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Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management

Our Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management program is available for students of all types, from recent high school graduates to working adults, and will prepare you to work in the wide and growing field of hospitality. Our commitment lies in transforming your passion into purpose, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to make a lasting impact in the hospitality field. Situated in the heart of Chicago, our Hospitality Management program immerses you in hands-on learning, offering industry expert guidance, exclusive work opportunities, and engagement with seasoned faculty.

Our Hospitality Management major program prepares you to excel in various aspects of the industry, including restaurants, hotels, events, entertainment, and beyond. The BA in Hospitality Management curriculum is thoughtfully designed to impart the knowledge and essential skills required for leadership roles throughout the hospitality sector. With a flexible curriculum for adult learners within the College of Business, you’ll acquire comprehensive knowledge that covers the major areas of the hospitality industry including, finance, marketing, human resources, customer service, operations, leadership, and foundational hospitality principles.

As the culminating component of our Bachelors in Hospitality Management program, you’ll engage in a senior internship before graduation. This pivotal experience immerses you in real-world scenarios, providing opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals, refine your ability to deliver high-quality service, and showcase leadership skills. Serving as a valuable gateway to potential employment, this internship prepares graduates for managerial roles in hospitality and beyond.

At St. Augustine College, we go beyond conventional education; we inspire and empower you to thrive in the exciting and ever-evolving world of hospitality. Your journey toward a rewarding career begins here.

Highlights of the Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management Program

  • Comprehensive Curriculum: Acquire in-depth knowledge of management, business, and hospitality principles for excellence across industry sectors.
  • Internship Experience: Expand learning with a semester-long internship in hospitality management, accumulating 500 hours of work experience supervised by industry professionals and experienced faculty.
  • Networking Opportunities: Connect with top hospitality management executives in Chicago and nationwide, building valuable relationships for future career success.
  • Accelerated Degree Option: With an associate degree in culinary arts, business, or related fields, our program provides a fast track to a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management, enhancing leadership skills and expediting entry into the job market.
  • Affordability: Experience an affordable program that competes with the best in the U.S., offering world-class hospitality education without compromising quality.

Empowered to Succeed

As a graduate of the B.A. in Hospitality Management program, you will be prepared to:

  1. Be a competent business professional in the hospitality industry and competitive in the job market, with special emphasis on multicultural understanding and practice in a global industry.
  2. Collaborate as well as lead, with many different types of people, solve problems quickly and concentrate on details, have initiative and self-discipline, effective communication skills, and the ability to organize and direct the work of others.
  3. Have a comprehensive knowledge of lodging and food and beverage service operations, including customer service; reservations; purchasing and accounting systems; safety and security; design; event planning; maintenance and repair; personnel practices; business ethics, legal requirements, management, and finance.
  4. Step into a position in the hospitality industry in management or operations or as a leader or owner for a lodging establishment; events and meeting management; restaurant; food service; sales; or related business field.

Hospitality Management Careers

This is a sample of some of the existing careers you can pursue with a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management.

  • Hotel Management
  • Restaurant Management
  • Event Planning and Management
  • Travel and Tourism Management
  • Resort Management
  • Club Management
  • Entertainment and Venue Management
  • Sports Venues and Stadiums
  • Travel Agencies
  • Spa and Wellness Centers
  • Catering Companies
  • Museums and Cultural Institutions
  • Wedding Planning Services
  • Senior Living and Retirement Communities
  • Health and Fitness Resorts

Sample Courses For The BA in Hospitality Management Program:

Below are some of the required courses for the Hospitality Management major. You can view the full list of required courses in our academic catalog.

  • Hospitality Accounting: This course introduces specialized hospitality accounting areas of hotel revenue and expenses, inventory accounting, property, and hospitality equipment; payroll accounting and hospitality special financial statements; the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flow; analysis of financial statements; short-term and annual financial reports; budgeting expenses reports; forecasting reports; and an analysis of financial reports for decision-making. 
  • Management Information Systems: This course introduces computer-based information systems from a managerial perspective and stresses the important role information technology plays in satisfying business objectives. The course helps students gain real-world experience in project management. Students will have the opportunity to work in teams, take a leadership role, manage a budget, and manage time-on-task operations.
  • Marketing & Tourism in the Hospitality Industry: This course will introduce the basic marketing concepts and skills for the Hospitality and Tourism industries. The course will help students to understand, plan, create, and implement marketing strategies for the Hospitality and Tourism industries. The course also will introduce students to the most current applications and technologies to launch successful marketing campaigns for this unique and exciting industry. 
  • Lodging in the Hospitality Industry: This survey course includes the history, scope, challenges, and opportunities of the lodging industry from the smaller bed and breakfast to the largest facilities for international tourists and visitors, including front desk management, principles of customer service, and business ambiance; facilities, technologies, and systems; food & beverage service; sales and marketing; and federal, state and local laws affecting the lodging industry. 
  • Management Food Service in the Hospitality Industry: This course explores the functions and challenges of food service operations. Students will learn how to develop and execute strategies in food service operations from feasibility, planning, marketing, and initiating operations. Students will learn how to enhance operational systems for purchasing, receiving, storage, menu design and layout, and methods to improve the customer experience. 

