Hospitality Management BA

At NLU students will earn a B.A. degree in Hospitality Management with the opportunity to focus in various concentration areas. Chicago's leading hotels rank the program the No. 1 Chicago program for preparing students for hospitality management careers. The program's focus is on the combination of theory and application. The core curriculum includes traditional classroom learning combined with immersive, practical and hands-on projects while connecting with hospitality industry experts. The culmination of coursework and experience is the Senior Integrative Project, where students from across the college collaborate on a complex project within multidisciplinary teams.

Students may complete course requirements on campus, fully online, or thought a combination of on-campus and online instruction; or in the co-op education model, for which they must be approved based on specific criteria.

The B.A. in Hospitality Management also offers the Hospitality Pathways (HOSP) track, details are provided below. 

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

PLO1. Management: Students will be able to relate principles of teamwork, communication, leadership and motivation to hospitality business situations.

PLO2. Experience Delivery: Students will be able to evaluate, design and implement superior services to produce a competitive guest experience.

PLO3. Operations:  Students will be able to evaluate a hospitality business’s facilities, systems, staffing, technology, legal and financial condition.

PLO4. Marketing: Students will be able to apply marketing and sales principles, tools and techniques to solve hospitality business problems.

PLO5. Finance:  Students will be able to analyze, interpret and generate budgets and financial statements within a hospitality business.

PLO6. Ethics: Students will be able to apply ethical standards to make responsible decisions in personal and professional situations.

PLO7. Career Potential:  Students will be able to apply their talents, abilities and strengths toward developing a fulfilling long-term career.

Program Details: 

  • Requires 180 QH, including 60 QH of General Education, for completion
  • Requires 15 QH of Professional Development and Internship
  • Requires 30 QH of Advanced Hospitality Elective
  • Requires completion of one concentration listed below:
    • Hotel Management
    • Food and Beverage 
    • Event Planning and Management
    • Tourism Management
  • Credit for Prior Learning may be accepted for HOS 197, HOS 213, HOS 409, HOS 417, and KCUL 175
  • Students may also complete any minor or concentration that is not in the same area of study as their program major. Students must consult with their Academic Advisor to select a minor or concentration that best fits their career and personal goals. The B.A. in Hospitality Management program recommends Culinary Arts Minor, Marketing Minor, Communications Minor, or Leadership Concentration.
  • Students in the B.A. Hospitality Management Pathways (HOSP) program are required to complete Leadership Foundations Concentration and  MIS 103. The Pathways program requires the following:
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher after the completion of 75 Quarter Hours at NLU
  • 300 work hours in the hospitality industry or related position completed (with proof of completion)
  • Letter or email from a work supervisor indicating strong professionalism and performance
  • Interview with a Hospitality faculty member(s) (individual or group) in Winter term of Sophomore year
  • Note: In order to be formally admitted to the BA Hospitality Management major sequence and take major core courses other than HOS 101, students must receive a grade of "C" or better in HOS 101. Students failing to meet the requirements to pursue courses in the major core upon completion of 90 Quarter Hours at NLU can no longer take Hospitality courses and will be required to submit a Change of Program with the assistance of their Student Success Coach in order to register for future terms.

General Education Requirements

Communications

The following courses are recommended: 
ENG 101Beginning English Composition

5

ENG 201Intermediate English

5

ENG 203Effective Speaking for the Undergraduate

5

Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any three general education courses in the following disciplines: academic writing, oral communications, and any course in the area of communications.

Humanities and Fine Arts

Choose two courses from the list below:
ART 105Race, Identity and Experience in American Art

5

ART 106Race, Identity and Experience in American Art I

2

ART 107Race, Identity and Experience in American Art II

3

HIS 103History Across the Globe

5

PHI 107Introduction to Ethics and Social Critique

5

Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any two general education courses in the following disciplines:  

  • Humanities: foreign language, history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, interdisciplinary humanities and fine arts, interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences
  • Fine Arts: visual arts (including art history, art appreciation, and studio arts, such as drawing, painting, digital art, or film), film and cinema studies, and performing arts (including music appreciation, music theory, and music performance, theatre appreciation and performance, and dance) 

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Choose three courses from the list below (one must be math and one must be a natural science):
MTH 101Introduction to Mathematical Concepts

5

MTH 102Statistical Foundations

5

MTH 105Math for Educators I

5

MTH 115Math for Educators II

5

SCI 101Physical Science

5

SCI 102Survey of Biological Science with Lab

5

SCI 225Human Impact on Environment

5

Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any three general education courses in the following disciplines: 

  • Mathematics: college-level and not developmental in nature
  • Natural Sciences: physics, chemistry, earth science, astronomy, geology, physical geography, biology, human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, genetics, botany and zoology; and interdisciplinary fields such as environmental science, and ecology and conservation
  • Mathematics or Natural Sciences

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Choose two courses from the list below:
ECO 200Macroeconomics for Today’s Professional

5

HIS 102Civics and American Government

5

HIS 212Think Global: Movements in US History and its Impact on Society and School

5

PSY 101Introduction to Psychology

5

SOC 101Foundational Sociology

5

SOC 204Contemporary Chicago

5

SOC 222Culture and Identity

5

SOC 250Cultural and Ethnic Movements in the United States

5

Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any two general education courses in the area of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the following disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, history, human geography, political science, psychology, sociology, interdisciplinary social/behavioral science, interdisciplinary humanities and social and behavioral science.

