2015-2016

Hotel and Restaurant Management, Bachelor of Science

Hotel and Restaurant Management

The W. A. Franke College of Business

This degree not only prepares students with the professional knowledge and skills to succeed in the hospitality industry, but also provides opportunities for growth and experience in that industry. Throughout a student's time in the program, students will focus on a set of hospitality courses including, but not limited to, guest services, food preparation, and sales.

This degree is nationally recognized by the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.

This program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA).

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 73 units of major requirements
  • At least 8 units of language requirements

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA 2.5
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Foreign Language Required
Additional Fees/Program Fees Required
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Student Learning Outcomes

Concepts and Principles of Hotel & Restaurant Management

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply the following knowledge and skills to manage hotels and restaurants in an efficient and effective manner:

  • Front-of-the-house operations, including bell service, guest reception, and reservation systems
  • Principles of commercial food selection, storage, preparation, and service
  • Principles, procedures, and techniques involved in managing small- and large-quantity food and beverage preparation, production and service
  • Manage facilities from professional housekeeping to administration duties and employee supervision, maintenance of physical plant including environmental and sustainable practices in both housekeeping and engineering
  • Information about sales, service and control system of beverages and the production and classification of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
  • Common law and its application to the hospitality industry, including basic contracts, administrative law, government regulations, and legal concerns resulting from the innkeeper-guest relationship
Analytical/Problem-solving Skills
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Analyze and interpret a balance sheet and income and cash flow statements to evaluate financial performance and support operational and strategic decision making.
  • Analyze and interpret non-financial information, such as changes in consumer behaviors and spending patterns, to assess its impact on financial and market performance and operational and strategic decision making.
  • Recognize and resolve common hospitality operational issues and problems.
  • Communication and Leadership Skills
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Communicate in a manner consistent with the professional language of the hospitality industry in both written and oral formats.
  • Deliver effective presentations to small and large groups.
  • Use and integrate various theoretical approaches and principles to leadership in conflict resolution, intergroup and interpersonal relations, and team building.
Critical Thinking
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Identify the essential question, issue, and/or problem.
  • Gather data relevant to the essential question, issue, and/or problem.
  • Interpret appropriate data effectively.
  • Recognize and evaluate assumptions, major alternative points of view and related theories, principles, and ideas relevant to the question, issue, and/or problem.
  • Develop informed conclusions/solutions.
  • Articulate implications and consequences that emerge from the conclusions/solutions.
  • Analyze and resolve cases specific to the hospitality industry.
  • Apply learned academic concepts to industry problems to generate applicable solutions.
Professional Responsibility
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Discern the legal and ethical issues at stake in individual and collective decisions.
  • Choose an ethical and legal alternative and defend that choice.
  • Integrate professional, ethical, and legal standards into hospitality business practice.
Successful Adults
It is the commitment of the Faculty of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management to support and enhance the formation of our students as holistic individuals as emphasized in NAU’s Liberal Studies Curriculum. We believe that, in addition to the professional knowledge gained from the HRM program, our students will demonstrate the ability of:
  • Discovery (Investigation);
  • Integration (Synthesis);
  • Application (Engagement);
  • Cultural and Global Diversity Awareness (Recognition and Understanding).
Technical Skills and Knowledge
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Use industry specific and generic business technology applications to retrieve, create, organize, and communicate information in ways that inform and enhance individual and organizational performance.
  • Understand and perform hospitality work tasks through lab and field work experiences.
  • Identify and explain common hotel and restaurant management terms, procedures, policies, processes, standards, business practices, and performance calculations and formulas.
  • Apply the concepts of planning, organizing, directing and controlling to the functional areas found in hospitality organizations.

Major Requirements
  • Concentration Requirements (12 units)
    Hospitality Administration (HA) courses, or courses offered in other professional schools, such as The W. A. Franke College of Business, 6 units must be upper-division coursework (300-400 level) working with your advisor to choose courses appropriate to your career goals. You may not use general electives to meet this requirement.
Foreign Language Requirement

  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a modern language other than English that is equivalent to two terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP exams arranged by Center for Business Outreach.

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information
    • You must obtain and document 1200 hours of relevant employment in a hospitality-related enterprise for the technical, hands-on portion of your degree plan.
    • You must also earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 in all hospitality administration core and business auxiliary courses (combined) by the time you graduate.
    • Complete 6 Pathway events prior to graduation.
    • We recommend you take CIS 120 to satisfy Liberal Studies Science requirements, and (CST 111 or CST 151) to satisfy Liberal Studies Social and Political Worlds requirements.
    Our Hotel and Restaurant Management and International Hospitality Management degree plans are enhanced by the following resources:
    • The Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center was created to serve as a resource for our students and to provide research and service for the hospitality industry.
    • The Marion W. Isbell Endowment for Hospitality Ethics was established to encourage applied research in hospitality ethics and management and to increase awareness and resolution of ethical problems related to the hospitality industry through educational programs.

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.