a grade point average 3.5 and above, a bachelor's degree and a personal statement indicating why the student wishes to enter the program and what he will do when he completes it. An academic background in finance, marketing or hospitality helps the prospects of students applying to culinary business programs.
The coursework required of students pursuing a business degree in hospitality centers on the administrative and supervisory capacities of the discipline. The classes typically include accounting and budget management, business finance and planning, hospitality and service management, human resource management, marketing and food promotion, organizational behavior, business psychology, hotel and resort development and food-service law.
Degrees from culinary and hospitality business schools typically involve a concentration in a specialized segment of the industry, in addition to core competencies. These management concentrations include culinary arts, hotels and lodging, casino and gaming and food and beverage.
Graduates of business hospitality programs typically work in the hotel and lodging sector. These occupations include hospitality finance director, hospitality franchisee, hospitality management consultant, hotel administrator, cruise line director and hospitality manager. Many restaurant owners and food-service operators hold business degrees in hospitality management.