Top 3 Ways Master’s Degrees Are Changing to Meet Post-Pandemic Industry Needs By Scott Smith, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director at the University of South Carolina School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management The pandemic has changed, and is still changing, everything. As hotels, restaurants, golf clubs and tourist attractions work to reopen and recover, ingenuity and perseverance remain in high demand. Navigating the everchanging landscape of rehiring, employee retention, operating costs, health requirements, customer satisfaction and more is continually pushing employers to innovate and evolve.
for real-world, emergent knowledge of crisis response best practices, and graduate programs responded by replacing textbooks with case studies. Leading hospitality management faculty worked with industry leaders to build a pipeline of fresh knowledge to help students learn from the successes, and failures, of the most challenging time in modern history for hospitality and tourism.
Along with industry professionals, hospitality and tourism degree programs have evolved during the pandemic. With a responsibility to equip students with knowledge and experience that is not just applicable but that will help launch their careers, colleges are changing the approach to graduate school for post-pandemic hospitality and tourism management professionals in three key areas.
Master’s degree students consistently comment that a case study assignment within a course is often the best way to utilize and demonstrate their understanding of the material. The applied learning approach gives a real-life problem/situation that a business has experienced and gives students the opportunity to develop a strategic business solution through research and creative problem-solving.
Delivery Options As restaurants were converting parking lots to drive-thrus and training servers on curbside delivery operations and online ordering, hospitality and tourism degrees were building synchronous and asynchronous course delivery options. While some professionals can complete their master’s degree on campus, many others need a flexible program that matches their learning style and their schedule. One silver lining of the pandemic is that it accelerated the development of course delivery options and learning technology – bringing more options to the education market.
Expanded Leadership, HR and Management Courses Tough decisions to make layoffs and furloughs have had lasting repercussions. Some employees accepted new jobs in other industries. Some are feeling hesitant to jump back in. And some are depending on unemployment benefits as they regroup from the impact of the pandemic. It is a human resources ripple effect that is likely to last for years to come.
For example, the University of South Carolina’s Master of International Hospitality and Tourism Management degree now provides the option for students to complete their master’s degree 100% online. This option focuses on taking the same curriculum a student would experience on campus and makes it more accessible through a variety of teaching formats and deliveries to meet different learning styles. Students can take classes in a synchronous format, where they are learning and interacting virtually with their classmates and instructor in a structured class time via distance learning technology. They can also integrate asynchronous classes that provide online lecture recordings and curriculum on demand so that coursework can be completed around the student’s schedule. Giving students the option to mix and match on-campus, online asynchronous and online synchronous class formats has changed the way educators approach course design for the better. It has ignited innovation, industry collaboration and real-time curriculum development. Students are gaining greater access to curriculum, and higher education and industry professionals are working together to create a reciprocal knowledge community that accelerates growth, resilience and advancement at a time when hospitality and tourism managers need it most. Case Studies The moment the pandemic hit was the moment a lot of textbooks became less relevant. COVID-19 generated demand
So, how do you find good employees and create a work environment that makes them want to stay? The trifecta of human resources, business management and leadership development has become a focal point for master’s degree programs that are helping professionals sharpen their skills for success in a post-pandemic industry. Degree programs that have expanded their course offerings in these areas are providing better preparation for graduates to handle the many complex issues that are facing hospitality and tourism executives today. UofSC has aligned its master’s program with this industry need through the addition of new courses in human capital and talent management, strategic leadership, and multicultural dimensions of the hospitality and tourism industries. The Master of International Hospitality and Tourism Management program also condensed its curriculum from 36 to 30 hours – making the degree more efficient and accessible. It also added courses in marketing and social media which will play a crucial role in the industry’s recovery. Looking ahead, it is important for degree programs to stay in close collaboration with industry employers, their needs, and the trends and new ideas that are driving success. At UofSC’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, an advisory board of industry leaders regularly reviews our curriculum and provides insights on courses to provide the most in-demand skills that employers look for when hiring managers. Just like the businesses that have survived through the pandemic, degree programs that stay nimble, innovate and evolve will grow to make a bigger impact on the career success of their graduates.
