Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Nature of the Program
The mission of the Hardy Family Hospitality and Tourism Management program is to prepare future business leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry. The program goals are:
Leadership: Graduates will be able to identify leadership traits and styles to achieve organizational goals.
Operations: Graduates will be able to manage and evaluate functional systems in hospitality organizations.
Human Skills: Graduates will be able to recognize the importance of human skills in the hospitality industry.
Technology: Graduates will be able to set up and demonstrate existing and new information technologies and data in hospitality.
Entrepreneurship: Graduates will be able to experiment, learn and build products and services in hospitality.
This program prepares students for leadership roles in the hospitality and tourism industry through applied learning and industry engagement. One of the program’s signature experiences is the Nemacolin Hospitality Lab, an innovative student consulting and experiential learning initiative in partnership with Nemacolin Resort. Through the Lab, students collaborate directly with local business leaders on real-world industry challenges, gaining hands-on experience in luxury hospitality operations, guest experience innovation, marketing, and revenue management.
Additionally, the program offers students networking opportunities with the Advisory Council and industry partners, involvement in the WVU Hospitality Club, and the chance to join Eta Sigma Delta (ESD), an international hospitality management honor society. Graduates of the program have successfully secured positions with leading organizations, including Marriott International, The Walt Disney Company, Nemacolin, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Stonebridge Companies, Fresh Hospitality Group, The Greenbrier Resort, Snowshoe, Adventures on the Gorge, Oglebay Resort, and the WV Department of Tourism, among others.
Faculty
Chair
- Michael F. Walsh - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Program Coordinator and Teaching Associate Professor
- Frank DeMarco - M.B.A. (West Virginia University)
Program Coordinator Hospitality and Tourism Management, Hospitality and Tourism Leadership, Hotel Operations, Restaurant Operations, Event Planning, and Professional Field Experience
Director of Nemacolin Lab and Service Assistant Professor
- Meridith Balas - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Outdoor Recreation and Adventure-Based Tourism, Tourism Management, Hospitality and Tourism Leadership, Heritage Tourism
Associate Professor
- Ajay Aluri - Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University)
Founding Director, Hospitality Innovation, and Technology (HIT) Lab, Hospitality Revenue Management, Hospitality Business Innovation Technology (HBIT)
Adjunct Professor
- Carrie Digman - M.B.A. (Virginia Tech)
Hospitality and Tourism Leadership
Admissions for 2026-2027
For specific information regarding the admissions requirements for First Time Freshmen to the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, please visit Chambers admissions.
Students who are direct admitted to the major as first-time freshmen must possess an overall university GPA of at least 2.0 and have completed the course prerequisites listed in the table below with minimum grade of C-, unless otherwise noted, to be eligible to enroll in upper-division course work.
Students who are not direct admitted to the major (i.e. Business) will declare the major during the semester in which they satisfy the course prerequisites listed below. Applicants also must possess an overall GPA of at least 2.0 to be considered for admission to the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 201 | Principles of Accounting 1 | 3 |
| BCOR 121 | Introduction to Business Applications | 2 |
| ECON 201 & ECON 202 | Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics | 6 |
| ECON 225 | Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | 3 |
| or STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
| Accelerated Academic Writing | ||
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications | 3 |
| Total Hours | 20-23 | |
Major Code: 2144
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
To qualify for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration students must meet the following criteria:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours.
- Possess an overall GPA of 2.0.
- Possess a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all major courses (i.e. HTOR), calculated using all attempted GPA hours unless excluded by the D/F repeat policy.
