Hotel, Restaurant Business and Management, Cooking: Where to Study in Your Specialty, the Best Universities, How to Apply

The hotel business, or the hospitality industry, is a versatile field that gives future specialists the opportunity to choose their profession in a narrow-profile version or try their skills and strength in different areas in the process of climbing the career ladder. Hospitality management assumes that by the end of their studies, the specialist will know various aspects of the hospitality industry: from the duties of an administrator, housekeeping and maintenance to the marketing and sale of hotel services. In the process of studying, students study service activities, hotel technology, office work, management in the service sector, sanitary and environmental standards. 

Restaurant business and management is a complex and multifaceted process that includes many nuances for future managers. Restaurant managers manage the day-to-day operations of a business, which include marketing, accounting, insurance, health standards, foodservice fundamentals, and so on. By the end of the training, specialists know the basic and specialized parts of cooking methods, maintenance, storage and menu planning. In addition, the restaurant manager is responsible for the search and recruitment of personnel, the competent organization of work processes in the team, the creation of a comfortable and productive atmosphere, the motivation of employees, and interaction with business owners and its customers.

Future managers of hotels and restaurants are required to take basic courses in psychology and conflictology, get a general idea of etiquette and standards of behavior of employees in the hotel and restaurant business, and learn foreign languages. In order to improve their competencies, students undergo practical training based on business games, solving specific conflict situations and internships in existing hotels and restaurants.

Cooking is a field that is part of the hotel and restaurant business, and it is aimed not only at managerial competencies and tasks, but also at a large amount of work "behind the scenes" in the hospitality industry. This specialization is not limited to the work of a chef: in the future, a specialist in the field of cooking can become a restaurant manager or even open his own business. In the process of training , the future culinary specialist receives basic and specialized competencies: from classical principles and cooking skills to the intricacies of creating author's menus and opening their own establishments.

Pros of Specialties in the Field of Hotel and Restaurant Business

1. Opportunity for fast and effective career growth. Most often, junior managers of hotel and restaurant business start with the position of administrator, then in the course of work they gain new knowledge and competencies that allow them to raise their status to the level of hotel or restaurant manager.
2. No geographical boundaries and the ability to work in different cities and countries. Internships in other locations can be done during your studies as an internship or under student exchange programs.
3. In the hospitality and service industry, people are the main driving resource. Therefore, the owners of hotels and restaurants make every effort to provide employees with comfortable and decent working conditions and a full social package. Most often, the social package includes medical insurance, sick leaves, long-term maternity leave, vacation and pension payments, in addition, companies sometimes pay for employees to undergo advanced training programs or additional education, including training abroad. 
4. A space for creativity and creativity. Management is not only about strict algorithms and reporting, it is also about non-standard approaches to work. In the service sector, individual approaches to customers are welcomed, which gives industry professionals the opportunity to experiment and develop their skills through the prism of their own idea of doing business. 
5. Decent salary. Since almost all hotels and restaurants in the world are privately owned, the salaries of specialists in these establishments are considered one of the most attractive parts of working in the field of hospitality and services. 

Directions and options of professions in the specialties "Hotel, Restaurant Business and Management, Cooking"

The variability of professional choice in the hotel and restaurant business is wide, so everyone who is interested in the service sector will be able to find a suitable specialty for themselves. Here are a few options for what you can do after studying at universities and colleges: 

