MBA Program

        The Master of Business Administration Hospitality and Tourism degree program prepares students for advanced career in hospitality, tourism and service industries. Three study options are available to suit different needs and personal circumstances. Regardless of the option selected, the MBA program has both coursework and research components. The common core of knowledge expected of all MBA graduates is an advanced understanding of hospitality service systems in general with specific knowledge as applied to management, marketing, tourism, organizational behaviour, finance and research methods.

Admission Requirement
        Applicants must meet university requirements for admission to graduate studies. Students come to the program from a variety of disciplines and most have at least one year of management experience in the hospitality industry. Those with academic business backgrounds are usually ready to enter into their graduate work immediately. Students without business backgrounds may be required to take foundation courses in the hospitality field. It may also be necessary for those with liberal arts backgrounds to take foundation courses in both hospitality and business. Each student's program is designed to take advantage of the individual's particular needs and strengths.
        The following foundation courses are required of all MBA students:
        Computer literacy
        Accounting
        Finance
        Marketing
        Hospitality management/operations
        Organizational behaviour
        Normally, the above requirements will be satisfied by university-level courses taken prior to commencement of graduate studies. Some requirements may be satisfied by work experience. The School of Hotel and Food Admissions committee considers each applicant on his/her own merit and decides if foundation courses are required. The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) may be requested as evidence of academic ability in certain cases. Applicants whose primary language is not English are required to take the TOEFL including the Test for Written English (TWE) and the Test for Spoken English (TSE). The TOEFL requirement may be waived on the basis of a personal interview.

Degree Requirements
        The MBA program in the School of Hotel and Food Administration (HAFA) is designed to teach general principles of management and decision-making as applied to managerial, consulting or education careers in the realm of hospitality, service or tourism.
        Research is required of all graduate students in the form of both class projects and a thesis or major paper. The MBA program offers a thesis option (2 or more years) and a major paper option (1 year residential). Research topics depend on the student's area of interest, work experience and area of study. Distance option students may select an applied research paper based on their workplace. Students work with one or more advisors composed of graduate faculty members.
        The general philosophy of the school is to balance individual student learning goals with core business and industry knowledge to assure a quality program. Beyond basic requirements, courses may be selected from several supporting disciplines. Students will be guided in this by their advisory committee and the graduate co-ordinator. The graduate co-ordinator serves as temporary adviser to incoming students and provides direction until a major adviser is selected.

Thesis Track
        This track is intended for students who plan a career that is highly specialized and research intensive, or wish to continue study towards a Ph.D. degree. No classes are scheduled during the summer, however most students are fully occupied with their thesis research.
        This program requires at least nine graduate courses (4.5 credits) plus a thesis. At least five of the graduate courses must be taken in the School. One course must be in each of the areas of management, finance, organizational behaviour and marketing; at least two courses in research methods selected from those available, and at least three courses in the area of specialization (marketing, organizational behaviour or management). A cumulative grade of B or better is required for graduation.
        The program will normally take at least four semesters over two years, with provision for additional time as necessary for completion of the thesis. A typical student will follow a schedule of studies similar to the following:

Thesis Track
Semester I (Fall)
HAFA*6300 Hospitality Marketing
HAFA*6100 Organizational Theory and Design
ECON*6770 Financial Management
HAFA*6800 Service Operations Management

Semester II (Winter)
HAFA*6010 Managerial Skills
HAFA*6080 Research Methods
HAFA*6XXX Special Topic in Hospitality elective
HAFA*6050 Management Communications

Semester III (Summer)
HAFA*6700 Policy & Strategy in the Hospitality Industry
HAFA*6630 Special Topic in Tourism

        Note that there is considerable opportunity for students to customize their curricula with their chair and special committee advisors. The course requirements are minimums. Students may take more than the minimum number of courses required.
        The thesis is based on research in a topic in the student's specialization. The topic will depend on the student's interests, work experience and course of study. It must demonstrate the student's capacity for original and independent work, and must include a critical evaluation of work that has previously been done in the same field of research. The thesis proposal must be submitted in writing and orally presented to the graduate faculty for approval before commencement of the research.

Coursework and Major Paper Track
        This challenging combination of coursework and a major paper of publishable quality is intended for people who expect the MBA to be a terminal degree and plan to enter the workforce after completion. The major paper examines the student's ability to conduct research on an applied subject of their choice. Due to the short duration of this track, there is limited opportunity for students to customize their curricula. Students wishing to customize their program extensively are advised to consider the 2-year track.
        This track requires at least 10 graduate courses (5.0 credits) and a 1.0 credit major paper of publishable quality. The major paper will be a detailed critical review of an area of study specific to the specialization of the student that includes analysis and interpretation of relevant data.
        At least six of the graduate courses must be taken in the School of Hotel and Food Administration. One course must be in each of the areas of management, finance, organizational behaviour and marketing; at least one course in research methods and at least three courses in an area of specialization (marketing, organizational behaviour or management). A cumulative grade of B or better is required for graduation.

Major Paper Track
Semester I (Fall)
HAFA*6300 Hospitality Marketing
HAFA*6100 Organizational Theory and Design
AGEC*6130 Financial Management
HAFA*6800 Service Operations Management

Semester II (Winter)
HAFA*6110 Managerial Skills Development
HAFA*6080 Hospitality and Tourism Business Research Methods
HAFA*6XXX Special Topic In Hospitality elective
HAFA*6050 Management Communications

Semester III (Summer)
HAFA*6700 Policy and Strategy in the Hospitality Industry
HAFA*6630 Special Topic in Tourism
HAFA*6900 Major paper (1.0 credit)

Distance Track (2 years, 6 semesters of study)
        This combination of coursework by distance and short residential components is intended for career professionals who expect the MBA to be a terminal degree and need to continue their careers while studying. A major paper examines the student's ability to conduct research on an applied topic, usually related to their place of work.
        The distance components can be taken anywhere Internet service is available. The one-week residential components are taken at the University of Guelph in June in each of the two years required to complete the program.
        The distance track requires at least 10 graduate courses (5.0 credits) and a 1.0 credit major paper of publishable quality. At least six of the graduate courses must be taken in the School of Hotel and Food Administration. One course must be in each of the areas of management, finance, organisational behaviour and marketing; at least one course in research methods and at least three courses in an area of specialisation (marketing, organisational behaviour or management). A cumulative grade of "B" or better is required for graduation.

Distance Track
Semester I (Summer)
Residential Week I - Introduction to Distance Learning
HAFA*6100 Organizational Theory and Design

Semester II (Fall)
HAFA*6300 Hospitality Marketing
AGEC*6130 Financial Management

Semester III (Winter)
HAFA*6800 Service Operations Management
HAFA*6110 Managerial Skills Development

Semester IV (Summer)
Residential Week II - Introduction to Policy and Strategy, Research Proposal
HAFA*6050 Management Communications
HAFA*6700 Policy and Strategy in the Hospitality Industry

Semester V (Fall)
HAFA*6700 Policy and Strategy in the Hospitality Industry
HAFA*6600 International Tourism and Tourism Marketing

Semester VI (Winter)
HAFA*6150 Hospitality and Tourism Business Research Methods
HAFA*XXXX Special Topics Elective
HAFA*6090 Major Paper