USC: Academic Bulletins

Overview

The College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management is authorized to award the Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (M.H.R.T.M.) through the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management and the Master of Retailing through the Department of Retailing. The program in administrative information management cooperates with the COllege of Education to award the M.A.T. and I.M.A. in business education. Graduate courses offered by the various departments of the college may contribute to teacher certification.

School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

Carl A. Boger Jr., Chair

Professors
Stephen C. Morse, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1988
Charles G. Partlow, Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1987

Associate Professors
Carl A. Boger Jr., Ph.D., Purdue University, 1993
Sandra K. Strick, Ph.D., Purdue University, 1985

Assistant Professors
Catherine M. Gustafson, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1999
Gyehee Lee, Ph.D., Purdue University, 2001

Degree Offered

Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

The School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management offers a program leading to the Master of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. The M.H.R.T.M. is a professional program designed to prepare students for advanced careers in the hospitality and tourism field. Students best suited for the program are career-directed individuals with previous management experience who are seeking advancement to upper-level management positions or taking advantage of emerging opportunities in resort and club management, tourism marketing, hospitality education, and consulting. Selected courses in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management curriculum may be used for teacher recertification in the areas of marketing, hospitality and tourism, or home economics education.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements conform with the general regulations of The Graduate School and regional and national accreditation standards. Applicants must submit to The Graduate School an application form along with a $40 nonrefundable application fee; one official transcript (mailed to the USC Graduate School by the last college or university attended) showing their complete academic record; two letters of recommendation; records of immunization; and reports of examination scores on the GRE or GMAT.

Applicants for admission to the M.H.R.T.M. program will be evaluated on a combination of factors, both academic and professional. Successful applicants usually present an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 in the last two years of academic work (60 semester hours) and a combined GRE score of 1,400 (verbal, quantitative, analytical) or a total of 500 on the GMAT. Admission decisions may also take into consideration other criteria, such as professional experience in the hospitality, tourism, or related industries; involvement in professional and/or student organizations, and strength of recommendations from professional and/or academic sources.

International applicants are required to submit with their application a certified transcript indicating the nature and scope of their academic training. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the University of Cambridge's IELTS Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 230 (computer-based) or 570 (paper-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. Prior to enrollment in the M.H.R.T.M. program, international students whose native tongue is not English are required to take an English diagnostic test administered by the English Program for Internationals. Students with deficiencies are provided an opportunity for further study in reading, writing, and speaking English.

Students wishing to enter the M.H.R.T.M. program should have completed business courses in the areas of personal computers, statistics, finance, marketing, and management principles and hospitality courses in food-service management, hotel operations, and tourism. Certain prerequisites may be waived for students who have demonstrated a high degree of competence in a related area.

Degree Requirements

The M.H.R.T.M. program provides a comprehensive study of the many facets of hospitality management. Students receive thorough training in the major functional areas of hospitality organizations, with an emphasis on professionalism and sophistication in decision making. Flexibility both in curriculum and in degree requirements allows students to design a program of study tailored to their career goals.

The M.H.R.T.M. curriculum consists of 36 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses. Twenty-one semester hours of credit are in courses required for all M.H.R.T.M. majors and in the student’s area of concentration. Required courses help students acquire decision-making tools to solve real-world problems. Additionally, the faculty uses the case method and group projects, which offer practice in oral and written analysis of complex hospitality business situations. The core curriculum includes: HRTM 720, 730, 750, and 795; MGMT 718; and STAT 515.

Department of Retailing

Professors
C. Reginald Brasington, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1970
Richard Clodfelter, Ed.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1984

Associate Professor
Deborah C. Fowler, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1991

Assistant Professors
Marguerite Moore, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2002
Heesun Seo, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2002
Scarlett C. Wesley, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1996

Degree Offered

Master of Retailing

The Master of Retailing program provides a specialized study focused on retail technology, strategy, and international retailing. Students receive thorough training in the major functional areas of retail organizations. The program emphasizes the development of sophisticated decision-making skills by utilizing advanced technology. Flexibility both in curriculum and in degree requirements allows students to design a program of study tailored to their career goals.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements conform to the general regulations of The Graduate School and regional and national accreditation standards. Applicants must submit to The Graduate School an application form and a nonrefundable application fee, one official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended (mailed to The Graduate School) showing their complete academic record, two letters of recommendation, records of immunization, and reports of examination scores on the GRE or GMAT.

