Master of Management in Hospitality Curriculum
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Boston University’s Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program is designed for those wanting to elevate their career in hospitality management. Whether you are a hospitality professional who already has industry experience or a recent college graduate looking to enter the field, our robust curriculum will equip you with the business management and leadership skills to excel in your career.
The MMH curriculum includes 32 credit hours of study (8 courses) and an internship. Coursework begins in the Fall semester with a thorough introduction to high-level hospitality operations, financial management, marketing, and leadership. Then students select a specialized concentration to learn advanced concepts in Revenue Management & Analysis , Real Estate Development & Finance , Digital Marketing , Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Restaurant Management & Experiences, and Events Management .
The MMH is an accelerated program that full-time students can finish in as little as one year. However, the program also offers a flexible curriculum for working professionals who want to earn a degree while maintaining full-time employment. Part-time students may take one or two evening classes per semester and finish the degree in two years.
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MMH Curriculum Learning Outcomes The rigorous MMH curriculum aims to cultivate industry leaders who can integrate business management, marketing, and financial skills with their knowledge in hospitality. By the end of the program, students obtain:
Fundamental business principles and management knowledge to analyze and solve complex business problems in the hospitality setting. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to explain complex business concepts. Human resource management knowledge to hire and manage talent. Essential leadership skills to build a healthy organizational culture. Hands-on internship experience in the hospitality industry to prepare for the job market.
MMH Curriculum Components The curriculum consists of three parts — required courses (16 credit hours), elective courses (16 credit hours), and a 300-hour summer internship. Typically, students enroll in the required hospitality courses in the Fall semester, before taking the concentration-specific and other elective courses in the spring. Then students wrap up their study with a summer internship. Students who have relevant work experience in hospitality may request to waive the internship requirement.
Credit Requirement Summary
Requirement Credits
Required Courses 16 cr.
Elective Courses 16 cr.
Internship 0 cr.
Total Credits 32 cr.
With the program director’s permission, students may earn credits by completing independent study projects.
MMH Required Courses The required courses are designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of hospitality management from business operations and financial management to marketing and leadership skills. Through these core courses, students can build a solid foundation before pursuing advanced skills in their specialized concentrations.
All students will take:
SHA HF 701: Hospitality Operations (4 cr.) OR SHA HF 702: Innovation & Disruption (4 cr.) Students new to hospitality will take HF 701, students with a hospitality background will take HF 702.
SHA HF 701 4 credits.
This course investigates the distinctive operational characteristics, operational mechanics, technology and management practices of hotels and restaurants. Throughout the course, students will be provided with advanced techniques and tools to analyze and improve operational capabilities of a hospitality organization. Analysis of daily operations with a focus on developing viable solutions to problems is emphasized. The first half of the course will focus on the theoretical principles and operational tactics of lodging operations and on how the departments within the rooms division of an individual hotel operate. Students will explore the managerial aspects of hotel reservation, the front office, housekeeping, engineering and security. The second half of the course will focus on principal operating problems facing managers in the restaurant industry. Topics such as concept development, pricing strategies and restaurant revenue management, menu performance analysis, cost control, labor management and customer service processes are addressed. 4 cr. Offered Summer II.
SHA HF 702 4 credits.
In today's suddenly uncertain world, disruptions are the norm and are mandating that we adapt our organizations and our individual selves. To stay ahead and remain resilient, businesses must ready themselves for crisis and change management. They must also excel at problem-solving and identifying opportunities to innovate effectively. Using case studies, media coverage and other content, this course will examine some of the most dramatic changes encountered by the hospitality industry, from the onset and impact of Uber and Airbnb to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitality leaders need to know how to be the disruptors in the industry, as well as learn how to survive and capitalize when the industry is disrupted. In both situations, effective innovation is key to staying relevant and succeeding. Each week the class will meet to discuss different challenges that businesses have faced and approaches that entrepreneurs have taken to manage them. Examples will focus on both proactive change (addressing disruptions through innovation and early detection), as well as reactive change (leading in times of crisis). This course is offered in the FALL term in lieu of the required HF 701 for students entering with extensive industry experience. It is also offered in the Spring as an elective for those who have completed HF 701 and for those pursuing the Innovation & Entrepreneurship concentration.
