Boston University’s MMH degree in Restaurant Management & Experiences is designed to develop students’ knowledge and skills to ignite creativity and innovation in the restaurant industry. As restaurants are greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that the next generation of restaurateurs needs to be well-equipped to forge ahead and thrive in the future. With a comprehensive understanding of food and beverage trends, MMH graduates are prepared to create viable solutions to deliver a successful business in the changing landscape of restaurant and hospitality.
About the Restaurant Management & Experiences Concentration
Aiming to produce resourceful and forward-thinking business leaders in the hospitality and restaurant industry, the MMH Restaurant Management & Experiences concentration takes an innovative approach to explore different possibilities in restaurant management. It not only provides students with a solid knowledge base of hospitality operations and food and beverage management but also empowers them with entrepreneurial skills.
This leading-edge concentration puts an emphasis on hands-on experience and business innovation. Studying under esteemed faculty members who have years of experience in hospitality and restaurant management, you can learn to develop novel solutions, design transformative business models, leverage new technologies, and apply feasible strategies to establish a thriving future for the restaurant industry.
By completing the Master of Management of Hospitality degree with a concentration in Restaurant Management and Experiences, you gain the expertise for high-level managerial roles in the restaurant industry with effective decision-making, creative problem-solving, and excellent communication skills.
The transformative MMH Restaurant Management & Experiences curriculum includes 16 credit hours of required courses and 12 credit hours of restaurant management concentration courses. Students typically start in the fall with the required courses to obtain the fundamental hospitality management knowledge and delve into advanced restaurant management with concentration electives in the spring.
Encouraging our students to gain first-hand experience in the restaurant industry, the Restaurant Management & Experiences concentration also includes a 300-hour internship requirement for students to complete in the summer. With that said, full-time MMH students can finish their degree in as little as one three-semester year.
There are four prerequisite courses that MMH students need to complete before taking any concentration elective courses: HF701, HF711, HF762, and HF733. The prerequisites provide essential knowledge in hospitality management and build critical business operation skills to:
Identify, analyze, and solve problems in daily hotel, lodging, and restaurant operations
Make effective business decisions with financial and accounting skills
Utilize strategic marketing tactics to build brand equity, foster customer loyalty, and maximize ROI
Cultivate a healthy work culture and manage employees with leadership skills
After completing the required courses, MMH students in the Restaurant Management & Experiences concentration take three additional elective courses, 12 credit hours, to obtain advanced knowledge and skills in restaurant management.
SHA HF 781(New): Future of the Restaurant Business (4 CR)
This course focuses on (re)concepting across the various verticals of food service businesses and explains how such concepts tie into operational models and financial returns, thus dictating all aspects of the business and customer experience. Students learn how financial analysis, marketing and market research, site selection, and operational assumptions all tie together to create a business. The course also discusses how real estate can determine the fate of food businesses, and how sustainability, sanitation, and environmental concerns are elements of the operation, the financials, and the customer experience.
The course explores food service and various types of restaurants to help students understand operations. It focuses on the role of automation and technology, as well as changes in the way people are managed in the industry and the evolving standards of professionalism for chefs, owners, and managers. The course also introduces such new operational elements as revised restaurant design and the concept and use of ghost kitchens. Students gain insights into strategic and day-to-day operational management of the various segments of restaurants and foodservice and their ultimate customer-centric experiences.
Students will take their 3rd elective among the following options:
MET ML 565: Food Marketing (4 CR)
The course applies the fundamental concepts and tools of marketing and brand management to the food industry, with a particular focus on the burgeoning New England culinary scene. Students learn the key stages of the food-to-table supply chain, from raw ingredients and processing equipment in early production stages, through immersive culinary experiences targeted to distinct consumer segments. An additional emphasis of the course is marketing food products vs. services, and the strategic challenges and strategies that each portion of the food industry requires.
QUESTROM SI 839: Design Thinking (3 CR) with HF 792 (1 CR) Independent Study
The course examines how managers and leaders create the conditions for innovation at the individual, team, and organizational levels and how those conditions differ for start-up and mature organizations. It also introduces the role of design in innovation. Students learn the process of innovation from idea generation and product design to commercialization. They also learn to balance the challenge of organizing, managing, and leading innovation with the need to drive concrete outcomes. With a final group project, students explore how to “rescue” innovations in trouble with turnaround teams.
SHA HF 707: Entrepreneurship (4 CR)
This course is intended to be a capstone experience for students seeking to understand hospitality entrepreneurship and innovation as a professional business system. Students work in teams to create, develop and design a concise Pro Forma Business Plan for a start-up non-profit or profit-driven hospitality enterprise. At the end of the semester, student teams make a competitive presentation integrating the principles and skills mastered in previous coursework to a panel of successful hospitality entrepreneurs.
Earn Your MMH Degree Part-time
The Master of Management in Hospitality degree with a concentration in Restaurant Management & Experiences allows working professionals to pursue their degrees on a part-time basis. We offer evening classes to help you balance your work, school, and family commitments.
As a part-time MMH student, you may take one or two classes at a time and you can finish your degree in two years.
Internship: 300 Hours
Students in the Restaurant Management & Experiences concentration also need to finish a 300-hour internship in the summer session following the academic year. This valuable internship experience is meant to provide students with concentrated time to put into practice the concepts learned throughout their MMH and concentration courses.
Through a hands-on internship, you can obtain an understanding of opportunities beyond the traditional hotel or restaurant tracks. While it is always beneficial when an internship can convert to a full-time position, the SHA career services team will support you at every stage of your journey.
You may found internships in relevant foodservice segments such as:
Hospitality technology (ex. Toast)
Institutional food service (ex. Restaurant Associates)
Foodservice design (ex. Ricca Design Studios)
Food writing/publishing (ex. America’s Test Kitchen)
Foodservice consulting (ex. RealFood Hospitality Strategy and Design)
Hospitality HR (ex. Hopdov)
F&B distribution (ex. Baldor)
Brewery operations (ex. Night Shift)
Food waste reduction (ex. Food Link)
BOH operations (ex. Flour or Hillstone)
Sourcing and sustainability (ex. Boston Public Market)
Food access/policy/advocacy (ex. National Restaurant Association)
Food education (ex. Future Chefs)
FOH management (ex. Local restaurant, club, or hotel)
To help MMH students land their dream jobs in hospitality and restaurant management, we provide extensive career support. The School of Hospitality Administration maintains close relationships with some of the best hospitality companies in the country and creates opportunities for students to network with leaders in the industry. Explore our Career Services.
We also provide useful career information about job opportunities and networking events through our Marriott Career Center.
Apply to the MMH – Restaurant Management & Experiences Program
Interested applicants need to submit the following materials:
An official copy of your undergraduate transcript
2-3 letters of recommendation
Resume or CV
A one- to three-minute video
500-700 word written personal statement
Standard test scores such as GRE and GMAT are not required in the application. However, international applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores to demonstrate their English proficiency. They must meet the minimum requirements of 84 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS.
Learn More about the MMH Degree—Restaurant Management & Experiences
Ready to redefine the future of the restaurant industry with business innovation? Earn your Master of Management in Hospitality degree with a concentration in Restaurant Management & Experiences from BU. Nearly 100% of our graduates are able to find employment in hospitality within 3 months of graduation!
To learn more about the program, please contact our Manager of Academic Services & Graduate Admissions at shagrad@bu.edu or (617)-353-3261or request information today!
