Hotel and Restaurant Management

This program prepares students to enter the fast-paced and challenging fields of hotel and/ or restaurant management. Along with learning the importance of customer service, food safety, legal aspects of hospitality, and cost accounting, students develop leadership and decision-making skills. Every student in the program is given the opportunity to become a certified professional in food safety and sanitation through an accredited partnership with the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association.

Program learning objectives.

• Research the wide range of hospitality-related managerial and entrepreneurial employment opportunities.
• Articulate the impact of current events and the social and political environment on the hospitality industry.
• Examine and understand the fiscal, managerial, and operational responsibilities in various components of the hospitality industry, including front office, housekeeping, sales, accounting, marketing and food and beverage.
• Explain and recognize the legal and ethical expectations of conducting business in food service, lodging and other hospitality-related institutions.
• Examine the fiscal, managerial and operational responsibilities of various employment areas in the hospitality field.
• Demonstrate communication skills and professionalism necessary to interact with customers, co-workers, vendors, and supervisors.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of hotel and restaurant operations in purchasing, inventory management, safety issues, and sanitation.

To be considered for admission into a degree or professional certificate program, students must be a high school graduate or have received a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), Pennsylvania Home School Diploma or other recognized equivalency diploma. High School Students applying with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher may be considered for regular admission. Students applying with a GPA below a 2.0 in high school or from another college or university, if accepted, will be admitted conditionally. Please submit an application for admission and a copy of high school and/or college transcript(s). Some applicants may be required to attend a personal interview with the Admissions Office.

An admission essay may be deemed optional for all applicants whose GPA meets or exceeds the minimum for acceptance into the desired program. For certificates and degrees in the Schools of Humanities and Business, the minimum GPA for acceptance is 2.0. For most Health Sciences certificates and degrees, unless otherwise specified, the minimum GPA is 2.2.

In order to be successful in an online environment, students must have consistent and reliable access to a computer and reliable internet connection. Students are permitted to enroll in completely online degree programs during the program's scheduled enrollment availability.

Online courses follow the College's year-round schedule of quarterly, 11-week terms. Students need reliable access to the internet and a computer capable of running current software; access to speakers, a microphone, webcam, printer, and scanner may be necessary for online courses.

This program has Winter and Summer starts. Upcoming start dates: January 11, 2027, July 12, 2027, January 10, 2028.

Tuition and fees. Undergraduate tuition is $525 per credit for all majors. A Student/Technology Fee of $510 per term (5 or more credits) or $315 (4 or fewer credits) is required. A one-time $150 graduation fee applies.

Books and other expenses. Variable expenses per term (estimates): textbooks $350–$450; course material fees approximately $50–$150 per course; personal $150–$250; transportation $150–$300.

Financial aid. Central Penn College processes grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study through federal, state, private, and institutional sources to help eligible students meet some of those costs, including the Federal Pell Grant, PA State Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study and Federal Direct Stafford Loans. To apply for all federal and state financial aid programs, students must complete the FAFSA; Central Penn’s Federal School Code for FAFSA is 004890. To receive financial aid a student must be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program and be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (4 credits).

Payment options. Tuition and expenses are paid each term approximately three weeks before the term starts. Central Penn has a short-term three-month payment plan through CASHNet that divides the balance of the tuition owed by three payments; there is a $35 non-refundable application fee paid with the first payment. An Employer Reimbursement Tuition Agreement Plan lets students who receive tuition reimbursement from their employer defer payment until the specified dates.

Military benefits. Military benefits accepted include the Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapters 30 and 1606), Veterans Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) and Yellow Ribbon Program, Dependents’ Education Assistance (Chapter 35) and Tuition Assistance.

Net price calculator. Use Central Penn’s Net Price Calculator at https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/centralpenn for an early estimate of your total annual cost.

Careers you can pursue. Restaurant manager, Event manager, Hotel general manager, Sommelier, Food service director, Travel manager.

College-wide outcome. 89.2% of Central Penn graduates were employed in their chosen field or continuing their education within one year of graduation (graduates July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025; One-Year Graduate Follow-up Report published July 1, 2026).