MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Five years after launching, Middle Tennessee State University’s Tourism and Hospitality Management program became the first program in the state to earn accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.

Providing students with real-world experience as they pursue their degree, the Department of Health and Human Performance major is designed to prepare students for lifelong careers in food and beverage services, hotels, resorts, entertainment venues, festivals, travel agencies and more.

“We are training future leaders for the industry — that next level up,” said associate professor Elizabeth Whalen, program coordinator of Tourism and Hospitality Management. “What we are teaching is for the job five to 10 years from now.

“We are teaching best practices. We are teaching management skills. We are teaching accounting and finance, marketing principles.”

The MTSU program — which earned the designation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration in late spring — has been a work in progress as Whalen and fellow faculty members Yi “Vanessa” Liu and Karen Tan have evolved coursework to fit the ever-evolving industry. The mission of the commission is the quality assessment and quality enhancement of hospitality management education programs at the associate’s and bachelor’s degree levels.

Students are required to work in the tourism, hospitality and events industry as part of coursework, logging at least 300 hours in two different semesters — which averages about 20 hours a week — at two different organizations that apply to course credits.

“We’re working on the footprint of the degree. We’re still a discovery major and a lot of people still don’t know we’re here,” said Whalen, who took the helm of the program in 2020. “Students don’t realize how much the industry offers and how many opportunities are available.

“I have a student graduating at 23 who is getting a job as a regional manager, and you can’t do that without a degree.”

Program a ‘game-changer’ for Memphis native

Learning about MTSU’s tourism and hospitality program was a game-changer for junior Kenady Rix of Memphis. During her first couple of years in college, Rix was looking at drastically different career paths — first in fashion, then exercise science — and neither seemed to fit.

“I have a natural passion for serving others, and I’ve always worked above and beyond in any employment role that I’m in to serve guests well,” said Rix, who was awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Fund.

“So, when I started this major back in Spring 2023, I realized that this is the career field I’ve been searching for all along, and I see myself growing further as a leader within the hospitality industry in the years to come.”

MTSU’s tourism and hospitality degree track started in 2019 and grew out of what was leisure sports management with the tourism focus added. There was a lot of overlap in both degree pathways.

But over the past four years, the curriculum has changed and then the programs separated to have three major areas of focus: tourism, hospitality and event planning, Whalen explained.

Degree paths give direction to students

With tourism, assistant professor Karen Tan teaches students about managing a destination, policymaking and infrastructure development.

“A competitive destination is not just about having a theme park, a fancy resort or a highly rated restaurant. It involves the overseeing and management of different businesses, supporting amenities and policies to ensure a seamless, memorable tourism experience,” Tan explained.

The hospitality concentration focuses on a property-level objective. “We specialize in service-based businesses, so we teach you the basic principles of business but with a focus on products like hotels, restaurants, clubs, and more,” said Whalen, whose work experience is grounded in hotel and restaurant industries.

Assistant professor Yi “Vanessa” Liu focuses on the events concentration, with courses like weddings and special events and event risk management.

“Events serve as practical disciplines, providing firsthand experience through real-life scenarios and examples in our classroom activities, which fosters effective application of theoretical knowledge to real-world situations,” Liu said. “Moreover, we actively encourage students to volunteer at events to deepen their understanding of practical scenarios. This commitment helps us present ourselves in the best possible light.”

While the program is housed within the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, tourism and hospitality management students will get a business minor through required coursework in the Jones College of Business.

“We then go on top of that and we teach aspects that are specific to the industry,” Whalen said. “What to do when there’s a service failure. What that looks like and how to recover from it.

“We are teaching the theoretical approach to making a better industry. What does HR look like? What does leadership look like?”

Real-world experience part of program

Whalen noted that “it’s important to have real-world experience in addition to classroom learning. It’s a steppingstone to leadership.”

A good example is Rix, who is working as a front counter shift leader and summer operations intern at Chick-fil-A in Murfreesboro. 

“I’m learning different areas inside and outside of the restaurant that seamlessly work together to operate the business successfully, such as food safety, business leadership, human resources, marketing, community engagement and more,” Rix said.

“Overall, the THM program has been outstanding, and the professors have been very helpful in ensuring our success, not only as students, but also in making connections within the industry and preparing us to be employed upon graduation.”

The program is also one that appeals to a wide variety of learners.

“Our student body encompasses a wide range from first-generation students to Gen Z, reflecting a diverse demographic, while our industry rapidly evolves,” Liu said. “Our goal is to equip all students to thrive in this dynamic environment.”

Learn more at http://bit.ly/46dhOP4.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)