How to Get a PhD in Hospitality Management

The hospitality industry has steadily expanded throughout the past three decades to meet the demand for global tourism and business travel. The U.S. lodging industry alone brings in pre-tax profits of around $25 billion a year.

To keep these numbers trending upward, hospitality managers look to academic experts for research and guidance. A PhD in hospitality management qualifies you to serve as a hospitality management expert. The doctorate attracts ambitious mid-career professionals committed to advancing the hospitality business. You can serve the hospitality sector as a professional researcher, an industry consultant, or an academic professor.

Completing a PhD or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in hospitality management takes uncommon focus and dedication. This guide helps you establish a strong foundation for success by defining your goals and developing an action plan.

A Guide to the PhD in Hospitality Management

An overview of hospitality management as an academic discipline can help you gain a sense of where your ambitions fit in. PhD degrees in hospitality management are a relatively recent phenomenon, offered either as part of a dedicated hospitality school or as a business specialty. In 1999, there were a dozen hospitality doctoral programs in the U.S.; today, the number is significantly higher. Programs differ in their emphases, so it's important to do thorough research before applying. Many schools require doctoral students to commit to a full-time campus program, though some offer flexible online doctorates. Programs generally take four to six years to complete.

History of Hospitality Management Education

Hospitality management entered higher education in the 1920s as a vocational training discipline. Although early academic pioneers envisioned hospitality as "the science of running hotels and restaurants," it wasn't until the 1980s that the discipline made academic research a priority alongside hospitality education. PhD programs arose around the same time, emphasizing original contributions to knowledge. Today's doctoral programs are designed to "prepare students for a lifetime career of intellectual inquiry expressed through scholarship and research." Students learn to identify critical issues in hospitality and explore them using social science research methods.

To learn more about the hospitality field, visit WorldWideLearn.com's Guide to Majors, where you can find a specific section dedicated to hospitality management.

A Practical Alternative: DBA in Hospitality Management

While the research PhD is the dominant hospitality doctorate in the U.S., a growing number of colleges in Europe and Asia offer an alternative doctorate emphasizing applied vocational study. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) trains hospitality professionals to solve specific business problems using established management knowledge and practices. As a research-intensive extension of the MBA, the DBA typically focuses on a business administration function such as marketing or human resources.

Learn more about the distinctions among doctorates at WorldWideLearn.com's Online PhD Degrees and Doctoral Programs resource page.

Specializations in Hospitality

Specialization is an important feature of doctoral education. Graduate students focus on a particular area of interest and become experts in their chosen field. You may work closely with a faculty advisor to devise a unique research topic and a plan of study. Generally, specialization areas reflect a particular hospitality context or a management function.

Hospitality specialization areas include:

• Lodging
• Food & beverage
• Tourism
• Gaming
• Events management
• Sports & leisure (stadiums, theme parks, etc.)

Management specializations focus on:

• Marketing
• Human resources
• Finance
• Facilities design
• Operations
• International management

Many doctoral degree programs emphasize a particular field of study, based on resident faculty and local resources. To make sure you have the resources and need to succeed, look for a school with faculty whose interests match your own.

Career Track in Hospitality

A PhD in hospitality management establishes you as an expert in the field. You can apply your expertise in academic or professional contexts. Most PhD graduates go on to an academic career as a university professor, combining teaching and research roles. Some find consulting or full-time hospitality management positions at major hotels, gaming enterprises, or restaurants.

Academic Career Prospects. Competition for tenure-track professor positions can be fierce, though most PhD programs offer placement assistance. Professors earn a competitive average salary of $108,900, according to an annual survey by the professional association AACSB.

Professional Career Prospects. The U.S. Department of Labor reports steady demand for hospitality managers nationwide, with an average growth rate of 12 percent over a decade.

WorldWideLearn.com's Career Pathways resource offers career planning and assessment tools to help you determine which career direction suits you best.

Applying for a PhD in Hospitality Management: An Action Plan

After you've developed a sense of your interests and goals, you're ready to take the first steps toward a PhD in hospitality management. The following guide takes you through each phase of the application process, from researching schools to submitting application materials.

Step One: Find the Right Graduate Hospitality Management Program

Each hospitality management program offers its own program orientation, with different emphases and resources. Follow these steps to find a doctoral degree program that matches your requirements.