Applicants for admission to the Master of Retailing program will be evaluated using a combination of academic and professional factors. They normally are expected to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 in the last two years of academic work (60 semester hours) and either a combined GRE score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative components or a total of 500 on the GMAT. Admission decisions may also take into consideration other criteria, such as professional experience, in the retailing industry, involvement in professional and/or student organizations, and strength of recommendations from professional and academic sources.

International applicants are required to submit with their application a certified transcript indicating the nature and scope of their academic training. An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit a minimum score of 570 (230 computer score) on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS. Prior to enrollment in the Master of Retailing program, international students whose native language is not English are required to take an English diagnostic test administered by the English Program for Internationals. Students with deficiencies are provided opportunities for further study in reading, writing, and speaking English.

Students wishing to enter the Master of Retailing program should have completed courses in the areas of computer applications in business, statistics, merchandising, marketing, and management principles. Certain prerequisites may be waived for students who have demonstrated a high degree of competence in a related area. Students may transfer up to 12 hours of course credit. In all cases a course in retail buying will be required.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Retailing curriculum consists of 36 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses. Twenty-one semester hours of credit are in core courses required for all Master of Retailing majors. Required courses help students acquire decision-making tools to solve real-world problems. Additionally, the faculty members use the case method and group projects, which build competency in oral and written analysis of comnplex business situations. General requirements--academic or professional option:

Thesis Option

A graduate student electing the thesis option must first pass a comprehensive written examination upon completion of course work, enroll in 6 hours of thesis preparation (RETL 799), and prepare and successfully defend an acceptable thesis.

Courses for Thesis Option

STAT 515 Statistical Methods I
RETL 745 International Retailing
RETL 747 Competitive Strategies in Retailing
RETL 749 Retail Category and Space Management
HRSM 788 Applied Research in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management
RETL 799 Thesis Preparation (1-6 credits)

Non-Thesis Option

A graduate student electing the non-thesis option must first pass a comprehensive written examination upon completion of course work, enroll in HRSM 795 (Field Project), and prepare and successfully defend a master's project.

Courses for Non-Thesis Option

Bachelor's/Master's Degrees Accelerated Program

The Master of Retailing will follow the University policy for admission of a student to an accelerated program. Under this plan, students reduce the time necessary to earn bachelor's and master's degrees by applying up to 9 hours of graduate credit to both undergraduate and graduate program requirements. Students accepted into this program must have at least 90 hours of undergraduate credit, a minimum overall GPA of 3.40, and at least 3.40 in the course work taken in their major field of study.

Students applying to this program must submit to The Graduate School a completed "Application for Admission to a Combined Bachelor's/Master's Education Plan" with endorsements. A "Senior Privilege Course Work Authorization" must be submitted for each semester in which one or more of these courses is taken.

Participation in the accelerated program does not require nor does it guarantee acceptance into The Graduate School or into a specific program of study. Students wishing to continue toward the master's degree at USC must apply formally to The Graduate School by submitting the appropriate form and required supporting documents.

Administrative Information Management

Associate Professor
Tena Crews, Ed.D., University of Georgia, 1994

Assistant Professors
Herbert F. Brown, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1996
Jerry Kandies, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994

Master of Arts in Teaching in Business Education

The M.A.T. program consists of 30 semester hours of graduate credit in approved courses. The program requires 6-15 credit hours in professional education and 15-24 hours in the teaching area. Other requirements include a methods course in teaching business education, a teaching internship, a middle- and high-school teaching seminar, and student teaching. In addition, certification deficiencies not met by the M.A.T. degree program must be removed. Should undergraduate or certification deficiencies exist, the student will be advised accordingly when an advisor completes a transcript evaluation.

The student's program must be approved by a committee of three faculty members representing both the College of Education and the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. This committee will administer a final comprehensive examination consisting of written and oral components. If a student fails the examination twice, the program is terminated.

Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Business Education

The I.M.A. degree for secondary-school teachers is designed for college graduates who already hold a professional certificate in the teaching field in which they wish to earn the master's degree or who are academically certifiable by virtue of course work previously completed. Upon successful completion of the I.M.A. degree program, recipients will be eligible for a South Carolina Class I certificate in the teaching area. Major emphasis in this program is placed on course work in the teaching area.

The program consists of 33 semester hours of graduate courses distributed as follows:

Professional education component (9 hours)

Teaching area(s) component (21 hours)

An approved elective (3 hours--This will be a course that addresses current issues and concerns of teachers.)

The professional education component requires an introductory, graduate-level course in educational research; a specialized course in advanced study of teaching in a field that is research centered; and an advanced course in educational psychology, research and measurement, principles of curriculum construction, supervision of instruction, advanced readings in secondary education, or a course in selected topics.

A final comprehensive exam, consisting of written and oral components, will be administered by three faculty members appointed by the director of the program. If the candidate fails the examination twice, the program is terminated.

While individual programs are similar in structure, there is sufficient flexibility to meet student needs in teaching areas and to develop professional knowledge.

Course Descriptions

Administrative Information Management (AIME)

508 -- Teaching Middle and High School (Business Education). {=EDSE 508} (3) A study of methods, techniques, and materials of instruction in middle and high school business education.
528 -- Study of the Teaching of Business Education in the Secondary School. {=EDSE 528} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Teaching techniques and methodology related to the business education curriculum, emerging technology, and software.
545 -- Telecommunications. (3) (Prereq: AIME 445 or consent of instructor) Telecommunications systems, applications, and equipment allowing for the global dissemination of information.
560 -- Analysis and Applications of Integrated Software. (3) (Prereq: AIME 352 and AIME 370) Microcomputer software applications.
564 -- Office Information Systems. (3) (Prereq: AIME 560) Integration of business software and technology into an office system.
590 -- Special Topics in Office Information Management. (3) (Prereq: upper level and/or consent of instructor) Advanced concepts, issues, and trends in office information systems. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title. (May be repeated once for credit.)
702 -- Teaching Information Management Technology. {=EDSE 702} (3) Development of curriculum and educational materials for middle and high school information technology courses; selection of equipment; techniques of teaching information management technology; practical experience with software and hardware.
720 -- Office Management for Business Educators. {=EDSE 720} (3) (Prereq: degree candidacy and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Business observation and consulting experience related to office management. A curriculum project and seminars required.
760 -- Computerized Accounting Methodology for Business Educators. (3) (Prereq: Business education accounting certification required) Methodology and strategies for teaching accounting on the secondary level using microcomputers and accounting software.
790 -- Special Topics in Information Management/Business Education. (3) (Prereq: Degree candidacy in business education and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Individual topics may be announced with titles and suffixes. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours toward degree credit.

Hospitality, Restaurant, and Sport Management (HRSM)

788 -- Applied Research in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. (3) (Prereq: STAT 515)
795 -- Field Project in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. (6) (Prereq: permission of instructor) Work experience and participation in management decision-making in a hospitality/tourism, retail, or sport/entertainment business environment. Positions assigned on an individual basis with emphasis on oral and written communication skills, planning, and problem solving.

Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM)

