Oct 06, 2024

2020-2021 Graduate Catalog

2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Hospitality Administration, PhD

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Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management > Hospitality Administration, PhD

The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in Hospitality Administration that is designed to prepare students for the role of hospitality researchers and/or professors at a research oriented university or organization. The program provides a theoretical (conceptual) foundation, practical knowledge, research development, and critical thinking skills for hospitality administration.

The Hospitality Administration PhD explores most food and beverage (e.g., catering), club (e.g., private clubs), convention and event planning, airline food and beverage service, cruise ship management, and all other tourism/hospitality disciplines. The topics include finance, marketing, accounting, human resources, service, and general management in relation to the hospitality industry.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) objectives are:

To develop teaching skills for both undergraduate and graduate levels
To disseminate information about the hospitality industry
To develop theory and add knowledge to the field
To identify problems through analysis
To identify solutions from competing alternatives through quantitative and qualitative metrics
To effectively communicate research outcomes
To develop grantsmanship capabilities

For more information, please visit http://www.uh.edu/hilton-college/students/future-students/graduate-admissions/phd-hospitality-administration/.

Admission Requirements

Students who have successfully completed the US equivalent of an MS degree in Hospitality Management or a similar degree with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 on a 4.0 point scale for their last completed degree and a GMAT or GRE score in the upper 35th percentile taken within the last five years will be considered after successful completion of the graduate application process. Satisfactory TOEFL and IELS scores are required for international students who have not completed a degree from the US or another English-speaking country. For more information, visit www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/ for more information. Applications require payment of an application fee ($50 domestic applicants/$125 international applicants).

A Skype or other distance-conducted interview will be required for students who have met all other admission criteria and after approval by the PhD applicant selection committee. The interview will be administered by the PhD selection committee after a date and time is established that accommodates both the selection committee and the applicant.

Degree Requirements

Credit hours required for this degree: 57.0

All PhD degree candidates must complete a minimum of 57 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, at least 42 of which must be earned at the Hilton College.

The curriculum for this program requires students to complete courses in four areas, including hospitality management core courses; prescribed electives; free electives, and completion of a dissertation. Students must pass a written candidacy exam and both a written and oral comprehensive exam to be eligible for enrollment in dissertation credit hours.

Up to 15 hours of elective credits can include non-HRMA courses with prior faculty advisor approval. Students can enroll in and transfer up to nine credit hours of courses from other approved universities while enrolled in the PhD program.

Core Courses

Hotel and Restaurant Administration Core Courses (6 Credit Hours)

HRMA 8310 - Teaching Methods in Hospitality Administration Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 8320 - Guided Research in Hospitality Industry Credit Hours: 3.0

Research Methods Core Courses (6 Credit Hours)

HRMA 8304 - Qualitative Design in Hospitality Administration Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 8305 - Grant Writing in Hosp Industry Credit Hours: 3.0

Data Analysis Core Courses (9 Credit Hours)

HRMA 8303 - Multivariate Analysis in Hospitality Administration Credit Hours: 3.0
Two approved advanced data analysis courses from outside or inside the College.

Seminar Core Courses (3 Credit Hours)

HRMA 8188 - Ph.D. Colloquium Credit Hours: 1.0

Dissertation Courses (18 Credit Hours)

HRMA 8398 - Research Proposal in Hospitality Administration Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 8X99 - Doctoral Dissertation Research Credit Hours: 3.0

Prescribed Elective Courses

HRMA 6309 - Legal Issues-Hospitality Ind Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 6360 - Graduate Directed Practicum Credit Hours: 3.0 (PP Only)
HRMA 7334 - Pricing and Revenue Management in Hospitality Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7337 - Human Resources in Hospitality Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7341 - Food and Beverage Management Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 6343 - Beverage Management Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 6351 - Lodging Operations Mgmt Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7353 - Services Management in Hosp. Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7361 - Hospitality Marketing Analysis Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7366 - Hospitality Management Strategies Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7369 - Hospitality Financial Assets & Planning Management Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 7397 - Selected Topics in Hospitality Management Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 6397 - Selected Topics Credit Hours: 3.0
HRMA 8320 - Guided Research in Hospitality Industry Credit Hours: 3.0

Academic Policies

Students may be required to take additional courses to overcome any deficiencies as determined by the graduate programs office. Students must enroll in a minimum of nine (9) on-campus credit hours per semester.