General Education Electives

This area may be satisfied by two courses in any general education category listed above or other courses consistent with integrated general education competencies.

Hospitality Management Core - 60 QH

Required Courses - 30 QH

HOS 101Exploring the Hospitality Industry

5

HOS 107Hospitality Career Exploration

0

HOS 120Principles of Management for Hospitality

5

HOS 196Leading the Service Experience

5

HOS 320Hospitality Financial Management

5

HOS 344Hospitality Sales and Marketing

5

HOS 480Senior Integrative Project (Capstone)

5

Note: HOS 196 and HOS 480 must be completed at NLU.  

Internship and Professional Development - 15 QH

CPL 400Credit Portfolio Assessment in the Discipline

0

or

HOS 213Sophomore Internship

6

and

HOS 409Hospitality Professional

2

HOS 417Senior Internship

6

HOS 197Hospitality Professional Development I

1

Note: Students are required to have a certain amount of practical work experience which can be earned through CPL 400 with the program director approval. Also, students who choose to extend their internship can complete HOS 208 and/or HOS 416.  

Hospitality Management Advanced Electives - 15 QH

Students are required to complete 15 QH of coursework listed below of which 7QH must be upper level:
HOS 111Resilient Leadership for Hospitality

0 TO 1

HOS 112Virtual and Hybrid Events: Challenges and Opportunities

0

HOS 235Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism

3

HOS 237Advanced Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism

2

HOS 274First-Year Hospitality Co-Op Practicum and Seminar

5

HOS 318Spirits and Mixology

3

HOS 319The Craft of Beer

2

HOS 330Special Topics: Diversity In Hospitality

2

HOS 338Disruptive Innovation for Hospitality

3

HOS 358Thriving in The Hospitality Workplace

3

HOS 364Banquet and Catering Service

3

HOS 374Second-Year Hospitality Co-Op Practicum and Seminar

5

HOS 398Feasibility of Hospitality Ventures

5

HOS 399Topics In Hospitality Management

2 TO 5

HOS 418Yield and Revenue Management

3

HOS 419Hospitality and Tourism Law and Liability

3

HOS 420Responsible Technology Use in Hospitality

2

HOS 443Information Management for Hospitality

3

HOS 474Third-Year Hospitality Co-Op Practicum and Seminar

5

Note: The concentration courses listed below may be also applied to the Advanced Electives if completed individually outside of the required concentration for the program. 

Concentrations - 15 QH

A concentration allows students to earn specific knowledge and competencies to a career path in a particular segment of the industry. Hospitality Management, B.A. students must choose a concentration upon enrollment. Students are required to complete the declared concentration of 15 QH and can opt to earn a second hospitality concentration in place of electives for degree completion.

Hotel Management Concentration

This concentration prepares students for positions of responsibility in hotels, resorts and other forms of lodging and covers the soft skills (service ethics, teamwork, and communication) as well as the hard skills (data analysis, accounting, and operations) needed for success.
HOS 243Hotel Front Office Operations

5

HOS 316Facilities Planning and Management

5

HOS 366Hotel Analytics with STR

5

Note: HOS 366 must be completed at NLU. All other concentration courses may be transferred from an accredited institution.

Food and Beverage Concentration

In this concentration, students learn how to develop and manage a profitable food service business with a focus on restaurants and bars. There is an emphasis on the role of beverages (wine, beer, spirit and mixology) as a driver of profitability in food establishments. 
HOS 203Foundations of the Beverage Manager

5

HOS 324Food and Beverage Operations

5

HOS 445Starting a Food or Beverage Business

5

Note: HOS 445 must be completed at NLU. All other concentration courses may be transferred from an accredited institution.

Event Planning and Management Concentration

This concentration prepares students to plan and manage various sizes and types of events for corporations, associations, nonprofits and social occasions. The competency-based curriculum helps students develop the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by event industry professionals.
HOS 212Introduction to Event Planning

5

HOS 337Techniques of Professional Event Management

3

HOS 334Event Planning Practicum

2

HOS 462Exhibition Design and Production

5

Note: HOS 334 and HOS 337 must be completed at NLU. All other concentration courses may be transferred from an accredited institution.

Tourism Management Concentration

This concentration prepares students for careers in the tourism industry with destination management and marketing organizations, travel and transportation providers, tour operators, attractions, hospitality businesses and their suppliers, among others.
HOS 225Tourism Planning, Management and Development

5

HOS 346Destination Marketing, Sales and Branding

5

HOS 435Tourism Trends and Innovation

3

HOS 436Tourism Immersion

2

Note: HOS 435 must be completed at NLU before taking HOS 436. All other concentration courses may be transferred from an accredited institution. 

Additional Advanced Electives - 15 QH

Students are required to complete 15 QH of additional advanced elective coursework listed above or other coursework approved by the program director. 

Electives - 30 QH

Students must complete a minimum of 30 QH of Advanced Coursework listed above restricted to Hospitality Management program or other major related coursework approved by the program director. To meet additional 30 QH of electives, students may decide to take a second concentration within the Hospitality Management program, a minor in Applied Communications and/or a concentration in Entrepreneurship, Human Resource ManagementLeadership, as well as other unrestricted elective courses.