USC: Academic Bulletins

Overview

The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management offers the Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management degree. In cooperation with the Department of Retailing, students may pursue a master of hotel. restaurant, and tourism management degree with an emphasis in retailing. The Department of Retailing also offers courses that may be used for teacher recertification or applied to the M.A.T. in Business Education or to the Interdisciplinary Master of Arts. The Department of Sport and Entertainment Management offers several courses that may contribute to teacher recertification.

Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

Carl A. Boger Jr., Chair

Professors
Stephen C. Morse, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1988
Charles G. Partlow, Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1987

Associate Professors
Carl A. Boger Jr., Ph.D., Purdue University, 1993
Sandra K. Strick, Ph.D., Purdue University, 1985

Assistant Professors
Catherine M. Gustafson, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1999
Gyehee Lee, Ph.D., Purdue University, 2001

Retailing

Professors
C. Reginald Brasington, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1970
Sarah B. Wise, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1971

Associate Professors
Richard Clodfelter, Ed.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1984
Deborah C. Fowler, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1991

Assistant Professors
Marguerite Moore, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2002
Heesun Seo, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2002
Scarlett C. Wesley, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1996

Degrees Offered

The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management offers a program leading to the Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. The M.H.R.T.M. is a professional program designed to prepare students for advanced careers in the hospitality and tourism field. Students best suited for the program are career-directed individuals with previous management experience who are seeking advancement to upper-level management positions or taking advantage of emerging opportunities in resort and club management, tourism marketing, hospitality education, and consulting. The M.A.T. and I.M.A. degrees in business education are offered in conjunction with the College of Education. Selected courses in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management curriculum may be used for teacher recertification in the areas of marketing, hospitality and tourism, or home economics education.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements conform with the general regulations of The Graduate School and regional and national accreditation standards. Applicants must submit to The Graduate School an application form along with a $40 nonrefundable application fee; one official transcript (mailed to the USC Graduate School by the last college or university attended) showing their complete academic record; two letters of recommendation; records of immunization; and reports of examination scores on the GRE or GMAT.

Applicants for admission to the M.H.R.T.M. program will be evaluated on a combination of factors, both academic and professional. Successful applicants usually present an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 in the last two years of academic work (60 semester hours) and a combined GRE score of 1,400 (verbal, quantitative, analytical) or a total of 500 on the GMAT. Admission decisions may also take into consideration other criteria, such as professional experience in the hospitality, tourism, or related industries; involvement in professional and/or student organizations, and strength of recommendations from professional and/or academic sources.

International applicants are required to submit with their application a certified transcript indicating the nature and scope of their academic training. An applicant whose native tongue is not English is required to submit a minimum score of 570 (230 computer-based score) on the TOEFL. Prior to enrollment in the M.H.R.T.M. program, international students whose native tongue is not English are required to take an English diagnostic test administered by the English Program for Internationals. Students with deficiencies are provided an opportunity for further study in reading, writing, and speaking English.

Students wishing to enter the M.H.R.T.M. program should have completed business courses in the areas of personal computers, statistics, finance, marketing, and management principles and hospitality courses in food-service management, hotel operations, and tourism. Certain prerequisites may be waived for students who have demonstrated a high degree of competence in a related area.

Degree Requirements

Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

The M.H.R.T.M. program provides a comprehensive study of the many facets of hospitality management. Students receive thorough training in the major functional areas of hospitality organizations, with an emphasis on professionalism and sophistication in decision making. Flexibility both in curriculum and in degree requirements allows students to design a program of study tailored to their career goals.

The M.H.R.T.M. curriculum consists of 36 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses. Twenty-one semester hours of credit are in courses required for all M.H.R.T.M. majors and in the student’s area of concentration. Required courses help students acquire decision-making tools to solve real-world problems. Additionally, the faculty uses the case method and group projects, which offer practice in oral and written analysis of complex hospitality business situations. The core curriculum includes: HRTM 720, 730, 750, and 795; MGMT 718; and STAT 515. Students wishing to emphasize retail management must take five of the following courses: RETL 551, 562, 590, 592, 729, and 749.

