THEM Specialization Options
Prepare for success in the dynamic world of travel, hospitality and event planning. Choose a Bachelor of Science specialization based on your interests and career goals.
Event Management
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to administer and manage commercial and entrepreneurial businesses. This program includes courses in conference and special event planning, promotion, sponsorship, financial and revenue management, and production.
Tourism & Hospitality
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to administer and manage destination management organizations, tour operations, public recreation, hospitality enterprises such as hotels, resorts, attractions and cruises. This program includes courses in tourism and hospitality marketing, strategic planning and development, lodging operations and revenue management.
General
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work in a wide array of sectors related to the tourism, hospitality and event management. This program provides an opportunity to select courses within the department to develop broad content knowledge in both Event Management and Tourism & Hospitality Management.
More Undergraduate Program Options
Looking for something else? Here are additional options.
Did you know?
Undergraduate THEM students join the workforce with over 600 hours of industry experience to help propel their careers forward.
“The connections you’ll make with other students and professors will help grow you as an individual and will continue to help you in the professional world. My last semester in the program, I had the opportunity to intern in Charleston, SC with a catering and design company. Two years later, I was starting my own business. Now, I have a well-known planning and design team and we have the honor of planning events throughout the entire Southeast.”
– Samantha Anderson, Wedding Planner + Designer, Samantha Anderson Events (Charleston, SC)
Experiential Learning
Our goal is to expose students to the future of the industry while exposing businesses to the future leaders of it. From in-class event planning to hotel management simulation labs and more, we ensure our students have the experiences they need to go amazing places with their career.
Career Opportunities
Students with a B.S. in THEM pursue a wide range of career opportunities including casino manager, catering director, corporate travel manager, event promotion specialist, restaurant manager, tourism planning analyst and so much more.
Internship Experiences
All HHP students will complete an internship as a capstone experience. Examples of past internship sites include Disney College Porgram, Four Seasons Resort of Palm Beach, Island Queen Cruises, Wilderness of the Smokies and more.
Student Involvement
At UF you’ll find plenty of opportunities to get involved in HHP student organizations, undergraduate research, the University Scholars Program and more.
Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute
At the forefront of groundbreaking research, we focus on tourism management and share our insights with the world. We connect with industry leaders, pushing boundaries with cutting-edge research and creating exciting opportunities for engagement.
Costs & Financial Aid
A variety of types of assistance are available including federal loans, work-study positions, scholarships, fellowships, graduate study research assistantships, full-time and temporary employment, and private sources.
Obtaining employment in tourism, hospitality or event management requires an intentional effort at building relationships (i.e., networking) with industry professionals. Networking opportunities are shared weekly through the Pulse Email Newsletter.
For more information about career opportunities in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, please schedule an appointment with your advisor or visit the Career Connections Center.
Field Experience
Field Experience (LEI 3921) provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience within the tourism, hospitality and event management industry. Students apply their skills and knowledge as an agency volunteer in their particular sub-field of choice, by working and successfully fulfilling 80 hours over the course of one semester, ideally the semester prior to completing their full-time internship.
Upon the successful completion of this course, all students will have finished their field experience requirement and have the tools necessary to submit a proposal required for their internship. Packets will be submitted during the term.
During the course, we will provide resources to assist students to generate and modify their resumes and cover letters, position their credentials more effectively and refine their site assessment skills. In addition, we also require them to practice one of the most important success prediction skills, the personal interview.
We encourage students to start looking into potential sites to complete their Field Work for LEI 3921 up to 18 months in advance.
International Students should be sure to connect with their advisor in the UF International Center, about how this requirement might impact their visas ahead of time as it may require approval from both the International Center and their departmental advisor.
Students may be paid/compensated for the field work experience and the senior internship, however, they are not permitted to use a current job to fulfill the class or internship requirement. Additionally, to receive approval to complete the experience, the site and duties/responsibilities must align with the degree plan the student has selected.
Internship
In comparison to other majors, THEM students are required to complete a full semester of internship, unless they have full time current/past experience in the industry, and this is subject to approval. This internship requirement must be completed prior to graduation and should be completed during the semester of expected graduation after all other coursework has been successfully completed. Credit hours for the internship requirement are included in the credit hour total required for graduation.
Academic Option
Students that have current or past full-time industry experience (supervisory or entry level but not seasonal employment) will be able to substitute the internship engagement with a choice of five department course electives taken over the course of several semesters.
Only students interested in the academic option will need to submit the following documents for approval beginning of their junior year:
- Notice of intent form
- Current resume
- Statement that outlines personal and professional goals, along with an overview of how past industry experience has prepared for a desired career position
The undergraduate curriculum committee will review and decide on approval. Find more information here:
Practicum Opportunities
The optional practicum is designed to provide practical experience for students in the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management. Students can earn elective course credit by maintaining a part-time workload in a setting appropriate to their specialization such as corporate and private event and meeting planners, visitors’ bureaus, theme parks and attractions, resorts, hotels and destination management organizations where significant learning possibilities exist.
Please direct all internship questions to our Internship Coordinator: Ron Gromoll | e-mail
Our faculty study a wide range of interests including public recreation, travel and tourism, resort and attractions, and related industries. Specific areas of interest include these and more:
- Strategic management and marketing
- Sustainable business and community development
- Social impacts of event sport tourism on communities
- Application of AI in tourism, hospitality, and event services
- Social networks and mass media data mining
- Destination image, branding and positive image-building
- Marketing and consumer behavior
Students in the THEM program develop a strong set of versatile skills including:
- Expertise in managing destination management organizations, tour operations, public recreation and hospitality enterprises
- Event management, which involves project management, logistics, timelines and vendor coordination
- The ability to identify issues that impact tourism services
- Knowledge about conference and special event planning, promotion, sponsorship, financial management and production
- Study of tourism and hospitality marketing, strategic planning, lodging operations and revenue management
” The experience and education that I received while attending the tourism and recreation management program was pivotal to where I am in my career today. Every professor is an expertise in their field and they help pass that knowledge along to the students. HHP believes that the Alumni help drive success to their program and is the reason I have been coming back to speak at UF for the past 5 semesters.”
– Matthew Batson, Facility Operations Maintenance Coordinator (Orlando, FL)
Contact Us
Administration and Advising
For questions about our program or your academic career, send us an email: THEMundergrad@hhp.ufl.edu.
Rachel JC Fu, Ph.D. CHE, Chair and Professor: racheljuichifu@ufl.edu
Mailing Address
University of Florida
Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
PO Box 118209
Gainesville, FL 32611
Phone: (352) 294-1661
Fax: (352) 846-6627