• The administrator of the establishment is a specialist whose duties include meeting guests, allocating rooms or tables, receiving calls, controlling reservations, fulfilling special requests of customers, coordinating the work of staff (maids, porters, tour guides or waiters, cooks).
• A concierge is a specialist who advises on attractions, recommends restaurants and leisure activities in and out of the hotel. Specialist services can range from helping you find a babysitter to purchasing tickets for shows. 
• A sommelier is a job that will require in-depth knowledge of wine, its combinations and the fermentation process in order to advise visitors and surprise them with personalized proposals.
• A tour guide is a specialist who accompanies tourists and shows them the sights of the country, city, and so on. Most often, a good guide's theoretical knowledge goes beyond the standard tourist routes - this is necessary if, based on the wishes of tourists, he has to make changes to the route developed in advance, quickly navigate and continue the tour without interruptions. 
• A chef is an employee who is responsible for the menu and the quality of the dishes served, controlling the entire work of the kitchen: from placing an order to cooking and delivery.
• An event manager is a specialist who plans and supervises the organization's events, including charity dinners, meetings, and conferences. 
• The Director of Housekeeping is a specialist who ensures that standards of cleanliness and attention to detail are maintained across all of their teams, and is responsible for managing the budget and handling any staffing issues.
• An establishment manager is a specialist who makes sure that the operational processes in the operation of a hotel or restaurant run smoothly. The scope of a manager's tasks includes guest interaction, personnel management, property finance management, and more.
• Maids are professionals who are responsible for maintaining a standard of cleanliness throughout the hotel. They clean individual hotel rooms and common areas, make beds, do laundry, clean bathrooms, stock linens, and more. Working as a maid requires a certain amount of physical stamina because you often have to lift heavy loads and be on your feet for most of the day.
• Pastry chefs are employees of restaurants and coffee shops who are responsible for preparing desserts. In the work of a professional pastry chef, it is important to be precise, so that all the ingredients are in the right percentage, and observation, a sense of beauty, since customers need the dessert to be not only tasty, but also beautiful. 
• A receptionist is one of the many support staff positions in the hospitality industry. Porters are responsible for handling guests' luggage and can bring luggage into guests' rooms or carry luggage to the lobby.
• A waiter is a professional who works in restaurants, bars, hotels, cafes, and other catering establishments. Waiters interact directly with customers, taking orders, serving food and drinks, and paying checks from customers.
• A PR manager is an important profession in the hospitality and services industry. Hotels and restaurants value their reputation, so they carefully plan strategies to maintain their overall image. The responsibilities of a PR manager include the development of these strategies, the creation of press releases, maintaining contacts with the media, the formation of a positive brand image, monitoring and analysis of competitors, the organization of image events, and planning the promotion budget.
• Tour operators and travel agents are specialists who help to create a unique itinerary, book hotels, air tickets and excursions. Such work requires attention to detail, a high level of responsibility, curiosity, sociability, stress resistance and organizational skills.

Prospects for training in the areas of "Hotel, Restaurant Business and Management, Cooking"

There is an opinion that it is possible to build a successful career in the hotel or restaurant business without special education, climbing the career ladder from a waiter or cleaner to a manager and even a co-owner. However, specialized education accelerates these processes and allows a specialist to start his career path immediately from a more promising position. You can get an education in the areas of "Hotel, Restaurant Business and Management, Cooking" both at universities and colleges; For more successful work, it is recommended to regularly take additional advanced training courses.

What does studying give you to work in the field of hospitality and services? 

1. Required industry knowledge. To have a successful career in the hospitality industry, specialized knowledge and skills are required. A typical bachelor's degree in hospitality provides a thorough understanding of the inner workings of the industry, including customer service, marketing, operations management, and financial management.
2. An opportunity to build a non-linear career. This means that today's employees tend to move forward by switching between roles and industries, rather than following the more direct and linear career trajectory that was common among previous generations. It makes a career more exciting and stimulating. While a degree in hospitality and restaurant provides industry-specific knowledge, it additionally helps to develop a set of transferable skills that can be applied to other sectors and other roles. 
3. Many degrees in hospitality or restaurant offer hands-on learning opportunities through internships and business projects that allow students to work with real-world companies. Internships, in particular, provide an opportunity to gain practical skills and gain first-hand insight into the industry. For example, a student may be a hotel or restaurant manager, or work with a team of event planners to plan a conference: such direct professional experience will help to gain confidence, gain practical skills, and build valuable connections in the industry.

Demand and level of earnings of professions

The hotel and restaurant business is one of the promising areas in 2024. These areas are actively developing and growing, therefore, according to industry experts, in about five years the number of employees of hotels, restaurants, event agencies and travel companies will reach about 350 million. Both effective managers and "working hands" of establishments are in demand, so it is easy to find a job in the field of hospitality and services, especially for places with an increased tourist flow. 

The amount of remuneration in the hospitality and services industry varies depending on the position, country, company and the qualifications of the professional, but as a rule, hotel chains and restaurants offer competitive salaries and ample opportunities to increase it in order to retain good staff. Average monthly salaries of hotel and restaurant managers:

• USA — $5000,
• Canada — $4000,
• Great Britain — $4000,
• Germany — $4500,
• UAE — $4500,
• Australia — $5000,
• New Zealand — $5000.

Features of admission to specialties

If you plan to enroll in a foreign university for a master's program, business school, or continuing education courses, in most cases, you will need to have a working portfolio and a certain number of years of experience in the industry. In some institutions, confirmation of the previous stage of specialized education and work experience are mandatory. In others, these are interchangeable admission requirements.

Other stages and documents for admission differ depending on the specific country, educational institution and chosen specialty - contact our consultants for a detailed analysis of a specific training course.