Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Hospitality Management and Dietetics, Bachelor of Science (707P, 707)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/ahs


Program Coordinator

Karen G. Mason, karen.mason@wku.edu, (270) 745-3462

The major in Hospitality Management and Dietetics program offers three distinct concentrations: (1) Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, (2) Nutrition and Dietetics and (3) Food, Nutrition, and Wellness.  

Concentrations

  • Hotel Restaurant & Tourism (CFHR)
  • Nutrition & Dietetics (CFND)
  • Food, Nutrition & Wellness (CFNW)

Program Requirements (64-69 hours)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

The major in hospitality management and dietetics program offers three distinct concentrations:

  1. Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
  2. Nutrition and Dietetics
  3. Food, Nutrition and Wellness

Common Core Courses*

HMD 151Food Science3
HMD 152Food Service Sanitation1
HMD 211Human Nutrition (K-SY)3
HMD 251Commercial Foods3
HMD 252Hospitality Information Technology3
HMD 351Human Resource Management in Hospitality3
HMD 353Menu and Supply Chain Management3
HMD 354Hospitality Data Analytics3
HMD 452Quality and Service Management in the Hospitality Industry3
HMD 459Senior Seminar in Hospitality Management and Dietetics1
Total Hours26

*A grade of “C” or above must be earned in all courses required for these majors. No minor or second major is required.

Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Concentration

The Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management concentration requires 66 semester hours which include common core courses and concentration specific courses. This concentration prepares students for careers in hotel and resort management, food and beverage management, supply chain management,  meeting, convention, and event planning, sales, marketing, hospitality business entrepreneurship, and tourism. This concentration requires the following: 

HMD 171Introduction to Hospitality Management3
HMD 271Tourism Planning and Devlopment (K-LG)3
HMD 276Lodging Operations3
HMD 373Hospitality and Tourism Marketing3
HMD 376Advanced Lodging Management3
HMD 378Hospitality Law3
HMD 410Internship in Hospitality Management6
HMD 470Hospitality Revenue Management3
HMD 471Food Service Operations Management4
HMD 472Hospitality Strategic Management3
Select two designated electives with an advisor from the following:6
Practicum in Hospitality Management
Meeting and Convention Management
Tourism and Hospitality Study Away
Beverage Consumerism
Advanced Event Planning in Hospitality
Global Hospitality and Cuisine
Special Topics in Consumer and Family Science
Other Advisor approved electives
Total Hours40

Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration

The Nutrition and Dietetics concentration requires 64 semester hours which include common core courses and concentration specific courses. This concentration meets requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics and fulfills one of the steps necessary to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. A grade point average of 3.0 on at least 30 credit hours is required for admission to the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration; specific courses, including human nutrition (HMD 211) with a grade of B or better, chemistry (CHEM 105), biology (BIOL 131), and mathematics (MATH 183), require a minimum grade of “C” or higher and should be a part of these 30 credit hours. Students must have an ACT composite score of ≥ 20 or SAT (CR+M) of ≥ 950. Additional information on the admission process and becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is available on the program website (http://www.wku.edu/ahs/dietetics). This concentration helps prepare students for careers in medical nutrition therapy, sports nutrition and wellness, hospital and school food service, public health nutrition, extension services, research, pharmaceutical sales, and private practice. This concentration requires the following:

HMD 201Introduction to Dietetics1
HMD 340Nutrition Assessment3
HMD 360Advanced Nutrition3
HMD 361Life Stage Nutrition3
HMD 362Medical Nutrition Therapy I4
HMD 461Application of Nutrition Theory and Research3
HMD 462Medical Nutrition Therapy II4
HMD 464Practicum in Dietetics3
HMD 465Community Nutrition3
HMD 485Nutrition Counseling3
AH 290Medical Terminology2
CHEM 304Biochemistry for the Health Sciences3
Select one of the following electives:3
Sports Nutrition
Nutrition in Aging
Dietary and Herbal Supplements
Hospitality and Tourism Marketing
Food Service Operations Management
General Biology
Biological Concepts: Cells Metabolism and Genetics
Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology
Physiology of Exercise
Health Care Organization and Management
International Comparisons of Health Care Systems
Basic Marketing Concepts
Exercise Physiology
Wellness and Fitness Assessment
Worksite Health Promotion
Introduction to Lifespan Developmental Psychology
Other advisor approved electives
Total Hours38

Specific courses required for the concentration may also count toward Colonnade Requirements and include the following: 

ECON 150Introduction to Economics3
PSY/PSYS 100Introduction to Psychology3
MATH 183Introductory Statistics3
CHEM 105Fundamentals of General Chemistry3
CHEM 106Fundamentals of General Chemistry Laboratory1
CHEM 107Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry3
CHEM 108Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory1
BIOL 131Human Anatomy and Physiology4
BIOL 207General Microbiology3
BIOL 208General Microbiology Laboratory1

