Why Study Hospitality at Maryville College?

Maryville College’s Hospitality and Regional Identity major is committed to interdisciplinary studies and the building of hospitality-oriented skill sets through coursework and practical experience, with an emphasis placed on Southern Appalachian culture, cuisine, history and tradition. This unique combination differs from a traditional hospitality management degree and will prepare you for a wide variety of careers in the hospitality management industry that are available in a variety of regions — inside and outside the U.S. — with distinct cultural identities.

For more than two centuries, Maryville College has prided itself on being an institution that not only calls Southern Appalachia home but advocates for the region as well. As East Tennessee continues to attract visitors and new residents, the need for skilled employees who know the hospitality industry and the larger field of management more generally has grown.

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Meet a Current Scot

Photo of Lyric Dockery

Lyric Dockery

Hometown: Maryville, Tennessee

A recent graduate of Heritage High School, Lyric has been interested in community service for as long as he can remember. During high school, he was a wrestler and active participant in both SkillsUSA and Beta Club, in addition to spending a month in Switzerland as part of Children’s International Summer Villages. During his senior year, he enlisted in the Tennessee Air National Guard, in which he still serves.

“I have had lifelong influences as both of my moms play major roles in taking care of our community,” he said. “I have grown up helping take care of others, either by volunteering directly or through working fundraising events. After graduation, I set engineering as my educational goal, but as I began working at (wellness, culinary and adventure retreat) Blackberry Mountain that I realized helping people in this way gave me great satisfaction.

“Majoring in Hospitality will provide me with skills and education to further my passion for helping others. My hope is that this hospitality management degree will be versatile, and I am excited to learn what opportunities this path will allow me in order to better my community.”

 

Meet a Recent Grad

Photo of Brittany Miller

Brittany Miller ’16

Hometown: Peoria, Arizona

Brittany graduated six years before the major was launched, but her introduction to the field happened on the MC campus — as a server at RT Lodge. She majored in International Studies and spent a semester abroad in Spain, where she honed her travel skills, met people from around the globe and experienced different cultures. After graduation, she began building her career in the luxury hospitality industry, working for properties in four states. She now manages the reservations team for two venues inside a world-class museum.

“I am thrilled to know that future generations of Scots will enter the workforce through engagement in the new Hospitality and Regional Identity major,” she said. “I can’t wait to see a new generation of MC students take on the hospitality management industry in East Tennessee and wherever their paths may lead them!”

Associate Professor of Hospitality and Regional Identity
Dr. Angela Sebby
Associate Professor of Hospitality and Regional Identity
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Professor of Management
Dr. Jenifer Greene
Professor of Management
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Associate Professor of Finance
Dr. Sarah Clinton
Associate Professor of Finance
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Associate Professor of Marketing
Dr. Wei Fu
Associate Professor of Marketing
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Assistant Professor in Management
Dr. L. Gabie Kerr
Assistant Professor in Management
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Career Opportunities:

  • Hotel general manager
  • Meeting and convention planner
  • Food and beverage director
  • Catering and events manager
  • Hospitality services coordinator
  • Event coordinator
  • Destination and travel planner
  • Chamber of commerce director
  • Resort operations manager
  • Festival and event manager
  • Recreation center director
  • Activities director
  • Restaurant manager
  • Travel agent
  • Tour guide
  • Tourism marketing and public relations
  • Travel writer
  • Front of house manager
  • Theme park manager
  • Museum manager
  • Camp and park director

RT Lodge
Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro
Cirrus Aircraft
Southern Hospitality Internship Program
Blackberry Farm
Dollywood
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Hospitality and Regional Identity major prepares students for an opportunity to explore a wide variety of careers within the hospitality industry. This exploration includes a focus upon “place” and how location can influence and enhance the customer experience. Students successfully completing the program of study will:

  • Understand the operations of various components of the hospitality industry and how they relate to each other.
  • Understand how to create an exceptional customer experience and how a specific place plays a role in this development.
  • Develop critical thinking skills, have knowledge in theoretical perspectives and methodological techniques, and gain experiential learning opportunities.

Although the major is oriented toward providing academic knowledge and practical experience of the region surrounding the College, students who wish to orient their training toward other regions may be able to customize research projects, internships, and Senior Studies to better prepare themselves for opportunities outside this region. While the major foregrounds a Southern Appalachian context, conceptual training about culture, ecology and regional identity will certainly be relevant to student interest in other regional contexts as well.

The Major in Hospitality and Regional Identity requires a minimum of 58 credit hours. 

Required courses include:

Major and Major-Related Courses

BUS 120: Introduction to Hospitality and the Customer Experience (3 hrs)
BUS 201: Principles of Management(3 hrs)
BUS 215: Principles of Accounting(3 hrs)
BUS 248: Hospitality Marketing(3 hrs)
BUS 305: Organizational Behavior(3 hrs)
BUS 316: Management Accounting(3 hrs)
BUS 322: Hospitality Management and Operations(3 hrs)
BUS 324: Hospitality and Regional Identity through Food and Beverages(3 hrs)
BUS 333: Human Resource Management(3 hrs)
BUS 337: Internship in Business - Hospitality and Regional Identity(6 hrs)
BUS 344: Principles of Finance(3 hrs)
BUS 351: Senior Study I(3 hrs)
BUS 352: Senior Study II(3 hrs)
BUS 401: Strategic Management(3 hrs)
OST 103: Introduction to Sustainable Tourism(3 hrs)
SOC 101: Introductory Sociology(3 hrs)

Choose one of the following:

MCW 299: Issues in Professional Development(0-1 hrs)
SLS 299: Issues in Professional Development(2 hrs)

Choose two of the following:

HIS 248: Appalachian Cultural and Social History(3 hrs)
OST 205: Food Traditions of Appalachia(3 hrs)
REL 209: Religion in the Southern Appalachians(3 hrs)
SOC 222: Sociology of Appalachia(3 hrs)
BIO 311: Natural History of the Great Smoky Mountains(4 hrs)

A double-major is not permitted in any combination of the following majors: Finance/Accounting, Hospitality and Regional Identity, Human Resource Management, International Business, Marketing, and Management.

The Minor in Hospitality and Regional Identity consists of 18 hours and requires the following courses.

Required courses include:

Minor and Minor-Related Courses

BUS 120: Introduction to Hospitality and the Customer Experience (3 hrs)
BUS 248: Hospitality Marketing(3 hrs)
BUS 322: Hospitality Management and Operations(3 hrs)
OST 103: Introduction to Sustainable Tourism(3 hrs)

Choose one of the following:

HIS 248: Appalachian Cultural and Social History(3 hrs)
OST 205: Food Traditions of Appalachia(3 hrs)
REL 209: Religion in the Southern Appalachians(3 hrs)
SOC 222: Sociology of Appalachia(3 hrs)
BIO 311: Natural History of the Great Smoky Mountains(4 hrs)

Choose one of the following:

BUS 324: Hospitality and Regional Identity through Food and Beverages(3 hrs)
BUS 337: Internship in Business - Hospitality and Regional Identity(6 hrs)

In addition to required courses for majors and minors, Maryville College students take classes in the Maryville Curriculum, a core program of general education. Consisting of 51 credit hours, the Maryville Curriculum ensures that students see their major in a wider context and develop the basic communication, quantitative, and critical thinking skills that are needed for success in college and career.

You may also be interested in:

Appalachian Studies

Business

Fermentation Science

Management

Marketing

Outdoor Studies and Tourism

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