NAU is accepting applications for fall 2025 admission at the Mesa Workforce Development Center.
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 program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) This program is nationally recognized by the Council on Hotel, Restaraunt, and Institutional Education (CHRIE)
The Hotel and Restaurant Major offers a strong liberal arts foundation combined with substantive hospitality coursework and fieldwork. Students are required to complete two semesters of a modern language to help them appreciate diversity and be more effective in bi-lingual work environments. Students are required to complete a supervised internship and work 1200 hours in hospitality establishments to gain valuable on-the-job experiences, build their resumes, and apply what they have learned from their coursework. Students can also participate in study abroad programs for expanding their global awareness and join one or more of the eight student clubs, like the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, for professional development and recruiting opportunities.
Students learn the management theories and operational competencies necessary to enter any segment of the hospitality industry upon graduation. Students are required to take courses specific to the industry including an introduction to the hospitality industry, hotel and restaurant operations and management, fundamentals in kitchen operations, hospitality information technology, facilities and sustainability management for hotels, hospitality organizational behavior and human resources management, hospitality managerial accounting, hospitality industry analytics, hospitality marketing, and hospitality leadership and ethics. Students must complete 15 hours of hospitality electives. They can choose from 35 elective courses to gain deeper knowledge and more marketable skill sets. Although not required, students may enroll in one of seven hospitality certificates to focus their elective credits toward a specific area of study, such as event planning management or hospitality accounting.
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.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Please note that students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement.
Students may transfer up to 75 units of credit from an accredited Arizona community college. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | 2.5 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management program is to prepare students for successful hospitality careers and productive citizenship. This is accomplished by providing a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of Arizona’s growing hospitality industry and the conditions of the twenty-first century. Graduates are able to gain entry-level management positions in a variety of hospitality sectors, such hotels, resorts, restaurants, country clubs, theme parks, stadiums, casinos, event planning, microbreweries, wine bars, food and beverage vendors, and spas. Because the hospitality industry is so diverse and lucrative, a degree in hotel and restaurant management from a nationally-ranked program opens the door to vast opportunities for advancement.
Students will gain skills and knowledge for implementing effective systems and solid business practices, creating a strong, positive workplace culture, and controlling costs and increasing revenues to maximize profitability. The students will also learn how to mange customer and employee relationships and expectations effectively and analyze financial and operational information and reports to make informed, tactical, and strategic decisions.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students may transfer up to 75 units of credit from an accredited Arizona community college.
This major requires 72 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 72 units:
Hospitality Administration Core (45 units)
Concentration Requirements (15 units)
Hospitality Administration (HA) courses, or courses offered in other professional schools, such as The W. A. Franke College of Business, 9 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.
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.
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.