Food, Nutrition and Wellness Concentration

The Food, Nutrition and Wellness concentration requires 69 semester hours which include common core courses and concentration specific courses.  Courses for the certificate in Health Education and Promotion are included in the requirements, and Food, Nutrition and Wellness concentration students are highly encouraged to declare the certificate. This concentration prepares students for careers in extension services, community nutrition programs, food service management, health coaching, wellness, event management, sales, public relations, research, and fitness facilities management. This concentration requires the following:

HMD 360Advanced Nutrition3
HMD 361Life Stage Nutrition3
HMD 375Meeting and Convention Management3
HMD 461Application of Nutrition Theory and Research3
HMD 471Food Service Operations Management4
PE 311Exercise Physiology3
Health education and promotion focused courses:
PH 383Biostatistics in the Health Sciences3
PH 384Introduction to Epidemiology3
PH 390Wellness and Fitness Assessment3
ENV 402Worksite Health Promotion3
PH 483Administration of Public Health Programs3
PH 484Community Organization for Health Education3
PH 485Fundamentals of Public Health Planning3
Select one designated elective with an adivsor from the following:3
Sports Nutrition
Nutrition in Aging
Dietary and Herbal Supplements
Community Nutrition
Entrepreneurship
Management of Nonprofit Organizations
Basic Marketing Concepts
Services Marketing
Personal Selling
Digital Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Entrepreneurial Marketing
Industrial / Organizational Psychology
Other advisor approved elective
Total Hours43

Required Colonnade courses in support of this concentration include CHEM 109 and BIOL 131.

Finish in Four Plans

Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
COMM 1453ENG 1003
HMD 1513CHEM 1094
HIST 101 or HIST 1023MATH 109, MATH 115, or MATH 1833
PSY 100 or PSYS 1003Major/Minor/Elective or World Language (if needed)3
Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3HMD 1521
 15 14
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG 2003HMD 2113
HMD 2523HMD 2513
BIOL 1314PH 3843
PH 3833PE 3113
Major/Minor/Elective3Major/Minor/Elective3
 16 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
HMD 3613HMD 3533
HMD 3753HMD 3543
PH 4833HMD 3603
ENG 3003PH 3903
Connections - Social and Cultural3ENV 4023
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
HMD 4523HMD 3513
HMD 4591PH 4843
HMD 4613Connections - Local to Global3
HMD 4714Major Designated Elective3
PH 4853Major/Minor/Elective3
Major/Minor/Elective1 
 15 15
Total Hours 120

Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
COMM 1453ENG 1003 
HMD 1713HMD 1513 
HIST 101 or HIST 1023MATH 109 or MATH 1153 
Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/o lab3Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3 
Major/Minor/Elective OR World Language (if needed)3Major/Minor/Elective3 
 15 15 
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
HMD 1521HMD 2113HMD 4103
HMD 2523HMD 2513 
HMD 2713Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/lab3-4 
HMD 2763Major/Minor/Elective3 
ENG 2003Major/Minor/Elective3 
Colonnade - Social & Behavioral Science3  
 16 15-16 3
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
HMD 3543HMD 3513HMD 4103
HMD 3733HMD 3533 
HMD 3783HMD 376 (Advanced Lodging Management)3 
ENG 3003Major/Minor/Elective3 
Major/Minor/Elective3  
 15 12 3
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
HMD 4523HMD 4703 
HMD 4591HMD 4723 
HMD 4714Colonnade - Connections (Social & Cultural)3 
Colonnade - Connections (Local to Global)3Designated Elective in the Major3 
Designated Elective in the Major3  
 14 12 
Total Hours 120-121

Nutrition and Dietetics Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
COMM 1453ENG 1003 
HMD 1513CHEM 1053 
HIST 101 or HIST 1023CHEM 1061 
PSY 100 or PSYS 1003MATH 1833 
Colonnade - Arts and Humanities3AH 2902 
 Major/Minor/Elective OR World Language (if needed)3 
 15 15 
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
HMD 1521HMD 2513 
HMD 2011ENG 2003 
HMD 2113BIOL 1314 
HMD 2523Connections - Local to Global3 
CHEM 1073Major/Minor/Elective3 
CHEM 1081  
ECON 1503  
 15 16 
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
HMD 3403HMD 3603HMD 4643
HMD 3613HMD 3543 
BIOL 2073HMD 3624 
BIOL 2081CHEM 3043 
ENG 3003  
Connections - Social and Cultural 3  
 16 13 3
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
HMD 4523HMD 3513 
HMD 4591HMD 3533 
HMD 4613HMD 4653 
HMD 4624Major Designated Elective3 
HMD 485 (Nutrition Counseling)3Major/Minor/Elective1 
 14 13 
Total Hours 120