Develop the knowledge, skills and experience to be a leader in hospitality—manage world-class hotels, resorts, and restaurants; design and coordinate premier corporate and special events; and market tourist destinations all over the world. We'll teach you to manage hospitality teams, evaluate operations and propose innovative solutions. UW-Stout's Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM) is designed to help you launch your successful career in executive hospitality management.
Our Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program has more than 100 partnerships with notable national and international hospitality businesses—a network of hospitality professionals and alumni ready to hire HRTM graduates—ready to help ensure you experience the internships and co-ops that will distinguish your career.
Career-Defining Curriculum
The program you choose is critical to your success in this competitive industry. UW-Stout offers one of the most renowned hotel, restaurant, and tourism management programs in the world (established in 1968). Our graduates comprise the managerial talent at major resorts, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, government tourism agencies, and convention bureaus.
Stout's executive hospitality programs (Golf Enterprise Management; Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and Real Estate Property Management) build upon a core set of courses that provide a flexible, diversified foundation to pursue a specialized hospitality field of study. Our HRTM curriculum was recently enhanced with the input of industry and alumni feedback to further emphasize customer analytics, revenue management, competitive pricing, and organizational development.
Program Overview
Hotel, restaurant, and tourism management is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the United States. Each year, leisure time increases for thousands of Americans, and the demands on the hospitality industry are growing. Existing lodging and dining facilities are expanding and new businesses are developing to accommodate the increased demand for hospitality services.
Our faculty are highly skilled professionals focused on your academic and career success, self-growth and leadership development. They are committed to providing you with the personal attention you need to succeed in a variety of hospitality management settings, including:
- Hotel and Resort Operations
- Vacation and Tourism Promotions
- Culinary and Restaurant Careers
- Event and Conference Planning
- International Hospitality Guest Services
- Hospitality Law, Liability and Risk Assessment
- Product Development
"UW-Stout has taught me the fundamentals of what it takes to be a leader in a diverse community both on and off campus. UW-Stout has helped me be career-ready through the various activities and extracurriculars that it has to offer. The hands-on learning experience gives students an advantage with real-life scenarios."
-- Josh NowakB.S. Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism ManagementB.S. Real Estate Property Management
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.
Request Information
Scholarship Support
HRTM McGuirk Scholarship
Alumni of the HRTM program have established this scholarship in honor of Professor Philip H. McGuirk. This award is available for all freshmen and new students to the HRTM program.
"After 41 years of working at UW-Stout in the HRTM program I wanted to do something nice for incoming freshman students. My love for the students, faculty and UW-Stout is as strong today as it was 40 years ago. The students in all my classes were awesome."
- Prof. Philip H. McGuirk
The HRTM McGuirk Scholarship is a $1,000 one-year, non-renewable scholarship. Thirty scholarship awards are available for new entering students pursuing a major in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management. No additional scholarship application is required, you will be automatically eligible if you meet these criteria:
- Incoming first-year OR Transfer student, transferring from an accredited college
- Enrolled as a full-time, degree-seeking student for fall semester in the Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management program
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from the most recent school attended
- Both on-campus and online/customized instruction students are eligible
Additional HRTM Scholarships
There are numerous scholarships available for students majoring in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management. Eligibility requirements vary, but awards are available regardless of financial need. For consideration, you must submit a Stout University Foundation Scholarship application - with a single application, you'll be considered for every Foundation scholarship for which you qualify.
Application
To apply for the on-campus or online Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, you need to apply to UW-Stout.
Financial Aid
Students who are attending another institution, but are planning to receive their degree from UW-Stout, may be eligible to receive aid from UW‐Stout. In these cases, UW‐Stout is considered the Home Institution and the other campus is considered the Visiting Institution.
Transfer Students
Note: When filling out the application form, be sure to make a note in the student comment section that you intend to apply to the "online program."
Mission
The primary mission of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program is to remain a leading educational provider of hospitality management candidates. This will be achieved by strategically planning and implementing educational resources that generate graduates who are exposed to a diverse curriculum that encompasses general studies; fundamentals of business administration; and professional courses in hotel administration, restaurant operations, and tourism management.
Objectives
Offer a program of study with the aim of developing the financial, operational and organizational skills for future managers in the hospitality industry.
- Demonstrate the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to manage hospitality operations.
- Exemplify the business skills necessary to operate and lead hospitality organizations successfully.