1. List Accredited PhD Programs

Start by compiling a list of accredited PhD programs in hospitality management. Accreditation is an important baseline measure of quality--it ensures the value of your degree and can influence your eligibility for financial aid. Independent accrediting agencies conduct regular program evaluations to ensure that the institution meets certain standards. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of approved accreditation agencies.

Resources

Online directories and accrediting agency member lists can direct you to accredited hospitality management programs:

• The Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE) publishes a guide to accredited programs in hospitality and tourism, the Guide to College Programs in Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts, Ninth Edition.
• The Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) maintains a list of accredited undergraduate programs in hospitality management. Many of these institutions also offer graduate programs.
• WorldWideLearn.com represents accredited online and campus PhD programs. Search Degrees by Subject for degrees in hospitality management or business administration with a hospitality concentration.
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredits graduate business schools. Search the online database for a doctoral degree in hospitality management, refining results by location or online format.

2. Evaluate Program Format Options

Today's PhD and DBA programs in hospitality management offer a range of on-campus and online format options. Choose among full-time on-campus programs, part-time on-campus programs with online options, and online programs with brief campus residencies.

Online Format. Internet-mediated lectures, discussions, and project work make the PhD accessible to working adults with established geographical ties and family responsibilities. The online format is well-suited for vocational graduate programs that emphasize applied research. Graduate students have the option to use their workplace as a laboratory, communicating with peers and faculty advisors via the Internet.

On-Campus Format. Full-time on-campus study remains the dominant format for the PhD in hospitality management. If you are aiming for an academic career, the on-campus degree offers a distinct advantage. Faculty mentorship is an essential part of the academic doctorate. PhD candidates hone their research and teaching skills through collaborative research and teaching assistantships, which function as apprenticeships for a university professor career.

The traditional on-campus format is typically the better choice for doctoral education, all other factors being equal. But mid-career adults may not have the flexibility to uproot their lives for a full-time on-campus program. In this case, online education offers a viable option with some advantages for students pursuing professional doctorates.

Resources

WorldWideLearn.com's Online Degree Programs and Campus Education sections help you find programs with the format that best meets your circumstances and career goals. To find a campus program near you, search Degrees by Location.

3. Explore Academic Programs

This critical stage of your program research takes you into the details of each program's resources. At the doctoral level, the most important factor is the availability of faculty mentors in your field of interest. The reference guide Hospitality Management Education notes: "Quality of the faculty ranks as the most important factor in the doctoral program.... [Faculty mentors] not only teach and supervise the research of the graduate student, but they also provide an example of how to perform as an academic."

The following factors help you gauge whether the program's academic orientation matches your needs:

• Resident experts in your field
• Research facilities and resources (food service labs, computer labs, lodging facility, clerical support, etc.)
• Specialized library collections in your field
• Curriculum and available courses
• Special programs: foundations, conferences, publications, research centers, etc.
• Relationships with industry experts and local hospitality employers

Access to the necessary resources plays an important role in your ability to conduct influential academic research. Set yourself up for success by researching programs carefully.

Resources

WorldWideLearn.com offers a starting point for your program research by connecting you with schools that meet your basic requirements. Fill out an online form indicating your criteria, and the system then recommends matching schools. You can even arrange to have school representatives contact you by phone or email to discuss the program.

School Web sites allow more extensive research, with links to course reading lists, faculty bios and publications, graduate student dissertation topics, and PhD degree requirements.

Academic journals can point you to thought leaders and help you identify schools with strong programs in your field of interest. Major hospitality research journals include:

• International Journal of Hospitality Management
• Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Management
• Tourism Management
• Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education (JHTE)
• Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR)
• Research Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
• Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly

4. Evaluate Program Quality

Finally, decide on the best schools for you by comparing the quality and selectivity of the programs on your list. Take into account the following factors:

• Reputation
• Selectivity
• Graduation rate
• Job placement statistics
• Career support resources
• Student body profile

Resources

Rankings offer an easy way to compare schools, but few of them focus specifically on graduate hospitality programs.