View Full Course List

List of Classes and Credit Hours for BA Hospitality Management
General Education Requirements48
ENG 160 Composition I(4)
ENG 162 Composition II(4)
ENG 165 Speech(4)
MAT 200 Finite Mathematics (preferred) OR(4)
MAT 225 Introductory Statistics(4)
BIO Introduction to Human Biology OR(4)
BIO 108 Anatomy and Physiology I OR(4)
PHY 103 Earth Science OR(4)
CHM 115 Basic Chemistry(4)
ENG 203 American Culture and Literature OR(4)
HUM 202 Humanities I OR(4)
HUM 204 Music Appreciation OR(4)
HUM 205 History and Appreciation of Art OR(4)
PHI 220 Ethics OR(4)
Any other Philosophy course(4)
SPA 222 The Hispanic-American Experience Through Literature OR(4)
HUM 202 Humanities I (Cannot count course in two areas)(4)
HIS 104 Survey of U.S. History to 1865 OR(4)
HIS 105 Survey of U.S. History from 1865 to Present OR PSC103 American Government(4)
PSY 101 General Psychology(4)
Business Administration Core Courses68 HRS
ACC 101 Principles of Accounting(4)
BUS 110 Introduction to Business(4)
BUS 220 Principles of Management(4)
CUL 100 Food Service & Hospitality OR(4)
CUL 101 Introduction to Culinary Arts(4)
ACC 301 Hospitality Accounting(4)
CIS 300 Management Information systems(4)
HOS 311 Marketing & Tourism in the Hospitality Industry(4)
BUS 303 Legal Environment of Business(4)
HOS 455 Lodging in the Hospitality Industry(4)
HOS 466 Management Food Service in the Hospitality Industry(4)
HOS 477 Managing Events in the Hospitality Industry(4)
MNG 405 Human Resources Management(4)
HOS 495 Senior Seminar in the Hospitality Industry(4)
PSY 420 Industrial/Organizational Psychology(4)
Elective Courses28
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS/COURSES120

Requirements

To enroll in our Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management program we require the following:

  • Completion of high school or GED
  • A minimum age of seventeen (17) years
  • Official high school transcript (Distance high school must be accredited by a regional association*)
  • Official transcript of the General Education Development (GED) Test (Distance GED is not accepted)
  • Proof of completion of equivalent high school work in a foreign country, OR official college transcript showing at least 24 transferable semester credit hours

For more information please view our admissions page.

Cost

The Bachelors in Hospitality Management program requires 120 credit hours to complete, with each credit hour costing $537. Other fees apply, for a full breakdown visit our tuition and fees page.

B.A. in Hospitality Management Program FAQ:

Q: What is Hospitality Management

A: Being a hospitality major is about mastering the role of a host, one who receives the guest with kindness, understanding, and patience, doing their best to help a guest with whatever problems they might have.

Q: How long is the Hospitality Management program?

A: This is a typical 4-year program, compiled of 120 total credit hours that can be taken at your leisure. St. Augustine prides itself on being one of the online schools for adults who want to receive a higher education.

Q: Can I get my B.A. in Hospitality Management online?

A:  Yes! The Hospitality Management Bachelor’s degree program is offered both online and in person. Our online model is a real-time live stream of the courses, giving the flexibility needed for adult learners and nontraditional students to learn completely online, in-person, or a combination of both.

Resources

Learn more about how you can receive SAC’s Hospitality Management Degree below, and how St. Augustine’s programs have helped others.

Success Stories: As the number one school in Illinois in raising students’ income, and second higher graduation rate than comparable institutions in Chicago, we are proud to present a few of our outstanding students below who have stood out and demonstrated St. Augustine’s dedication to success.

Career & Transfer Center: St. Augustine is not just a college, it’s a launchpad for you and your career. Contact our staff to receive assistance related to jobs, interviews, or internships.

Community: Our community is built on inclusivity and diversity. Regardless of someone’s background, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

A New Type of Education in Hospitality Management

In collaboration with the College of Lake County, a new hospitality undergraduate program, a BA in Hospitality Management, is now offered from St. Augustine College and is located at the University Center of Lake County, a bright, beautiful facility with up-to-date learning technology in Grayslake Illinois. Students will need to take some additional general education courses at the College of Lake County. They will need to take 32 credit hours (8 courses of 4 credit hours each) to receive their BA in Hospitality Management. This part of the hospitality management curriculum could be completed in one calendar year, (after completing the required general education)

Following the structure of St. Augustine’s education, we believe in small classes and individualized instruction and want this program to follow that motto, prioritizing the students and their abilities. We pride ourselves on providing bachelor’s degree programs for working adults that allow anyone to complete a higher education.

The goal of this Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management is to work directly with the associate degree in hospitality offered through the College of Lake County. Students will only need to take 32 credit hours from St. Augustine College to achieve this bachelor’s degree.  Students will have the option to either take their classes in person at the University Center of Lake County or remotely.

Related links

Success Stories

Empowering students to thrive in today’s competitive world.