University of Southern Maine

Tourism and Hospitality, B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts in Tourism and Hospitality is an interdisciplinary degree designed to prepare and develop future leaders to creatively think and problem solve within the tourism and hospitality management field through applied, real world learning experiences.

The 39-credit major provides a solid and comprehensive academic foundation for all students, both experienced professionals and those new to the field. It draws upon the social and natural sciences, recreation, business, and planning disciplines to provide an integrated understanding of hospitality management and tourism as a global industry and source of economic, environmental and social change. Graduates of the BA in Tourism and Hospitality bring to their careers and the community an understanding of the local, regional, and global implications of the sector, including its impact on communities and places and its prominent role in cultural contact, exchange, and learning as well as a strong hospitality skill set, developed through hands-on, industry-based, project learning.

The Specific Learning Goals of the Tourism & Hospitality Major are:

Students will understand the local and global implications of tourism and the role tourism plays in the economy, communities, nature, and culture as well as foster the ability to apply this knowledge to real word industry issues, policy, planning, and destination development. (Sustainable Tourism Innovation and Development Concentration)
Students will develop a strong hospitality management skill set focused on professional practices through hands-on work in collaboration with the Maine Tourism Industry. (Hospitality Management concentration)
Students will be prepared for future leadership roles in the global tourism and hospitality industry developed through hands-on, industry-engaged, real world learning.
To accomplish this students may select one or both specialized concentrations:

Hospitality Management
Sustainable Tourism Innovation & Development
Students complement these concentrations with electives drawn from a number of disciplines, travel courses, and a capstone experience that allows them to apply their knowledge to a real-world setting or problem. The degree curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning in the classroom and practical knowledge, with faculty from several departments within USM, as well as industry professionals, preparing students to engage directly in this sector in a variety of possible career pathways.