According to both Education Portal and U.S. News and World Report, the University of Denver has the top-rated program for hospitality/hotel management in the United States, at the time of publication. The Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management is part of the Daniels College of Business and started offering degrees in 1946. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the University of Denver's program allows students to pick a specialized field, such as restaurant/beverage management, lodging/resort operations and hospitality marketing and sales. Degree requirements include 1000 hours of hands-on experience in a management capacity.
Located in Orlando, the University of Central Florida is ideally placed to offer students internship opportunities in a wide variety of lodging options. Offering a bachelor's and master's degree in hospitality management, UCF is especially popular because of the opportunity to form connections within the Disney Corporation, as well as the chance to work in an area that will serve many international clients. Degree requirements require 500 hours of work in a management internship.
Just down the road in Miami, Florida International University not only offers a hospitality management program but also bachelor's and master's degrees in HR management and personnel administration, which can be highly valuable in a hotel environment. Miami's considerable popularity as a tourist destination, combined with the possibility of making valuable connections in the industry, makes FIU a highly sought-after choice.
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas not only offers degrees in hospitality management but also in hotel/motel administration and management, with more in-depth course offerings focusing on hotels, as opposed to including other hospitality concerns. The degree program requires 500 hours of internship work, and Las Vegas offers a multitude of options and the possibility to build strong connections in hotels.
In the hotel management industry, you're learning about how to manage people at all levels -- customers, management, subordinates and anyone else you might encounter. Professors in hotel management programs who have strong connections in the field can get you in the door for an interview, and these next three have highly rated faculties in terms of connections.
Michigan State University offers bachelor's and master's degrees in hospitality management -- and construction management, which can be helpful if you're interested more in the operations side of the hotel industry. Construction costs are a vital consideration for all hotel chains, and knowing how to manage building projects can also make you a valued member of a hotel's executive team.
California State Polytechnic University at Pomona offers bachelor's and master's degrees in hospitality management. While the engineering programs at this institution are even more highly rated, Campus Explorer indicates that Pomona's professors are well suited to connect you to an interview for an internship -- which can mean you have a quality job when you get your diploma.
Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, has the oldest school of hospitality management in the United States, and is the only one on the list that offers a bachelor's degree and a master's degree program for both hospitality management and for hotel management. Its professors have come straight from the industry to the classroom, so you can take advantage of their expertise while earning an Ivy League education.
In Denton, Texas, the University of North Texas is not only the largest honors college in the state, but also has a reputation for offering strong instruction in its hotel management classes, according to U.S. News and World Report. Offering bachelor's and master's degree programs in hospitality management, it also offers classes at its satellite campus in Dallas, allowing students access to a wealth of options for internships.
CUNY New York City College of Technology offers a bachelor's degree in hospitality management. The professors come from the hospitality industry in New York City and from overseas and can offer you solid information about best practices in the industry, as well as connect you with attractive internships and offers.
The University of South Carolina at Columbia is not located in a hub packed with international hotels, but its professors come from highly touted hotel operations throughout the northeast and southeast United States. According to Campus Explorer, its instructional rigor is one reason for its popularity as a destination.