Hull offers students certificate in hospitality administration

The hospitality industry is one of the largest in the world and encompasses everything from hotels, restaurants, museums and other tourist attractions, to conferences and music festivals. It’s also one of the fastest growing, with more than 15.2 million employees and a growth rate of 17 percent between 2004 and 2014.

In order to meet the growing demand for hospitality employees, Augusta University’s James M. Hull College of Business is offering a hospitality administration certificate.

The Augusta community has the opportunity to immediately benefit from graduates who have received this certificate.

“Augusta is a hospitality city, especially with The Masters, Lady A Amphitheater and all the great plans for downtown,” Marsha Loda, assistant professor of marketing, said. “We really like to support the industries that are big in our city, especially when we see they have regional and national application.”

The hospitality certification consists of five courses – four required courses and one elective. The electives include a hospitality internship, study abroad/away program or a course on resort and facility strategies. Certification is open to all Augusta students, even those who have already earned their degree.

Recipients of the certification will be prepared for management positions in the hospitality field.

“The hospitality industry is really interesting,” Loda said. “The MEEC industry (meetings, events, exhibitions and conventions) came together and selected 12 skills that people in the hospitality industry needed to have. So, we have a textbook that teaches students those 12 skills. After graduation the students will be ready to hit the ground running.”

To earn the certificate, students must complete each course with a grade of “C” or better.  Additional details and course descriptions can be found on the Augusta University Catalog. For more information, contact Marsha Loda.