Hospitality Management, Ph.D.
Become an effective educator and inspirational researcher shaping the future of the industry.
About the Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Management
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Hospitality Management program is housed within the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management. The program is designed to train and mentor students to become proficient teachers, researchers, and industry leaders.
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Program Information
Program Type
Doctorate Program
Area of Study
Health and Social Services
School
Duration
3-4 years
Degree
Ph.D. in Hospitality Management
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
60
Explore Everything the Ph.D. in Hospitality Management Has to Offer
To be considered for admission to the Ph.D. in Hospitality Managemprogram, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Application Deadline: March 1 (for full funding eligibility)
- Undergraduate Degree: Accepted degrees from Hospitality Management or related fields preferred. A master's degree is not required.
- Grade-Point Average (GPA): A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher over the last 60 credit hours
- GRE: Not Required
- Resume or CV
- Statement of Purpose: Clearly articulate goals, readiness, motivation for pursuing a doctoral degree, and specify research interests aligned with a potential advisor
- Letters of Recommendation: 3 letters from academic or professional references that speak to the applicant’s readiness and ability to succeed in the graduate program
- Interview: Required for prospective Ph.D. students. Contact potential advisors at UM, and identify the advisor in the statement of purpose
- English Proficiency: Must meet the Graduate School’s admission criteria (only for applicants whose native language is not English). Submit TOEFL, IELTS, or Pearson’s Test of Academic English scores taken within 2 years
The Graduate Committee of the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management will review complete applications as they are received. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Competitive applicants relative to the overall pool of applicants will be recommended for admission. Additional factors like strength of letters of recommendation, work experience, availability of department resources, and equity considerations may also be taken into account.
Instructions for submitting application materials such as test scores and transcripts can be found on the Graduate School website.
For questions about the submission process, email the Graduate School.
The program consists of a minimum of 60 post-baccalaureate credit hours.
The degree requirements include:
- 18 hours of core requirements, to be completed as part of the degree program
- 15 hours of directed electives, determined by the student and their advisory committee
- 9 hours of supporting electives at the 500-700 level, as determined by the student and advisory committee, to bring the total coursework to 42 hours
- 18 hours of dissertation
- Graduate seminars, attendance required throughout the degree program
Graded credit hours other than the thesis from the student’s master’s degree coursework within the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management at UM may be applied to the doctoral degree.
UM Graduate Students of Other Programs and Transfer Students
If the student has been enrolled in another graduate degree program outside the Department within the University, up to 6 hours of relevant graduate coursework credit completed outside the Department and within the University may be applied toward Ph.D. in HM upon the advisory committee’s approval.
Students may request the transfer from another institution up to 21 hours of the graded coursework credit hours required for a degree program. The student must have made a "B" or better on the course(s) to be transferred.
- If the substituting course was taken after the student’s first semester, the transfer requests must be submitted within one (1) semester of the student’s return to the UM. Transfer requests for the emphasis area or supporting coursework will be reviewed during the Advisory Committee’s recommendation and approval of the student’s Plan of Study.
- All transfer requests must include the exact UM course number to be transferred, the syllabus of the course taken, and a copy of the transcript showing the course grade. Transfer decisions are determined by the NHM graduate faculty after consultation with faculty members who regularly teach the courses requested to be transferred.
Ph.D. in Hospitality Management students have the opportunity to apply for graduate assistantships within the Department of Nutrition & Hospitality Management. These assistantships often provide a tuition scholarship and a stipend to help cover living expenses in exchange for work in teaching, research, or administrative roles.
What does Hospitality Management look like on the job market?
Median income for Postsecondary Teachers in 2023.
Alumni Job Placement Highlights
- Jeffrey Pittman - University of Mississippi (2024)
- Thamsie Jongile - Wagner College (2023)
- Chanmi Hong - Yungsung University (2023)
- Hailey Choi - Texas Tech University (2023)
- Jangwoo Jo - Metropolitan State University of Denver (2022)
- Jennie Ahn - Eastern Kentucky University (2022)
- Dan Kim - Eastern Kentucky University (2022)
- Inna Soifer - Culinary Institute of America (2021)
Meet your Graduate Program Coordinator for Hospitality Management
Don't hesitate to reach out - I'm here to answer any questions you may have about Hospitality Management.
David Joung
Associate Professor of Nutrition and Hospitality Management and Coordinator of Online Hospitality Management Master's Program and Coordinator of PhD in Nutrition and Hospitality Management
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