Master of Arts in Teaching in Business Education

The M.A.T. program consists of 30 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses. The program requires 6-15 credit hours in professional education and 15-24 hours in the teaching area. Other requirements include a methods course in teaching business education, a teaching internship, a middle- and high-school teaching seminar, and student teaching. In addition, certification deficiencies not met by the M.A.T. degree program must be removed. Should undergraduate or certification deficiencies exist, the student will be advised accordingly when an advisor completes a transcript evaluation.

The student's program must be approved by a committee of three faculty members representing both the College of Education and the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. This committee will administer a final comprehensive examination consisting of written and oral components. If a student fails the examination twice, the program is terminated.

Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Business Education

The I.M.A. degree for secondary-school teachers is designed for college graduates who already hold a professional certificate in the teaching field in which they wish to earn the master's degree or who are academically certifiable by virtue of course work previously completed. Upon successful completion of the I.M.A. degree program, recipients will be eligible for a South Carolina Class I certificate in the teaching area. Major emphasis in this program is placed on course work in the teaching area.

The program consists of 33 semester hours of graduate courses distributed as follows:

Professional education component (9 hours)

Teaching area(s) component (21 hours)

An approved elective (3 hours--This will be a course that addresses current issues and concerns of teachers.)

The professional education component requires an introductory, graduate-level course in educational research; a specialized course in advanced study of teaching in a field that is research centered; and an advanced course in educational psychology, research and measurement, principles of curriculum construction, supervision of instruction, advanced readings in secondary education, or a course in selected topics.

A final comprehensive exam, consisting of written and oral components, will be administered by three faculty members appointed by the director of the program. If the candidate fails the examination twice, the program is terminated.

While individual programs are similar in structure, there is sufficient flexibility to meet student needs in teaching areas and to develop professional knowledge.

Course Descriptions

Administrative Information Management (AIME)

508 -- Teaching Middle and High School (Business Education). {=EDSE 508} (3) A study of methods, techniques, and materials of instruction in middle and high school business education.
528 -- Study of the Teaching of Business Education in the Secondary School. {=EDSE 528} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Teaching techniques and methodology related to the business education curriculum, emerging technology, and software.
545 -- Telecommunications. (3) (Prereq: AIME 445 or consent of instructor) Telecommunications systems, applications, and equipment allowing for the global dissemination of information.
560 -- Analysis and Applications of Integrated Software. (3) (Prereq: AIME 352 and AIME 370) Microcomputer software applications.
564 -- Office Information Systems. (3) (Prereq: AIME 560) Integration of business software and technology into an office system.
590 -- Special Topics in Office Information Management. (3) (Prereq: upper level and/or consent of instructor) Advanced concepts, issues, and trends in office information systems. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title. (May be repeated once for credit.)
702 -- Teaching Information Management Technology. {=EDSE 702} (3) Development of curriculum and educational materials for middle and high school information technology courses; selection of equipment; techniques of teaching information management technology; practical experience with software and hardware.
720 -- Office Management for Business Educators. {=EDSE 720} (3) (Prereq: degree candidacy and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Business observation and consulting experience related to office management. A curriculum project and seminars required.
760 -- Computerized Accounting Methodology for Business Educators. (3) (Prereq: Business education accounting certification required) Methodology and strategies for teaching accounting on the secondary level using microcomputers and accounting software.
790 -- Special Topics in Information Management/Business Education. (3) (Prereq: Degree candidacy in business education and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Individual topics may be announced with titles and suffixes. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours toward degree credit.

Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM)