SHA HF 711: Hospitality Financial Management (4 cr.)
SHA HF 711 4 credits.
Accounting has been described as the language of business. Consequently, the ability to speak and understand this language is a fundamental competency for practitioners of business. A central aspect of accounting is the composition of financial statements that depict the underlying economic reality of the firm being operated. This course is intended to introduce fundamental elements that are used to compose these financial reports. Specifically, course content will include an examination and quantitative analysis of the balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows from both a conceptual and pragmatic perspective. How these statements are both composed and relate to business planning, control and decision making in hospitality enterprise will be a central topic. 4 cr. Offered Summer II.
SHA HF 733: Hospitality Organizational Leadership (4 cr.)
SHA HF 733 4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SHA HF 701 - The hospitality / travel and tourism industry employs over 284 million people, representing about 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. In such a labor intensive field, leading and managing people are two critical elements for operating successful organizations. This course will focus on leadership and management for the hospitality industry. Using a leadership continuum as a framework, we will explore several different levels of leadership, from a traditional leadership role as the head of a major corporation, team leadership and the personal aspect of self-leadership. Several different leadership models will be analyzed and applied to the hospitality industry. An emphasis on creating organizational culture through human resource strategies and how to manage change effectively will be two critical components of the course. The course explores key aspects of human resources functions such as employment law, employee recruitment & selection, compensation and benefits, labor relations, diversity and managing hospitality human resources in a global environment. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
SHA HF 762: Hospitality Branding and Marketing (4 cr.)
SHA HF 762 4 credits.
This course offers participants innovative and practical approaches for addressing strategic marketing challenges to improve revenue, profit, and customer loyalty. Using case studies from hotels, restaurants, and hospitality firms worldwide, and referencing cutting-edge research, students will learn the latest applications of strategic thinking and analysis to marketing challenges facing the hospitality industry. They will understand strategic-marketing concepts and principles, and apply the ideas, concepts, and principles to develop innovative and profitable strategies. Recent evolutions in globalization, technology and sustainability necessitate that modern marketing be reconstituted to move into the digital age. Given the role and critical importance of a digital mindset in operating today's businesses, the course will also leverage case studies and real-world examples to help students master the "new marketing" on a strategic and tactical level. In so doing, the course will enable students to explore the design and implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity for a sustainable competitive advantage. 4 cr. Offered Summer II.
MMH Elective Courses After finishing the required courses, students will complete four additional electives (16 credits) to enhance their knowledge and skills. Students have the option to declare one of our 6 concentrations and focus their electives in a specific area of hospitality.
SHA HF 619: Hotel Development and Deal Making (4 cr.)
SHA HF 619 4 credits.
The Hotel Development and Deal Making course will cover the basics of real estate development: Site acquisition, required approvals, zoning, and financial strategies. As it pertains to hotel assets, the course will help students navigate the intricacies of negotiating franchise agreements and management contracts that are necessary for any development deal. This course will also promote sound real estate investment and financial decisions via the knowledge of theory and strategies and their application in the real world. We will learn about potential sources of debt and equity financing through the study of the four quadrants of capital, study about the factors that affect an investor's buy/sell/reposition decisions, and delve into the complex relationship between the equity participant (owner), the lender, the operating company, and the brand.
SHA HF 621: Advanced Food & Beverage Management (4 cr.)
SHA HF 621 4 credits.
This course is meant to provide students at the Master's level a broad and practical understanding of foodservice operations for the new world in which we are living. Foodservice encompasses much more than restaurants, though special attention will be paid to various types of restaurants to understand how they operate and what they may look like in the future. Students should expect to gain insight into both strategic and day-to-day operational management, as well as a high-level discovery of the various segments of foodservice.
