The long-term positive outlook for the hotel industry and the growing demand for qualified management have led to a steady increase in hotel degree programs at the university level.

Currently, there are approximately 150 undergraduate programs in hospitality, hospitality management or tourism offered by U.S. colleges and universities, with approximately 60 offering Masters programs. About half those Masters' programs offer a hospitality-based MBA, reflecting the growing complexity of the industry. Real estate is garnering more attention as an important component.

The classes students take today are dramatically different from those as recently as five years ago. If you are involved in hiring students, or have a family member who is considering a degree in hospitality, here is what you should be looking for:

1. Service: The core value of any hospitality education remains the art and science of service, ranging from sophisticated guest feedback programs to the analysis of the service recovery process. Students should expect to divide their time between the theory of service and practical learning from case studies and specialized programs, such as Six Sigma, the Malcolm Baldridge Awards, the J.D. Powers Awards and others.

   Even companies outside the hospitality industry are increasingly interested in students with a hospitality major because they have learned both a strong service ethic and have the education to support it.

2. Operating finance: A growing number of hospitality programs are housed within the school of business, and rightfully so. Today's students need a thorough grounding in all financial aspects of a hotel's operations. They must have a working understanding of a profit and loss statement and the knowledge to build revenues while restraining costs. Students need a solid foundation in accounting and finance for all entry-level management positions.

3. People: Few businesses are more dependent on people than hospitality. Hotels are the stage, and associates are the actors that make it come alive.

   Despite the obvious importance of people, our industry experiences extremely high turnover. The cost to recruit and train is significantly higher than to retain and motivate existing staff.

   Today's workforce, comprising everything from boomers to Gen-X and -Yers, requires increasingly complex people management skills. Boomers are reaching the age when they'll either retire or pursue new and different careers. Gen X & Yers don't want to work long hours, yet seem to expect to become general manager within two months. Each group has a different set of expectations and motivations.

   In an economic downturn, the industry tends to overlook the looming labor shortage, but by 2010 there will be a 10-million-person deficit in the U.S. workforce. Successful operators must know how to attract, train and retain quality talent.

4. Technology: While today's students grew up with computers and can run circles around anyone over 35, they still need to understand how to adapt the knowledge to the workplace. Over the next five to 10 years, the role of technology will expand in hospitality operations to offer quicker and more customized options for guests and to support more efficient and productive work processes for employees.

5. Globalization: If Horace Greeley were giving advice today, it might be to “go international” rather than “west” in search of a hospitality career. This is an emerging trend that is integrated into many classes today and will become increasingly important as more hotel companies become international. The ability to empathize with multiple cultures will create a competitive edge in years to come.

6. Green hotels: The current generation of students is more ecologically attuned than any other in history. They not only are emotionally motivated to “save the planet,” they also realize going green can add to the bottom line.

7. Internships: There is no substitute for hands-on experience. Every college student should be required to intern. Working in a hotel gives students a real-life lab to see what makes a hotel tick and decide whether they are suited for it.

Looking to the future, strategic planning and strong business skills will play a greater role. Hospitality is becoming increasingly complex as it integrates into huge mixed-use and lifestyle developments. Curriculums are responding with specialized majors. In the years to come, students will be better trained to not only understand how the industry works, but how to grow with it into the future.

Debra Cannon is director of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality, J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. The school currently enrolls over 300 students in hospitality undergraduate and graduate programs. She can be reached at dfcannon@gsu.edu. Additional information about hospitality degree programs can be found at www.robinson.gsu.edu/hospitality.