What You Will Study:
Highlights
Careers in Tourism
Explore the major career fields in tourism, including airlines, hotels, travel agencies, tour companies, cruise lines, restaurants, and more.
Hospitality Marketing
Gain a thorough introduction to marketing with focus on the marketing plan as it applies to various segments such as business travelers, leisure travelers, meeting planners, travel agents, and special segments.
Food & Beverage Management
Learn the basics of the Food and Beverage industry and the fundamentals of its management strategies.
Program Core Courses
- Customer Service & Sales in Tourism
- Popular Destinations – West
- Popular Destinations – East
- Careers in Tourism
- Hospitality Marketing
- Hospitality Human Resources
- Tourism Analysis and Destinations Management
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- Housekeeping Management
- Front Office Management
- Computer Reservations
- Facilities Management Design
- Convention & Event Management
- Food & Beverage Management
- Travel/Hospitality Externship
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Grant Information
Sister City Grant (International Students)
ONET Occupational Crosswalk Matches
Estimated tuition costs
| Tuition | $305/credit X 48 credits = $14640 |
| Books | $225/course X 12 courses = $2700 |
| Activity Fee | $15/Term X 4 terms = $60 |
| Travel Agent Proficiency Exam | $95 |
| Graduation Fee | $100 |
| TOTAL | $17595 |
On-Time Completion Rate and Median Loan Debt 
| Applies to | On-Time Completion Rate | Median Title IV Loan Debt | Median Private Loan Debt |
|---|
| Charlottesville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Danville VA, Dayton Area, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Online, Parkersburg, Princeton, Roanoke Valley and Youngstown campuses. | 100.0% | N/A | N/A |
| Bartlett, Bristol, Knoxville, Madison, Memphis, Nashville, Akron Area and Cleveland campuses | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Danville KY, Florence, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Pikeville, Richmond and South Bend campuses | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Note: Median Institutional Loan Debt is $0 for all National College campuses.
Additional Notes: Areas marked N/A indicate that 10 or less individuals graduated from this program during the specified reporting period and used this particular source of funding.
Placement Rates
| Applies to | Placement Rate* |
|---|
| Charlottesville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Danville VA, Dayton Area, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Online, Parkersburg, Princeton, Roanoke Valley and Youngstown campuses. | 0.0% |
| Bartlett, Bristol, Knoxville, Madison, Memphis, Nashville, Akron Area and Cleveland campuses. | No Data |
| Danville KY, Florence, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Pikeville, Richmond and South Bend campuses. | No Data |
| *This rate is calculated based on a formula provided by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). For more information on this agency, click here. |
Additional Notes: Areas marked with No Data indicate that no students graduated from the program during the reporting period
Teaching from a Culinary Perspective
Many students know Dorothy Herndon as the head of the tourism and hospitality program at the Roanoke Valley Campus, fulfilling the roles of advisor and instructor. What they may not know is that Ms. Herndon is also president of the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends. The organization preserves historic Virginia cookbooks through a special collection at Virginia Tech. The group formed in 1999 to preserve historic documents related to the “domestic sciences,” and to educate others.
Ms. Herndon, a charter member, has long been interested in the culinary arts. “When I was 10, my grandmother gave me a cookbook for Christmas, and I still have it,” she said. She now has over 350, not including individual pamphlets. Additionally, she received both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nutrition and management.
As head of the tourism and hospitality program, Ms. Herndon is able to draw from her lifelong experiences in food services and management, areas vital to the successful operation of hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, resorts, and other service establishments. According to Ms. Herndon, the hotel and wine industries are currently very successful in Virginia despite the slow-moving economy. “Wine is a big industry now. We now have 191 wineries in Virginia, and wine tasting is a big business, requiring a great deal of event planning and culinary knowledge.”
The service sector is currently the largest supplier of jobs in our economy. With over 200 million employees in the tourism and hospitality fields, it is a good bet that those with management and hospitality skills will have an advantage in the current job market. Ms. Herndon teaches a variety of classes including Food and Beverage Management, and Event and Convention Management.
For more information on the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends, see http://spec.lib.vt.edu/culinary/.