SHA HF 631: Workplace Experiences in Hospitality (4 cr.)
SHA HF 667: Fundamentals of Digital Content Development (4 cr.)
SHA HF 667 4 credits.
This course teaches students to use digital tools to create messaging, story lines, and infographics for print, online, audio and video content marketing. Use of Adobe Photoshop, Premier Pro, In Design and other elements of the Creative Suite will be used to design materials for real lodging and food and beverage clients.
SHA HF 679: Financial Reporting and Analysis (4 cr.)
SHA HF 702: Innovation & Disruption (4 cr.)
SHA HF 702 4 credits.
In today's suddenly uncertain world, disruptions are the norm and are mandating that we adapt our organizations and our individual selves. To stay ahead and remain resilient, businesses must ready themselves for crisis and change management. They must also excel at problem-solving and identifying opportunities to innovate effectively. Using case studies, media coverage and other content, this course will examine some of the most dramatic changes encountered by the hospitality industry, from the onset and impact of Uber and Airbnb to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitality leaders need to know how to be the disruptors in the industry, as well as learn how to survive and capitalize when the industry is disrupted. In both situations, effective innovation is key to staying relevant and succeeding. Each week the class will meet to discuss different challenges that businesses have faced and approaches that entrepreneurs have taken to manage them. Examples will focus on both proactive change (addressing disruptions through innovation and early detection), as well as reactive change (leading in times of crisis). This course is offered in the FALL term in lieu of the required HF 701 for students entering with extensive industry experience. It is also offered in the Spring as an elective for those who have completed HF 701 and for those pursuing the Innovation & Entrepreneurship concentration.
SHA HF 707: Hospitality Entrepreneurship (4 cr.)
SHA HF 707 4 credits.
This course is intended to be a capstone experience for students seeking to understand hospitality entrepreneurship and innovation as a professional business system. Student teams will 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 teams will make a competitive presentation integrating the principles and skills mastered in previous coursework to a panel of successful hospitality entrepreneurs. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
SHA HF 717: Real Estate Finance and Feasibility (4 cr.)
SHA HF 717 4 credits.
This course is designed to facilitate a working knowledge of hospitality properties as financial and real estate assets. This course provides detailed instructions on the hotel market and feasibility research process and will help students understand how to analyse hotel markets across the world, identify and evaluate key forces that impact the performance of hotel markets and the hotels within them, determine the right hotel product for each site and market and forecast future performance for it. The course will also provide a grounding in the basic concepts of real estate finance and how they are used by stakeholders to make hospitality investment decisions. The course culminates with the preparation of a feasibility study and a valuation for a proposed hospitality development.
SHA HF 760: Strategic Marketing (4 cr.)
SHA HF 768: Digital Marketing Strategies (4 cr.)
SHA HF 768 4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SHA HF 701 and SHA HF 762 - This is an advanced course in hospitality marketing focused on the variety of digital marketing tools currently available for hotels and restaurants. Internet marketing for our industry has evolved drastically in the past 10 years. With more than 50% of people researching travel online, an understanding and appreciation of how hotels and restaurants use digital marketing initiatives to reach their consumers is necessary to succeed in the industry. Knowing how to market through Facebook with boosted posts, run search engine marketing campaigns through Google AdWords, and geo-targeting market segments through online media advertising will enhance your marketing savvy and make you more marketable as you enter the job market in hospitality. Effective marketing for your hospitality asset today means taking the following steps: your website must be responsive and provide the most user friendly experience on the desktop as well as mobile and tablet devices; Search Engine Optimization and the technical coding and functionality to ensure your website also ranks high when web surfers conduct searches using key words. Additionally, there will be a review of the most revenue-generating internet marketing techniques and finally booking mechanisms and distribution channels. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
SHA HF 771: Hospitality Revenue Management Strategies (4 cr.)