537 -- Multi-Cultural Dimensions of the Hospitality Industry. (3) (Prereq: BADM 371 or RETL 344 or permission of instructor) Multicultural, multiracial, and multiethnic factors within the hospitality and tourism industry.
557 -- Security Management of Hotels and Restaurants. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 357 or equivalent) Individualized security programs, procedures, legal issues, and review of local, state, and federal laws that apply to the lodging and restaurant industry.
560 -- Advanced Lodging and Sales. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 450 or MKTG 350 or permission of instructor) Analysis of current topics in revenue management and sales professionals through a mentoring and sales blitz program.
564 -- Advanced Meeting Management. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 364 or permission of instructor) Analysis of current issues and problems in the meetings industry with emphasis on planning, organizing, managing, and enhancing meetings.
565 -- International Lodging Management. (3) Analysis of the structure of international lodging companies, challenges of marketing U.S. lodging companies abroad, and cultural differences in international management.
580 -- Adventure Travel Management. (3) Analysis of the adventure travel industry throughout the world, with emphasis on the management, marketing, and operation of an adventure travel business.
585 -- Advanced Club Management. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 285 or permission of instructor) Advanced topics in hospitality management for the club industry.
590 -- Special Topics in HRTM. (3) Advanced concepts, issues, and trends in the hospitality and tourism industry. May be taken twice for degree credit.
720 -- Hospitality Finance Methods. (3) The study of financial management related to the hospitality industry.
730 -- Hospitality Systems and Policy. (3) Decision-making and policy formulation related to internal and external factors in the hospitality and tourism industry.
740 -- Service Management in Hospitality. (3) Analysis, planning, and control of the service function in hospitality organizations with emphasis on management problems.
750 -- Hospitality Marketing Strategy. (3) (Prereq: MKTG 350) Strategic marketing process for hospitality organizations.
755 -- Properties Management. (3) (Prereq: permission of instructor) Feasibility studies, functional planning and design, equipment and utilities management.
768 -- Contemporary Problems in the Lodging Industry. (3) Consideration and analysis of relevant contemporary problems and issues presently facing managers in the lodging industry.
776 -- Current Issues in Foodservice Management. (3) Critical issues impacting the management of food-service organizations.
780 -- Seminar in Travel and Tourism. (3) (Prereq: HRTM 750) Issues in travel and tourism.
785 -- Resort Management. (3) Management of resort complexes, including master plan development, ecological concerns, and recreational activities development.
798 -- Directed Study in HRTM. (3) Independent study for advanced students under faculty supervision. May be taken twice for degree credit.

Retailing (RETL)

551 -- Advanced Retail Business Planning. (3) (Prereq: RETL 351 or permission from department chair) Preparation of a prospectus for a projected new retail business.
562 -- Advanced Merchandising Management Strategies. (3) (Prereq: RETL 462 or permission of instructor) The analysis of assortment planning and inventory management of apparel products utilizing merchandising principles and industry software.
569 -- Advanced Retail Promotion and Visual Merchandising Strategies. (3) Essential principles and analytical tools used in retail promotion; appraisal of methods and outcomes via field experiences, visuals, and simulations.
590 -- Seminar in Retail Management. (3) (Prereq: senior standing or graduate) Course content varies. May be repeated once under a different suffix.
592 -- Retailing/Fashion Merchandising Field Study. (3) (Prereq: RETL 265, 268, or consent of department chairperson) Study of international/domestic fashion manufacturers, retailers, ancillary businesses, and selected resident buying offices. Restricted to one domestic and one international field study.
729 -- Retail Location Analysis. (3) Trends in retail estate development, and retail development used in retail site selection.
745 -- International Retailing. (3) Broad overview of retail marketing theories, principles, and methods for international operations focusing on the cultural, economic, and regulatory environments.
747 -- Competitive Strategies in Retailing. (3) Fundamentals of strategic decision-making and performance measurement within the retail organization.
749 -- Retail Category and Space Management. (3) The application of category and space management strategies using industry software.
765 -- Retail Management for Marketing Educators. (3) (Prereq: Degree candidacy and 15 hours completed or departmental approval) Business observation and consulting experience in retailing.
790 -- Special Topics in Marketing Education. (3) Contemporary topics, trends, and issues in marketing education. Individual topics may be announced with titles and suffix. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours for degree credit.

Sport and Entertainment Management (SPTE)

530 -- Sport and the Law. (3) (Prereq: Advanced undergraduate or graduate status or permission of department chair) Laws and regulatory bodies affecting the management of sport personnel, facilities, and events.
580 -- Business Principles in Athletic Administration. (3) (Prereq: advanced undergraduate or graduate status or permission of department chair) Business principles in the administration of public and private sector athletic programs.
635 -- Sport Event Development. (3) (Prereq: ACCT 225 and 226 or RETL 261 and 262; MKTG 350, FINA 363, MGMT 371 or equivalents) Business concepts needed to develop a sports special event.
650 -- Integrated Marketing Communication in Sport and Entertainment. (3) (Prereq: MKTG 350) Use of integrated marketing communication concepts, theories, and strategies in sport and entertainment.