-
The John Chambers College of Business and Economics accepts all baccalaureate transferable course work completed at public and private colleges in West Virginia and other regionally accredited institutions. Since the College is AACSB accredited, upper-division courses (courses equivalent to 300/400 level at WVU) must be evaluated by the Dean or designee before they may count toward business core, major core and major restricted electives in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Bachelor of Science in Economics program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 34 | |
| Program Requirements | 23 | |
| Business Core Requirements | 33 | |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management Major Requirements | 30 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 | 16 | |
| BCOR 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 17 | |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 201 | Principles of Accounting 1 (Minimum grade of C-) | 3 |
| BCOR 121 | Introduction to Business Applications (Minimum grade of C-) | 2 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics (Minimum grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 4) | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics (Minimum grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 8) | 3 |
| Select one of the following (Minimum grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 1): | 6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
| Accelerated Academic Writing | ||
| Select one of the following (Minimum grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 8): | 3 | |
| Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (Minimum grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 3) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 23 | |
Business Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENTR 102 | Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BCOR 199 | Introduction to Business | 3 |
| BCOR 299 | Business Communication (Fulfills Writing and Communication Skills Requirement) | 3 |
| BCOR 320 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BCOR 330 | Information Systems and Technology | 3 |
| BCOR 340 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BCOR 360 | Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| BCOR 370 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| BCOR 380 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| BCOR 460 | Contemporary Business Strategy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Hospitality and Tourism Management Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Possess a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all major courses calculated using all attempted GPA hours unless excluded by the D/F repeat policy. | ||
| HTOR 276 | The Hospitality of Outdoor Recreation and Adventure-Based Tourism | 3 |
| HTOR 376 | Hospitality & Tourism Leadership (Minimum Grade of C-) | 3 |
| HTOR 380 | Hospitality Business, Innovation, and Technology | 3 |
| HTOR 470 | Tourism Management | 3 |
| HTOR 471 | Restaurant Management (Minimum Grade of C-) | 3 |
| HTOR 472 | Hotel Operations Management (Minimum Grade of C-) | 3 |
| HTOR 474 | Hospitality Revenue Management | 3 |
| HTOR 480 | Event Planning Practicum | 3 |
| HTOR 491 | Professional Field Experience | 3 |
| MKTG 475 | Social Media and Marketing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 199 | 3 | ACCT 201 | 3 |
| BCOR 191 | 1 | ECON 201 (GEF 4) | 3 |
| BCOR 121 | 2 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENTR 102 | 3 | HTOR 276 | 3 |
| MATH 124 | 3 | GEF (Choose from F2, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ECON 202 (GEF 8) | 3 | BCOR 299 | 3 |
| ECON 225 or STAT 211 (GEF 8) | 3 | BCOR 340 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | BCOR 350 | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 6 | BCOR 370 | 3 |
| HTOR 376 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 320 | 3 | BCOR 330 | 3 |
| BCOR 360 | 3 | HTOR 380 | 3 |
| HTOR 470 | 3 | HTOR 472 | 3 |
| HTOR 471 | 3 | GEF (Choose from F2, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 |
| Minor or General Electives | 3 | Minor or General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 380 | 3 | BCOR 460 | 3 |
| HTOR 474 | 3 | HTOR 480 | 3 |
| MKTG 475 | 3 | HTOR 491 | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | Minor or General Electives | 6 |
| Minor or General Electives | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Hospitality and Tourism Management
The objective of providing a foundational education in hospitality and tourism management at the undergraduate level cannot be realized without appropriate curricula content, effective teaching, and ultimately, learning. Within the undergraduate hospitality and tourism management major, we subscribe to the following learning goals for each of our undergraduate students:
Leadership: Graduates will be able to identify leadership traits and styles to achieve organizational goals
- Assess the importance of management and leadership in hospitality
- Connect people across various functional areas and being able to deal with the dynamics of individuals and teams
Operations: Graduates will be able to manage and evaluate functional systems in hospitality organizations
- Strategize various tasks across functional areas toward the organizational goals
- Construct knowledge about various functional areas that lead to organizational performance
Human Skills: Graduates will be able to recognize the importance of human skills in the hospitality industry
- Identify the elements of human skills in the hospitality industry
- See oneself as being culturally sensitive while building interpersonal relationships with peers, customers, and others
Technology: Graduates will be able to set up and demonstrate existing and new information technologies and data in hospitality
- Explain the importance of information technology and data in creating customer experiences in hospitality
- Develop best practices to increase efficiency using existing and new emerging technologies in hospitality
Entrepreneurship: Graduates will be able to experiment, learn, and build products and services in hospitality
- Recognize the importance of experimenting in both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in hospitality
- Develop a proposal for a business opportunity to improve and enhance hospitality products and services