Hospitality, Food and Beverage Management

Students will learn about preparing themselves as professionals with the attitudes and self-preparations for a rewarding career. They will prepare communications for a successful employment search, engage in active practice interviews, learn how to conduct themselves at a career fair and in telephone interviews, and be able to manage the employment search process. Students will learn about the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to flourish as a food and beverage manager, and food and beverage career options will be explored within the context of the hospitality industry.

Students will examine principles and practices concerned with the sourcing, quality assessment, and proper care and handling of meat, seafood, produce, dairy, and grocery products available to today's food buyer. Special topics include expert product information on various food groupings and the need for clear and concise specifications. Testing and evaluation techniques are also emphasized. This course will also include observation and experience in a "Manager in Training" role in storeroom operations utilizing campus meat/fish fabrication and storeroom facilities.

This course explores table service principles and skills with an emphasis on customer service in a restaurant. Topics to be examined include guest relations, professional communication, and order taking in an à la carte environment; service sequence; point-of-sale systems; cash handling; beginning merchandising; table skills; and dining room preparation. The focus is on service to the guest, while looking at various styles such as Russian, American, and family-style service. Students will also learn the basic principles of beverage service, including suggesting wines and opening wine bottles correctly; serving wine in appropriate glassware and at the correct temperature; identifying key differences between New and Old World wine styles; understanding basic principles of how climate and geography affect the quality and style of wine; showing competence in reading labels from the major wine-producing nations; experiencing the wine tasting process; and identifying grape types used as well as the flavors of wines. The course will also focus on interacting with guests: student will put to work concepts including sequence of service, table maintenance, etiquette, and salesmanship, which will be discussed during lectures.

A required 500-hour, 12 week experiential course designed as a complementary work experience to enhance the students' knowledge, skills and abilities in hospitality business management. Students will work alongside industry professionals, experiencing real-life context and application of their course work. Internship site selections are individually tailored to support each student's academic goals and experience. All sites require the use of research, writing, analytical, and presentation skills in a supervised setting to accomplish a specific project or goal within a designated time frame.

An exploration of contemporary issues in the culinary world, this class will explore a number of key issues in different hospitality businesses. Students will explore current nutrition fads and analyze culinary topics in specific hospitality concepts. These topics will include food safety, nutrition, food allergies, healthy menus, food trends, technology in and out of the kitchen and the evolution and disruption of the food service industry. We will look at food sourcing and traceability, molecular gastronomy, modern kitchen science, the local and sustainable movement and other important topics in the quickly changing culinary world.