537 -- Multi-Cultural Dimensions of the Hospitality Industry. (3) (Prereq: BADM 371 or RETL 344 or permission of instructor) Multicultural, multiracial, and multiethnic factors within the hospitality and tourism industry.
557 -- Security Management of Hotels and Restaurants. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 357 or equivalent) Individualized security programs, procedures, legal issues, and review of local, state, and federal laws that apply to the lodging and restaurant industry.
560 -- Advanced Lodging and Sales. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 450 or MKTG 350 or permission of instructor) Analysis of current topics in revenue management and sales professionals through a mentoring and sales blitz program.
564 -- Advanced Meeting Management. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 364 or permission of instructor) Analysis of current issues and problems in the meetings industry with emphasis on planning, organizing, managing, and enhancing meetings.
565 -- International Lodging Management. (3) Analysis of the structure of international lodging companies, challenges of marketing U.S. lodging companies abroad, and cultural differences in international management.
580 -- Adventure Travel Management. (3) Analysis of the adventure travel industry throughout the world, with emphasis on the management, marketing, and operation of an adventure travel business.
585 -- Advanced Club Management. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 285 or permission of instructor) Advanced topics in hospitality management for the club industry.
590 -- Special Topics in HRTM. (3) Advanced concepts, issues, and trends in the hospitality and tourism industry. May be taken twice for degree credit.
720 -- Hospitality Finance Methods. (3) The study of financial management related to the hospitality industry.
730 -- Hospitality Systems and Policy. (3) Decision-making and policy formulation related to internal and external factors in the hospitality and tourism industry.
740 -- Service Management in Hospitality. (3) Analysis, planning, and control of the service function in hospitality organizations with emphasis on management problems.
750 -- Hospitality Marketing Strategy. (3) (Prereq: MKTG 350) Strategic marketing process for hospitality organizations.
755 -- Properties Management. (3) (Prereq: permission of instructor) Feasibility studies, functional planning and design, equipment and utilities management.
768 -- Contemporary Problems in the Lodging Industry. (3) Consideration and analysis of relevant contemporary problems and issues presently facing managers in the lodging industry.
776 -- Current Issues in Foodservice Management. (3) Critical issues impacting the management of food-service organizations.
780 -- Seminar in Travel and Tourism. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 750) Issues in travel and tourism.
785 -- Resort Management. (3) Management of resort complexes, including master plan development, ecological concerns, and recreational activities development.
788 -- Applied Research in Hospitality and Tourism. (3) (Prereq: STAT 515)
795 -- Field Project in HRTM. (6) (Prereq: permission of instructor) Work experience and participation in management decision-making in a hospitality or tourism business environment. Positions assigned on an individual basis with emphasis on oral and written communication skills, planning, and problem solving.
798 -- Directed Study in HRTM. (3) Independent study for advanced students under faculty supervision. May be taken twice for degree credit.

Retailing (RETL)

551 -- Advanced Retail Business Planning. (3) (Prereq: RETL 351 or permission from department chair) Preparation of a prospectus for a projected new retail business.
562 -- Advanced Merchandising Management Strategies. (3) (Prereq: RETL 462 or permission of instructor) The analysis of assortment planning and inventory management of apparel products utilizing merchandising principles and industry software.
569 -- Advanced Retail Promotion and Visual Merchandising Strategies. (3) Essential principles and analytical tools used in retail promotion; appraisal of methods and outcomes via field experiences, visuals, and simulations.
590 -- Seminar in Retail Management. (3) (Prereq: senior standing or graduate) Course content varies. May be repeated once under a different suffix.
592 -- Retailing/Fashion Merchandising Field Study. (3) (Prereq: RETL 265, 268, or consent of department chairperson) Study of international/domestic fashion manufacturers, retailers, ancillary businesses, and selected resident buying offices. Restricted to one domestic and one international field study.
729 -- Retail Location Analysis. (3) Trends in retail estate development, and retail development used in retail site selection.
749 -- Retail Category and Space Management. (3) The application of category and space management strategies using industry software.
765 -- Retail Management for Marketing Educators. (3) (Prereq: Degree candidacy and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Business observation and consulting experience in retailing.
790 -- Special Topics in Marketing Education. (3) Contemporary topics, trends, and issues in marketing education. Individual topics may be announced with titles and suffix. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours for degree credit.

Sport and Entertainment Management (SPTE)

530 -- Sport and the Law. (3) (Prereq: Advanced undergraduate or graduate status or permission of department chair) Laws and regulatory bodies affecting the management of sport personnel, facilities, and events.
580 -- Business Principles in Athletic Administration. (3) (Prereq: advanced undergraduate or graduate status or permission of department chair) Business principles in the administration of public and private sector athletic programs.
635 -- Sport Event Development. (3) (Prereq: ACCT 225 and 226 or RETL 261 and 262; MKTG 350, FINA 363, MGMT 371 or equivalents) Business concepts needed to develop a sports special event.
650 -- Integrated Marketing Communication in Sport and Entertainment. (3) (Prereq: MKTG 350) Use of integrated marketing communication concepts, theories, and strategies in sport and entertainment.