SHA HF 771 4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SHA HF 701 and SHA HF 711 - Hotel Revenue Management focuses on how a hotel can produce the highest amount of "profitable" revenue given its fixed capacity and variable demand. The fundamental principles and concepts of hospitality revenue management that include pricing and discounting strategies, overbooking practices, segmentation, competitive analysis, demand and revenue forecasting, performance analysis will be discussed throughout the term. To expand revenue management streams outside of the hotel rooms, Total Revenue Management strategies are explored. Non-traditional hospitality segments discussed include space optimization and cruise revenue management. 4 cr. Offered Spring Semester.
SHA HF 777: Meeting Planning and Special Events Management (4 cr.)
SHA HF 777 4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SHA HF 701 - This course is designed to provide an introduction to the principles of special event management. The planning, development, management, and implementation of festivals, entertainment events, corporate and other events will be the focus of study. Specific topics will include bid preparation, forecasting project revenues, estimating budgetary goals, contract negotiations, event-marketing strategy, event related case studies, event technology, public and corporate sponsorship. Fundraising techniques will discussed. In addition to operational and logistical needs of various types of events, insurance and risk management concerns associated with these events are addressed. The course emphasizes the principles and concepts of etiquette and protocol. Proven event execution tactics are introduced to ensure event return on investment. 4 cr. Offered Fall Semester.
SHA HF 778: Hospitality Analytics (4 cr.)
SHA HF 778 4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SHA HF 701, SHA HF 711, and SHA HF 762 - This course will provide students with fundamental knowledge of business analytics and information visualization combined with extensive opportunities for developing hands-on skills for applying hospitality business analytics to managerial decision-making. Students will learn fundamental mathematical and statistical concepts as well as statistical modeling techniques to solve operational, financial and marketing issues that hospitality organizations face today. Students will also learn how to leverage widely used Microsoft Excel to build out data-driven insights and craft story telling visualization around the data-driven insights. 4 cr. Offered Fall semester.
SHA HF 781: Future of Restaurant Business (4 cr.)
SHA HF 790: SHA HF790 Independent Study Projects (1-4 cr.)
QST SI 839: Design Thinking and Innovation (3 cr.) AND SHA HF 790: Independent Study (1 cr)
QST SI 839 3 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: (QSTSI750 OR QSTSI751) - This class will examine how managers and leaders can create the conditions for innovation at the individual, team and organizational levels - and how those conditions differ for startup and mature organizations. Managing innovation includes the generation of ideas; the integration of ideas into new product concepts; and the commercialization of ideas. While core strategy courses address the questions of what innovations to pursue and whether and when those innovations will bring value, this course addresses the question of how managers can create organizations to deliver innovations of value. Thus, the course will focus on the practices and processes that mangers need to put in place to enable organizations to execute on an innovation strategy. In doing so, students will evaluate how to balance the challenges of organizing, managing and leading innovation with the need to produce concrete, routine and expected outcomes within the organization. To be innovative, any new idea must resolve the innovation paradox - introducing enough novelty to appeal to new markets while retaining enough familiarity to tap into existing behaviors. Because design and innovation are frequently inseparable in managing this paradox, the class will assess how design contributes to innovation in product, process and business models across industry sectors. The course will also consider the role that all sources of innovation play - including communities, networks, brokers and other forms of open innovation. Students will be asked to reflect upon innovations that have been critical to their lives, and how these innovations were produced and gained market traction. Final group projects will explore how to "rescue" innovations in trouble with turnaround teams.
MMH Internship Requirement BU’s School of Hospitality Administration takes an experiential learning approach and encourages students to dive headfirst into the real world. Therefore, the MMH program requires students to finish an internship to gain hands-on experience in the hospitality industry. This requirement is waived for part-time students.
HF 740: Graduate Internship in Hospitality Management (0 cr.) The Graduate Internship allows students to gain industry experience. This zero-credit internship involves 300 hours of relevant hospitality work experience and is required for full-time graduate students. Practical learning opportunities are available through our various hospitality partnerships, including hotels, restaurants, and other placements. Most students’ internships are paid jobs in the industry.
