ABSTRACT

Graduate education in the field of hospitality management is a recent entry. Although the number of students seeking master 's and doctoral degrees appears to increase each year, the hospitality in­ dustry struggles to accept individuals with advanced degrees. Addi­ tional discussion surrounds the very nature of these programs, as hospitality management has long focused attention on undergradu­ ate and other postsecondary curricula. Indeed, while much of hos­ pitality management has practical application of knowledge, some would suggest that has not been the mission of graduate education. This chapter will explore graduate education in hospitality manage­ ment, addressing the issues noted above, as well as providing a historical basis for such programs.