Course prefix: HAdm

The mission of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration is to provide leadership in the development of students for managerial roles in the hospitality and tourism industries, scholastic contributions to its constituencies, and service to the industry at the local, regional, national, and emerging international level.

The primary goal is to provide a well-integrated curriculum incorporating courses in the arts, sciences, general business theory, and hospitality applications that will prepare our students for management positions in the hospitality industry.

The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration was named in honor of the late founder of the Days Inn Hotel chain. Cecil B. Day is remembered as an astute businessman who developed Days Inn to national prominence. He was equally respected because he gave freely of his time and wealth to worthy organizations. His legacy of excellence is the foundation upon which the program bases its philosophy for preparing future generations of hospitality executives.

The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration prepares its graduates for management and administrative careers in the following hospitality industry segments: hotel, restaurant, private club, institutional food service, travel and tourism, meeting planning, fairs, and trade shows. Graduates are awarded a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in hospitality administration.

Students majoring in hospitality administration will take 21 semester hours of required HAdm courses. These core courses will give the student a general knowledge of all segments of the hospitality industry. Specialized elective courses and work study experience allow students to gain additional insight regarding specific industry segments.

The school has the support of local, regional, and national hospitality executives. Georgia State University was the first institution of higher education to offer specialized courses in fair and trade show management. The school was chosen by the Club Managers Association of America to develop, produce, and direct their Business Management Institute for certification of club managers across the United States. The school is an approved location for testing for the National Restaurant Association and the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association's certification courses.

The program was accredited in 1992 by the Accreditation Commission on Programs in Hospitality Administration, a specialized accrediting body. The program is an institutional member of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, the principal academic and professional association for hospitality education programs.

The faculty of the program call upon practitioners to lecture on specialized industry topics. Industry managers and executives work with faculty and college administration to maintain a program relevant to industry needs.

Required Major Courses: HAdm 3010, 3400, 3720, 3750, 3760, 4100, 4800.

Option in Robinson College of Business (RCB ) Electives: As an exception to normal degree requirements, HAdm majors have the option of selecting RCB electives from courses in the major. This option is provided to fulfill the requirements of the hospitality administration accrediting body that HAdm majors be permitted to specialize in more than one area of the discipline if they choose to do so.

Faculty Advisement: Program requirements are continually being reviewed and revised to reflect the mission of the program and national curricular trends in hospitality administration. Also, recent changes in requirements and prerequisites may not appear in the current catalog. For these reasons, all new hospitality administration majors are required to have an initial meeting with the director of the program. New majors should call the school office to schedule the advisement appointment.

Work Experience Requirement: All students majoring in hospitality administration must have practical industry experience in order to be approved for graduation. Each student is given the opportunity to test career objectives and gain exposure to the work environment as it actually exists in the hospitality industry. This experience assists in developing professional work habits, provides for a smooth transition into full-time employment, helps develop self-confidence, and provides exposure to the different components of the hospitality industry. Students who have full-time jobs in nonhospitality occupations do not have to quit their jobs; however, in order to satisfy the requirements for the work-study experience, students are advised to begin working part-time in an adviser-approved hospitality position as soon as possible.

A required noncredit course, HAdm 4900, is offered in the spring and fall semesters to assist students in meeting this work-study requirement. Students must register for this course during their senior year. They should obtain a course description packet from the school office and contact the Work Study Coordinator in the school for more detailed information.