- Model the communications skills needed to lead in a diverse and globally integrated industry.
- Construct an analytical skillset to formulate and execute business decisions in an experience-driven industry successfully.
- Critique the fundamental leadership skills needed to lead hospitality organizations in a diverse and globally integrated industry.
The student learning objectives for the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program and approved by the University are:
- Analyze major trends and leadership practices in hotel, restaurant and tourism-related enterprises.
- Apply accounting, human resource (including both gender and diversity), marketing and management skills to exceed the objectives of hospitality organizations in the operation of their business.
- Develop and apply strategies for attracting new guests while retaining existing guests.
- Prepare and analyze budgets and financial statements to maximize the profits of hospitality businesses.
- Apply the principles of property maintenance and risk management to preserve and enhance the value of hospitality properties.
- Develop and enforce operating procedures to ensure hospitality properties are generating maximum sales and profits all while acting in an ethical manner.
- Integrate the knowledge and skills obtained in the courses in the hotel, restaurant and tourism management curriculum through practical leadership experiences in the hospitality industry.
Program graduates hold leadership positions with the following companies and others:
Recruiting Sites:
- Lettuce Entertain You
- Marcus Corporation
- Marriott Corporation
- The Bartolotta Restaurant Group
- Walt Disney World
Other Sites:
Industry Committee Members
| Ai | Asakura | International Sales Executive | Hilton |
| James | Condon | Guest Service Manager | InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) |
| Rana | Connors | Front Desk & Guest Services Manager | Lodge Kohler |
| David | Crabtree | CEO | Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Restaurants |
| Pete | Foster | President | Wismin Hospitality / Eastside Hospitality |
| Haley | Gales | Regional Director of People & Culture | Graduate Hotels |
| Steve | Green | Principal Sales Specialist – Emerging Innovations | IDeas/SAS Softwate MSP |
| Pete | Hayda | Managing Director, Sales and Marketing | Little Nell Hotel Group |
| Lee | Kerfoot | Vice President | HREC - Hospitality Real Estate Counselors |
| Bryan | McBroom | Food & Beverage Manager | Delaware North Sportservice |
| Terri | Mertz | Regional Director/AMER Revenue Management | IHG - Hospitality Real Estate Counselors |
| Garth | Peterson | Managing Director | IDeas/SAS Software MSP |
| Doug | Rohde | President | LHR Hotel Managment |
| Randy | Ruder | General Manager and Chairman of CMAA | Beachpoint Club |
| Amy | Shahin | Director of Sales & Marketing | JW Marriott Mall of America |
| Paul | Sheehan | Director Industrial Sales|Burke|Foodservice; UW-Stout Graduate | Hormel Foods |
| Scott | Stuckey | General Manager | Omni Hotels Louisville, KY |
| David | Weber | Vice President Foodservice Sales; UW-Stout Graduate | Hormel Foods |
| Michael | Wilson | Director of Conventions & Meeting Planning | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| Samantha | Ziwicki | Corporate Relations | Minnesota Vikings |
Faculty Committee Members
| Carole Jean | Baier | HRTM Program Associate | UW-Stout |
| Jay | Jones | Assistant Professor | UW-Stout |
| Eric | Brey | Professor/Department Chair | UW-Stout |
| Kristal | Gerdes | Associate Professor/Dept Chair | UW-Stout |
| Betsy | Pudliner | Associate Professor | UW-Stout |
| Gindy | Neidermyer | Interim CSTEMM Dean | UW-Stout |
| John | Sobota | Lecturer/HRTM Program Director | UW-Stout |
Student Committee Members
| Bailey | Jacque | HRTM Student | UW-Stout Student |
| Grace | Rucker | HRTM Student | UW-Stout Student |
| George | Gray | HRTM Student | UW-Stout Student |
| Claire | Henneman | HRTM Student | UW-Stout Student |
| Samantha | Micoley | HRTM Student | UW-Stout Student |
Professional Development
The six student professional organizations related to the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program are:
- American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) (Wisconsin Chapter)
- Club Managers of America Association (CMAA)
- Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
- Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM)
- Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
- Restaurant & Foodservice Management Association (RFMA)
Double Your Degree. Expand Your Career Potential.
UW-Stout's executive hospitality management degrees naturally complement each other and UW-Stout's business degrees, so we've made it easy for students to expand their career opportunities and earning potential with a double major! Most students can earn their second degree in any of the programs below with as few as 12 additional credits.
