SDSU Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management Curriculum
Effective for Incoming Students in the 2022/2023 Catalog Year

Students choosing the undergraduate major in Hospitality and Tourism Management are first admitted to the pre-HTM major for their first two years of university work. During these two years, students should complete general education courses and the 27-unit lower division preparation for the major courses. These prerequisite/preparation for the major courses may not be taken CR/NC; the minimum grade in each class is C-. In addition, students must have completed a minimum of 60 transferable semester units. To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment.) Supplemental admissions criteria must be met before students may declare an upper division major and be eligible for upper division courses. For current information concerning admissions criteria and procedures, contact the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Office (Adams Humanitites Building, Room 4156).

PREPARATION FOR THE MAJOR

• ECON 101 Principles of Economics (3) or ECON 102 Principles of Economics (3)
• HTM 201 Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism Management (3)
• HTM 223 Hospitality Managerial Accounting and Controls (3)
• HTM 250 Hospitality Law (3)
• RTM 200 - Recreation, Travel, and Self-Awareness (3)
• RTM 290 Quantitative and Qualitative Literacy in Tourism or MIS 180 Principles of Information Decision Systems (3)
• HTM 219 Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism Professions or MATH 120 Calculus for Business Analysis (3)
• RWS 290 Business Communication (3)
• STAT 119 Elementary Statistics in Business (3)

Click to see a sample "Road Map" for to complete the HTM Lower Division Course Work.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required to get into upper division. Use the online GPA calculator to figure out grades needed to achieve your desired GPA.

GPA Calculator

If you do not meet this requirement, you must meet with Christina Jeffries, Director of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Student Center for Professional Development, to inquire about our formal exception policy.

400 hours of hospitality work experience is required to get into upper division. You can:

• Complete hours any time before starting upper division classes.
• Work part-time during school or full-time during summer and breaks.
• Work in any hospitality job, but we encourage you to work in your area of emphasis that you will be studying. Examples are:
• SDSU catering
• SDSU Viejas Arena
• SDSU Student Union
• Hotel front desk
• Hotel food and beverage
• Restaurant host
• Restaurant server

Please note: Retail is not considered hospitality experience. If you are unsure that your job fulfills this requirement or need assistance in finding employment, please set up a meeting with a lower division advisor.

In your 2nd semester of your sophomore year, you must attend a Pre-Internship Meeting.  This is an important part of understanding the required internships and your attendance ensures your placement on the "Internship Search Database" where you will receive frequent postings that qualify for the 398 internship.

Once you have completed requirements 1-4 you must be signed into upper division by Ms. Christina Jeffries or Mr. Carl Winston.

Tribal Gaming Operations and Management (Minimum 45 units required)

HTM Major Requirements (20 units): Pre-Requisites

• HTM – 301 Service leadership Development (Kaleidoscope) (2)
• HTM – 380 Hospitality Leadership Theory 91)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 301
• HTM 398 – Internship (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 301; 400 work hrs in industry
• RTM 404 – Cross Cultural Perspectives of Tourism (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: II B, Social and Behavioral Sciences
• RTM 470 – Global Travel and Tourism Management (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: RTM 101 or HTM 201
• HTM 480 – Leadership and Coaching in Hospitality (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 301; HTM 380
• HTM 490 – Strategic Management in Hospitality & Tourism (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: BA 370; HTM 480
• HTM 491 – Leadership and Self Development in Hospitality (2)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 301; HTM 480

Tribal Gaming Emphasis Requirements (15 units):

• HTM 370 – Tribal Gaming: Cultural and Political Context (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 201 or Amer Indian Studies 110
• HTM 371 – Tribal Gaming: Casino Operations (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 201
• HTM 372 – Tribal Gaming: Legal and Regulatory Issues (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 201; HTM 371
• HTM 373 – Tribal Gaming: Marketing and Public Relations (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 371; BA 370
• HTM 498 – Internship: Tribal Gaming (3)
  • Pre-Requisites: HTM 398; BA 350; MGMT 352

Key Tips:

Take RTM 404: It double counts for the GE Exploration requirement.
It fulfills the Social and Behavior Sciences requirement along with the Cultural Diversity requirement.Leadership Course Succession: HTM 301 -> HTM 480 -> HTM 491
(Must be taken IN ORDER).

HTM 480 is a prerequisite for HTM 490.
HTM 490 and HTM 491 can be taken concurrently.

During the junior year of the HTM curriculum, students will enroll in the Hotel Work Experience Internship (HTM 398). Students will receive an overview of the internship requirements which includes a checklist of many tasks to complete during their time at the hotel. There are several structures to choose from and these may also be customized according to property and student needs. Some companies will rotate students around the key departments. Others will base them in one area and the student is assigned time to shadow or work in other departments as business allows. The students complete all the required forms and have several tasks assigned. This is deliberately kept as the responsibilty of the student so as not to put a burden on the employer.

The minimum time the student should be employed is for 300 hours, typically 20 hours per week over the course of a fifteen week semester. However, many students chose to work for a lot longer than the 300 hours. Most are employed during their entire junior year benefiting the hotel with a motivated employee and providing the student with a true work experience. During summer, students may be able to work full-time and they may also complete their internship anywhere in the world as long as the experience is relevant to the curriculum.

All internships are paid; the student is hired as a regular employee.

During the senior year, students will also enroll an internship (HTM 498). Students will be employed by a hospitality organization relevant to their emphasis:

• Hotel Operations
• Restaurant Operations
• Meeting & Events
• Tribal Gaming

Students will be tasked with completing a special project while employed in a relevant position. This should have a "real-world" benefit to the employer as well as to the student. Perhaps a sales or service improvement plan or research project?

All HTM internships must be paid in order for students to receive credit.

SDSU will provide liability insurance for all students enrolled in the internship class and a Student Learning Agreement will be signed by both the employer and SDSU. The form is available at: http://bfa.sdsu.edu/prosrvcs/servlearning.htm For more information or questions, please contact Ms. Christina Jeffries.

The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is passionate in providing international experiences for our students. Tribal Gaming students are highly recommended, but not required, to participate in an international study abroad to graduate. It’s an AMAZING experience. Study abroad for a year, a semester, or a summer. There are lots of options. Study Abroad