About the Department
Our Mission
- The Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management recognizes that its mission is as multifaceted as the interests it represents. To that end, its mission to teach, advance, and support the practice and management of the hospitality and tourism industries reflects and addresses the needs of its multiple constituencies:
- Educate students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, so they can succeed as professionals capable of providing innovative leadership in changing environments.
- Advance the state of knowledge in the industries through original and adaptive research and scholarship.
- Serve the industry through programs on and off campus that are designed to advance and renew the education of those practicing in the field.
- Support the University of Massachusetts by participating in its governing bodies and serve the state public at large.
An overriding principle of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management is its ability to successfully serve the above constituents and continuously position itself as a leading hospitality and tourism program both nationally and abroad.
History
The study in Hotel and Tourism Management at UMass Amherst began in 1938 as a two-year degree program in Food Management through the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. The four-year university degree started in 1957 in the Hotel and Restaurant Administration program, which in 1971 became the Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Administration (HRTA). In 1975, the graduate program, offering a Master of Science degree, was established. In 2003, the program was renamed the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) and was incorporated into the Isenberg School of Management.
The HTM Program at UMass Amherst is one of the largest and best-known educational programs in hospitality management. It has been consistently listed in the top ten in the world by independent international ranking organizations.
Objectives
1. To prepare students for life-long careers by providing:
- an interdisciplinary education in the theory and practice of the management and operation of businesses and agencies in the hospitality and tourism industry;
- opportunities for scholarly study within the hospitality and tourism industry;
- an environment that fosters adaptability to change as well as the capacity to challenge existing practices; and
- opportunities to engage in practical experience and professional development.
2. To foster and maintain a climate which allows faculty to strive toward excellence both as teaching professionals and as scholars.
3. To work with the public and private sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry as well as the international community by assisting them in meeting the diverse challenges of the industry through teaching, scholarship, and professional development.