Business school rankings include programs with a hospitality concentration. The two major rankings are:

• BusinessWeek, Business School Rankings & Profiles
• U.S. News & World Report, Best Business Schools, Management Programs

General rankings of research universities include:

• The National Research Council, Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs
• The Center for Measuring University Performance, The Top American Research Universities, 2008 Annual Report

Sources for comparing hospitality management programs and rankings include:

• "An Analysis of Institutional Contributors to Three Major Academic Tourism Journals: 1992-2001". Jogaratnam, G., K. Chon, K. McCleary, M. Mena and J. Yoo.; Tourism Management. Vol. 26, Iss. 5. Oct, 2005. p. 641.
• "Exploring Hospitality Program Rankings". Gould, S.L. and D.C. Bojanic.; Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education. Vol. 14, Iss. 4. 2002. p. 24.
• "Hospitality Program Rankings Revisited". Withiam, G.; Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. Vol. 38, Iss. 4. Aug, 1997. p. 13.
• "Ranking Of U.S. Hospitality Undergraduate Programs: 2000-2001". Brizek, M.G. and M.A. Khan.; Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education. Vol. 14, Iss. 2. 2002. p. 4.

Data on individual hospitality management programs is available from these sources:

• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) links to an extensive database representing information on its member institutions. Discover detailed data such as average GMAT scores, percentage of full-time doctoral students, percentage of international students, student-faculty ration at the doctoral level, and tuition.
• Admissions Data Sheets offer detailed information about selectivity, student demographics, and job placement.

Step Two: Apply to PhD Programs in Hospitality Management

After you've settled on your final wish list of PhD programs, it's time to set the application process in motion. Each school defines its own application requirements, but you'll find some broad similarities. Generally, applying for a campus or online PhD in hospitality management involves these steps:

1. Complete Prerequisites

Prerequisites ensure that you have the appropriate background for doctoral education. Typical eligibility requirements include:

• A bachelor's or master's degree in hospitality or business (or equivalent coursework)
• Several years of work experience
• Research experience and publications (preferred)
• GMAT test

For help completing the prerequisites, consult WorldWideLearn.com's Education Resources Guide. You'll find information on GMAT preparation courses, online prerequisite courses, and more.

2. Prepare Application Materials

The admissions committee reviews the following materials to determine your promise as a hospitality scholar:

• Academic transcripts
• Test scores
• Faculty or professional letters of recommendation
• Statement of research interests

3. Secure Financial Aid

Most doctoral programs arrange for top candidates to receive financial aid. Plan to submit a financial aid application with your admissions forms. Funding options include scholarships, research grants, teaching and research assistantships, and tuition waivers.

Most hospitality management doctoral candidates supplement the university's financial aid package with funding from other sources. Research options such as:

• Private scholarships
• Federal and private loans
• Private research grants
• Corporate sponsorship

For more information, visit the WorldWideLearn.com resource page on graduate education funding.

Join the Academic Community

With your applications en route to the admissions committee, you're just a step away from becoming an academic. To prepare for the educational adventure ahead, immerse yourself in the academic world now. You can join the academic community by:

• Subscribing to academic publications
• Attending conferences
• Joining academic and professional associations

The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE), for example, offers access to top academic journals, conferences, and other networking resources.

A PhD in hospitality management tracks you into a leadership position in the field as a researcher, educator, or practicing professional. To take full advantage of the opportunity ahead, plan your approach carefully. The steps in this guide help you approach the PhD with a clear idea of where you're headed and how this particular program can help you realize your goals.

Sources

• AACSB Accredited Business Schools Database, AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
• "AH&LA's Annual Lodging Industry Profile Released." Hotelworld Network (Oct 27, 2009).
• Best Business Schools: Management, U.S. News & World Report (2009).
• Bosselman, Robert H and Clayton W. Barrows, eds. Graduate Programs in Hospitality Management Education. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press, 1999.
• Business School Rankings & Profiles, BusinessWeek (2009).
• Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
• Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management Graduate Program, Virginia Tech.
• Doctor of Philosophy of Hospitality Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
• Guide to College Programs in Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts, Ninth Edition. International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.
• Guyette, Wayne C. "Perceptions of Hospitality Management Program Leaders Toward Specialized Hospitality Accreditation." Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 1981.
• LeClair, Dan. "The Professor's Paycheck," AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (April 1, 2004).
• Lodging Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Ph.D Program in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (HRIM), Penn State University.
• School of Hotel Administration PhD Program, Cornell University.
• School Profile Search, AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
• The Top American Research Universities, 2008 Annual Report. The Center for Measuring University Performance.