What Curriculum Differences Exist between Hospitality Programs: A Case Study of Selected Hospitality Programs in the U. S.

The purpose of this study is to address hospitality curriculum differences between a group of recognized as highly ranked schools and a group of schools that are recognized as not highly ranked. This study does not confirm that recognized, highly ranked programs perform better than less recognized programs; however, there is an indication curriculum structures are different between the two groups. This study reveals what hospitality educators may need to consider in developing or establishing a curriculum. There is no one right directional track that all hospitality programs need to follow; however, it would be beneficial for all stakeholders, if there is a standardized core of hospitality courses that hospitality programs can modify and adapt. This study finds the current curricular structure of hospitality programs still reflects a lack of standardized direction. There must be required standardized, courses that all stakeholders can agree with, and these standardized course classifications must apply to all hospitality schools. This study allows hospitality educators to compare their own curriculum with other programs and review the differences in courses to develop an appropriate program of study.