Program Features
The M.S. in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism was designed for working adults with previous degrees and/or work experience in hospitality, recreation, recreation therapy, or tourism. The graduate courses are offered completely online. Our student-centered faculty are dedicated to helping you become more knowledgeable and prepared to realize your dreams. You will be engaged in class through a series of interactive asynchronous discussions, assignments, readings and projects.
Although you are not required to attend class on a specific day or time, there are ongoing deadlines that must be met for you to succeed. The online environment requires dedication, good organizational skills, ability to work independently and willingness to ask questions if you need help.
Curriculum
The program is designed to provide a strong intellectual core, and to allow specialization through research and projects. The graduate program is 30 semester units, 10 courses of 3 units each. Each class is offered once a year, either in the Fall or Spring semester. Courses are 7 weeks in length (plus 1 week of finals). One or two 7-week courses will be offered the first half of the Fall and Spring semesters, and another 7-week course will be offered the second half of each semester.
Taking 2-3 classes per semester allows a student to progress through the 10 classes in 4 semesters (2 years). It will take longer to complete the program for students who elect to take fewer classes per term to accommodate work schedules and other obligations. The degree must be completed within 5 years with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a grade of “B” or better in each class. The University Writing Skills Requirement must be completed prior to graduation.
Prerequisites and Criteria for Admission
Interview with the HRT Graduate Program Committee. In a required Zoom interview with the HRT Graduate Program Committee, you will be asked for clarification about your application as well as your qualifications. The interview will be scheduled on a day and time convenient for everyone and will last approximately 30 minutes.
Fall (1st year)
REC 600 Foundations of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 610 Strategic Leadership and Ethics in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
Spring (1st year)
REC 620 – Organizational Development in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 630 – Advanced Data Driven Decision Making in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
Fall (2nd year)
REC 640 – Law and Risk in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 650 – Fiscal Management in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 680 – Trends and Issues in HRT
Spring (2nd year)
REC 660 – Sustainable Solutions in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 670 – Advanced Marketing in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism
REC 693 – Applied Research Project Findings and Conclusions
Class Order
1. Start with REC 600 if possible, the Foundations class.
2. The three research classes must be taken in order (REC 630, 680 and 693).
3. Ideally, REC 693 should be the last class taken
4. Other than these four classes (REC 600, 630, 680 and 693), there is no specific order of classes.
Departmental Prerequisites and Criteria for Admission
- A completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. It is expected that most students applying for this program will have a B.S. in Hospitality, Recreation, Recreation Therapy or Tourism.
- If your undergraduate degree is not in one of the fields listed above, you may need some foundational courses.This will be determined when your transcript and work experience are evaluated by a Graduate Advisor, the Graduate Coordinator or the Department Chair.
- A GPA of 2.75 in last 60 units of course work is required.
- A minimum of 2 years of work experience in one of the HRT fields listed above.
- This is fully online program. International students should contact the Office of International Admissions to find out more about residency requirements. International students must submit an acceptable TOEFL minimum score of 550 or above (237 on the Computer-Based TOEFL), or post an official transcript showing graduation with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university where English is the principal language of instruction, or provide an official letter from the college or university certifying that English is the language of instruction.
University Graduate Admission Requirements:
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Step One: Applicants submit a University Graduate Application online through Cal State Apply, and request official transcripts be sent to the Office of Admissions from all institutions of higher education attended.(apply here!)
Step Two: Applicants submit the following department application materials to hrt-graduate@csueastbay.edu:
- A two to five-page personal statement covering each of the evaluation criteria.
- Three current recommendation forms were completed by immediate supervisors and instructors. HRT Graduate Program Recommendation Form
- Current resume detailing professional and academic achievements.
For more information, email hrt-graduate@csueastbay.edu
Evaluation Criteria
- Previous work experience in hospitality, recreation, and/or tourism.
- GPA in previous academic study.
- Related undergraduate degree.
- Concise, clear, well-written personal statement that details the reasons for pursuing the degree and makes a strong connection between the professional goals of the student, previous academic study, job experience, and this program. The potential benefits of the degree should be discussed. The statement should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s knowledge of one HRT industry (needed changes in the profession; leadership, strategic planning, and equity).
- Information from three current references related to knowledge of the profession, professional work experience, and academic potential.
