• Description of Program
• Degree Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

The Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management program (THEM) prepares students to enter the world's largest and most diverse industry. Tourism is travel for business, recreation, leisure and wellness. Although the tourism industry includes transportation, travel, and food and lodging, students in this program focus on the marketing and management of tourism facilities and destinations within the context of wellness and public health. Careers include tourism agencies, hotels, hospitals, resorts, convention centers, theme parks, visitor centers, golf courses, cruises, and airlines.

Degree Requirements

This is a four-year program leading to the degree, Bachelor of Science in Recreation with a major in tourism, hospitality, and event management. This major program prepares students to become leaders in the tourism industry for a wide range of careers as students develop competencies in administration, budgeting, communications, event planning, marketing, and management. A minimum of 30 successfully completed credit hours and a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) are required for admission to this program. Graduation requirements include:

• completion of general education requirements.
• completion of tourism, hospitality, and event management major requirements.
• a minimum of 120 successfully completed credit hours which count toward the degree program.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in courses used to complete the major.
• No Pass/Fail except for free electives.

General Education (20 – 39 credits)

All undergraduate students must complete the IU Bloomington campus-wide general education common ground requirements. Such students must visit the 2021-2022 General Education Bulletin to view these requirements.

Major (72 cr.)

Complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-T 201 Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management Industries (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 335 Entrepreneurship in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 425 Capstone in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 388 Marketing Principles for Leisure Services (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 413 Fiscal Management of Leisure Service Organizations (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 414 Legal Aspects of Recreation (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 426 Human Resource Management in Leisure Services (3 cr.)
• ENG-W 231 Professional Writing Skills (3 cr.)

Recreation Core (30 cr.)
Complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-R 200 Health & Happiness by Design (3 cr.) +(S&H)
• SPH-R 210 Inclusion in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 311 Management in Recreation, Parks and Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 312 Career and Internship Preparation (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 314 Data-Based Decision-Making (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 410 (Formerly: SPH-T 410) Event Planning and Program Development (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 497 Professional Internship (12 cr.)
• 320 Hours of Field Experience are required.

Focal Tracks (18 cr.)
Complete a minimum of 18 credits in one of the following three focal tracks: 1) Event Management, 2) Hospitality Services, 3) Global Tourism. Course options are as follows:

Event Management

If this track is chosen, complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-T 311 Convention Management and Meeting Planning (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 323 Festival and Event Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 345 Special Event Production (3 cr.)

Complete the remaining 9 credits from the following courses:

• SPH-T 203 Principles of Lodging Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 211 International Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 276 Theme Park Leadership (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 302 Management of Food and Beverage Operations (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 336 Systems Integration in Hospitality (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 375 Winery and Food Tourism: The Case of Sorrento, Italy (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 389 Global Destination Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 418 Public Health in Global Travel and Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 431 Green Operations in Hospitality (3 cr.)

Hospitality Services

If this track is chosen, complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-T 203 Principles of Lodging Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 302 Management of Food and Beverage Operations (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 336 Systems Integration in Hospitality (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 431 Green Operations in Hospitality (3 cr.)

Complete the remaining 6 credits from the following courses:

• SPH-T 211 International Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 276 Theme Park Leadership (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 311 Convention Management and Meeting Planning (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 323 Festival and Event Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 345 Special Event Production (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 375 Winery and Food Tourism: The Case of Sorrento, Italy (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 389 Global Destination Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 418 Public Health in Global Travel and Tourism (3 cr.)

Global Tourism

If this track is chosen, complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-T 211 International Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 389 Global Destination Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 418 Public Health in Global Travel and Tourism (3 cr.)

Complete the remaining 6 credits from the following courses:

• SPH-T 203 Principles of Lodging Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 302 Management of Food and Beverage Operations (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 311 Convention Management and Meeting Planning (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 323 Festival and Event Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 336 Systems Integration in Hospitality (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 345 Special Event Production (3 cr.)
• SPH-R 375 Winery and Food Tourism: The Case of Sorrento, Italy (3 cr.)
• SPH-T 431 Green Operations in Hospitality (3 cr.)

+ Courses followed by a S&H notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement and the general education, social and historical studies requirement.

Special Opportunities

Tourism students have opportunities to expand their understanding of international tourism and travel through a variety of study abroad programs. Further, internship opportunities allow students to preview their career interests and build a competitive edge within a field of specialization (e.g., hotel/resort management, event planning, destination management, wellness, and public health) prior to graduation.

Careers

Graduates in the THEM program have one of the widest array of potential job opportunities post-graduation. Previous graduates are employed in sales, food & beverage management, hotel management and sales, catering, merchandising, business development, marketing, brand management, revenue management, and wellbeing management.

Careers in this field are only limited by the graduate. The skillset developed during their time at Indiana University Bloomington gives them the opportunity to apply these skills in any number of fields. The required final internship and the access to faculty previously employed in management in the industry, also give the students help in achieving their career goals.