Hospitality and tourism is an industry generally encompassing leisure destinations such as cruise ships and hotels, national parks, and restaurants. Places such as fast food restaurants and university cafeterias and dormitories also fall into the hospitality sector. Entry-level jobs can be obtained with a high school diploma, but to obtain a job with better pay, it’s helpful to earn an accredited degree in hotel management, hospitality, or tourism online or on campus. Graduates are eligible for jobs not only nationwide but internationally too.

Jobs in the hospitality field are quite varied. Some people serve as bellhops, maids, and chefs. Others work as managers, either overseeing an entire establishment or directing a specific department, such as housekeeping or customer relations. There are also jobs specific to casinos, such as gaming supervisor, and other locations such as children’s summer camps.

Nowadays, it’s possible to earn an online degree in hotel management, hospitality, or tourism. Ideally, students combine these programs with practical work experience in order to best develop a resume. Online programs in hotel management, hospitality, and tourism are listed below.

• The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has an online Bachelor of Science in Hotel & Restaurant Management program.

• DeVry University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program with a focus on hospitality management.

• The Florida International University School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has online master’s programs in hospitality management, including an option especially for executives.

• George Washington University awards the Master of Tourism Administration degree mostly through distance learning. The program requires two residencies in Washington, D.C.
• Drexel University has an online Master of Science in Hospitality Management degree program.
• The New England Culinary Institute offers online associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs in hospitality and restaurant management.
• The University of Delaware offers a Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate program in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management through distance education.
• The University of Nevada at Las Vegas has an executives-only Master of Hospitality Administration program. The program can be completed online in one or two years.

• The University of Phoenix has an online program leading to the Associate of Arts in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism and an online program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in hospitality management.