A Hospitality Degree with a Business Advantage
The Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management (Fritz) at the Daniels College of Business prepares you to think on your feet, lead diverse projects and solve problems creatively—skills you’ll need to compete in the fast-paced hospitality industry.
The School’s degree programs give you a solid foundation in business and then build upon it with specialized courses in hospitality management. Unique, hands-on learning experiences like managing Beans, Fritz Knoebel’s student-run coffee shops, or planning and managing large-scale events in Fritz Knoebel Events’ conference facilities, hone your skills and boost your confidence. In fact, you’re required to have a combined 1,000 hours of work experience and management internship by the time you graduate.
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Hospitality Management
The degree requirements for a BSBA in hospitality management include a core set of business management courses and hospitality management courses. Specific career direction is established through work experiences and elective courses. Faculty advisors meet with students quarterly to monitor academic progress and provide career advising.
Available Concentrations: Students pursuing a BSBA in hospitality management can specialize in the following areas:
Lodging Real Estate: Whether you are interested in lodging and resort operations or the real estate side of the hotel business, this concentration prepares you for success. It is possible because Fritz is part of a world-class business school and leverages the expertise of Fritz Knoebel faculty and courses from the Daniels Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management.
Strategic Lodging Management: Whether you aspire to being a hotel general manager, ultimately having a corporate role that is operations-related or even owning your own lodging operation, this concentration is for you. In consultation with industry leaders, we built this concentration around a set of courses that are truly differentiators for Fritz Knoebel students. The courses address cutting edge issues operators are just beginning to come to grips with and will be for some time to come.
Restaurant/Rood and Beverage Management: Fritz has a long, rich history of producing restaurant entrepreneurs and successful hotel food and beverage (F&B) managers, including the founders and former CEOs of Hard Rock Café, Yard House and Denver’s own Snooze. This course sequence prepares students to continue this legacy; it culminates in a live consulting project requiring students to fully develop a restaurant concept and pitch it to a developer/operator.
Event Sales and Management: If your interest is in lodging or catering sales, catering or event management, or working with large meetings this is the concentration for you. This course sequence helps you develop the knowledge and the operational chops to be successful with a series of challenge-driven learning opportunities.
Minors in the business disciplines
Many Fritz Knoebel students shape their future career opportunities by minoring in one of the business disciplines in the Daniels College. In particular, successful paths have been created with minors in Real Estate and the Built Environment, Accounting, Business Information and Analytics, Finance and Marketing.
4+1 Programs
Through Daniels’ 4+1 programs, you can get a head start on earning an essential business credential. All DU undergraduates are eligible to apply for our 4+1s, which allow you to graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years.
Five of our master’s programs offer the 4+1 dual-degree option:
Study Abroad Program
Hospitality is a global industry that transcends borders and cultural boundaries. That’s why Fritz Knoebel students are required to spend at least one quarter studying abroad and demonstrate proficiency in a second language. We’re the only hospitality program that requires this level of international experience.
Through the University of Denver’s Cherrington Global Scholars program, you’ll have the opportunity to study at an international college or university for the same cost as a quarter at DU (tuition and room and board). This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity gives you both memorable experiences and a competitive edge in the international marketplace. You’ll gain independence through immersion in a new culture, meet people from around the world and learn global hospitality practices.