Meet Dr. Lee. She is an assistant professor in the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration within the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University. She’s also the program coordinator for the online Master of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Dr. Kiwon Lee received a doctoral degree in Hospitality Management from Pennsylvania State University. The Bachelor and Master of Science degrees were completed in Nutrition. She joined the Kent State University faculty in 2017 and is currently an Assistant Professor and HEM/HTM Program Coordinator. Her primary research interest is healthy eating environments in commercial and noncommercial food service areas. She has conducted research on consumers’ perception of nutrition information and healthful items at restaurants and published in leading peer-review journals. She teaches foodservice related courses, including Food Production and Service Management.
Current ongoing projects include corporate social responsibility of the restaurant industry and restaurant environments of food deserts.
Read on for a short interview with Dr. Lee.
What sets Kent State’s program apart from others?
The Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program’s unique strength is a short completion period, which is one year-long (Three semesters: Fall-Spring-Summer). Also, as a 100% online program, it gives students an opportunity to go self-paced, which might be especially beneficial to professionals who work full time during the daytime and weekdays and can concentrate on coursework during their off-work time. HTM instructors are active researchers in the disciplines and have extensive industrial experiences, thus able to teach how academic resources can be applied to real fields.
What career opportunities exist for me if I receive a Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management?
Management levels in various hospitality and tourism careers, such as
- Destination management and marketing
- Restaurants industry
- Event planning
- Domestic and international tourism
- Museums and cultural institutions
- Director of sales, operations in the hotel industry
- Hospitality management corporations
Are there any licensure or certification requirements with the programs?
There are not any licensure or certification requirements.
What can I expect to learn within this program?
Students will learn to:
- Critically analyze and discuss managerial problems and issues related to tourism and hospitality.
- Discuss and evaluate the social/economic, global/multicultural, operational, and environmental issues facing hospitality and tourism management.
- Formulate professional attitudes and opinions related to the hospitality and tourism industry.
- Use, interpret, and report industry data.
- Disseminate professional vision in a hospitality and tourism setting.
Are there research requirements for this program?
There are no research requirements for this program.
How can this program foster growth and knowledge for years to come?
This program can introduce students to how to use and incorporate science-based information into their fields. It also offers the ability to apply conceptual and theoretical content to management decisions. Additionally, research methods that students learn from courses can be utilized at workplaces, for example, consumer trends forecasts and stakeholder perspectives on business decisions.
How does the partnership between Hospitality and Event Management and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management elevate this program?
HTM faculty members have course assignments in the two undergraduate programs (Hospitality and Event Management and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management); the HTM is one unit with its own faculty, curriculum, and coordination. On the other hand, the HTM curriculum includes courses offered by the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. It is meant to infer that HTM and Business Administration has a “partnership” to elevate the HTM program because Business Administration increases the value of HTM by bringing its faculty, curriculum, and administration resources.
Kent State University’s Online Master of Hospitality and Tourism Management
The online Master of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management provides an integrated hospitality and tourism education with an emphasis on regional, national, and global implications of the field. The curriculum combines specialty classes in hospitality and business management, preparing graduates for well-compensated positions as managers in restaurants, hotels, conference centers, country clubs, and other hospitality venues.
Students will develop critical analysis skills and research abilities and understand advanced hospitality and tourism issues. Graduates will be prepared to successfully secure management positions of leadership in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Topics Covered:
- Hotel Management
- Club Management
- Tourism Management
- Tourism Development
- Park Management
- Event Management
- Food and Beverage Management
For more information on Kent State’s Online Master of Hospitality and Tourism Management, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/master-of-science-hospitality-tourism-management
