Schools For Hotel And Restaurant Management Degrees

For those who love the food service business, but have little interest in cooking, or a low culinary aptitude, restaurant management might be the career path they are looking for. There are a variety of degrees and career options available for those interested in restaurant management. The restaurant management business is a part of the food service and hospitality industry, where many courses and degree programs tend to combine the skillset and knowledge needed in restaurant and hotel management.

Restaurant Management Degrees

If you are looking to break into the restaurant management business, you need to decide on what degree you'd like to obtain before you can choose the institution you'd like to enroll in. Some colleges and vocational schools offer different degrees geared towards the food service and hospitality industry that include restaurant management as a part of the curriculum. Here is a list of possible degrees one might be interested in relation to restaurant management:

• Associate Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management
• Associate of Culinary Arts in Restaurant Management
• Bachelor's Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management
• Master of Science in Hospitality Management
• Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
• Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Hospitality Management

These are just a sample of the degrees one would obtain to start a career in restaurant management.

School Options

Degrees related to restaurant management as a part of the food service and hospitality field can be obtained from community colleges, four-year universities and specialized trade schools.

• Community Colleges: Many community colleges offer an Associate in Applied Science degree for hotel and restaurant management. These degree programs typically require two years of course work, and open the doors to entry-level management positions in the restaurant business.
• Four-Year Universities: A Bachelor's Degree or a Master's Degree in the food service and hospitality field can be obtained from many four-year universities. A Bachelor's Degree in Hotel and Restaurant management would take the typical, four years of course work, while a Master's Degree would take an extra one or two years.
• Trade Schools: Trade schools, which include culinary and art institutes, offer accelerated courses in hotel and restaurant management. These degree programs tend to be more costly when compared to degree programs at most community colleges and universities. However, the accelerated pace and the flexible schedules at most trade schools are designed for those who are already working, or the recently unemployed, who wish to obtain their restaurant management degree to advance their careers in a shorter time frame.

Course Curriculum

The course curriculum may vary depending on the type of restaurant management degree being pursued. However, most of the classes would focus on similar subjects, such as:

• Sales and marketing
• Front-office operations
• Sanitation practices
• Cuisine
• Food and beverage operations
• Food service management
• Hotel and restaurant marketing
• Management principals
• Wines, beers and spirits
• Multi-unit restaurant management
• Accounting
• American cuisine

Most college curriculums focusing on restaurant management would cover the principle concepts of food service and hospitality like:

• Management and operations
• Accounting
• Customer service and hospitality
• Food and beverage
• Human resources management
• Marketing

Potential students should also expect to spend some time interning at a business or facility center that puts their food service and hospitality skills to use as a part of the college curriculum. Some degree programs may even require professional work experience for a certain number of logged hours that must be recorded and documented to complete the degree.

Benefits of a Restaurant Management Degree

Some people who are already working in the food service industry may wish to avoid the hassle of enrolling in a restaurant management degree program. While there is always the possibility of making your way up the corporate ladder to a management position at a food establishment, your career potential might be limited without the appropriate degree.

A degree from an accredited university will allow you to obtain a specialized skillset that may be unobtainable from experience alone. Plus, many restaurant management degree programs require professional work experience anyhow, meaning you could complete your course work while working at the food establishment where you're already employed.

In other words, a degree in restaurant management will benefit you by further advancing your career and opening the door to more career opportunities within the food service and hospitality industry.

Career Opportunities and Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, food service managers (including restaurant managers) could make $46,000 per year on average. Those working at restaurant facilities that were a part of traveler accommodation facilities (hotel restaurants) had the highest annual salary at an average of $54,000, with limited-service eating places (fast-food restaurants) on the lower end of the salary scale at $41,000 per year.

After obtaining a restaurant management degree, there are numerous career options for you to choose from:

• Hotel restaurant management
• Special food services (catering, school cafeterias, etc.)
• Full-service restaurants
• Limited-service restaurants