Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management

Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management

The Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management program at Coastal Georgia will prepare you for a career in hotels and restaurants, and also in events, conferences, attractions, resorts, and more. Whatever your personality type and work-style preference may be, there is a perfect job in hospitality, tourism, and event management for you.

Why study Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management at Coastal Georgia?

The coastal area of Georgia provides a unique and special place to study hospitality, tourism, and event management unlike any other place in Georgia. Rich in coastal resources, steeped in history, and home of some of the finest resorts the state has to offer, the entire region is our laboratory. Here, you learn about resorts by taking a tour of a five-star resort and spa. You learn about eco-tourism by talking to a business owner who takes people out in kayaking eco-tours. You learn about events by designing and planning them. You don’t just learn hospitality, tourism, and event management at Coastal Georgia, you live it.

What will I learn?

You will learn about different areas within hospitality, tourism, and event management, including hotel and resort management, food and beverage management, event and meeting management, and tourism and attractions. You’ll take courses that cut across all these areas, teaching skills needed for all areas of hospitality, tourism, and event management, including customer service, law, technology, finance, and professional development. A 150-hour paid internship with a hospitality, tourism, or event management business gives you a chance to practice what you have learned.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT OUR SPORTS MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

B.S., Hospitality & Tourism Management Coastal Resort Track

Students interested in the Coastal Resort Track can earn their BS, Hospitality & Tourism Management with their elective credits going towards a unique work experience with one or more of our resort partners. To do so, they can use their elective hours to earn credit while working over each summer at an approved Coastal Resort partner. Each summer is designed to increase the student’s competencies and prepare them for a manager in training role after graduation. By taking advantage of this opportunity, the students are afforded unique opportunities to grow and experience that all our local resorts have to offer.

Current Coastal Resort Track Partners include but are not limited to: Sea Island Resorts, King and Prince Resort, The Westin on Jekyll Island, Jekyll Island Club Resort, Oaks on the River.

Benefits of the Resort Track:

As a student, you get the unique opportunity to combine experience and education each year while earning college credit each summer, with each summer progressively gaining experiences that may not be available otherwise. The partner resorts get dedicated employees who they can help shape what kind of future leader they will employ. The students are working for both the resort and college credit, which gives the opportunity for resorts to interact with their professor and help shape the student’s path.

For more information, please contact Dr. Matthew Mosley.

What can I do when I graduate?

Our Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management degree will prepare you for even more than working in hotels or restaurants. Coursework will prepare you for a career in events, conferences, eco-tourism, attractions, resort management, or any number of fast-growing affiliated areas locally, nationally, or internationally. Many of the career areas in hospitality, tourism, and event management are growing faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, hospitality skills are transferable to other fields such as healthcare, residential community management, and eldercare.

Get more info about our Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management program CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROGRAM CURRICULUM FOR THIS DEGREE CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT OUR ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE IN CULINARY ARTS

Meet our Faculty/Staff

  • Dr. Tyra Warner

    Tyra Warner

    Chair, Department of Hospitality, Tourism, and Culinary Arts
    Associate Professor

    Dr. Warner is Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Hospitality & Tourism Management. She is internationally known as an expert in liability and crisis preparedness issues that affect hospitality, tourism, meetings, and events.

    Dr. Warner earned her B.S., Business Administration from Georgetown University and her M.A., Tourism Administration, from The George Washington University. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University and her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from Oklahoma State University. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Convention & Event Tourism. She is actively involved with the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, Meeting Professionals International, and the Events Industry Council.

    During her career, Dr. Warner has been a professor, an attorney, a meeting and event planner, a catering manager, a convention and visitor’s bureau sales manager, and an association executive. She is one of only two people in the world who has a Ph.D. in Hospitality, is a practicing attorney, and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).

  • Dr. Richard Robby Roberson

    Dr. Roberson
    Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism, Chef Instructor

    Richard (Robby) Roberson is an associate professor teaching classes for the Hospitality Management program. He holds a PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University. Additionally, he did post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, and is academically qualified in both Marketing and Management. He serves as the program director for the Culinary Arts program at the College of Coastal Georgia. His research interest is film-induced tourism. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Roberson worked extensively in the hospitality industry. He has worked as a chef for many restaurants, resorts in Georgia, Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana, in both grand Teton and Glacier National Parks. He has also owned his own business.

  • Dr. Matthew Mosley

    Matthew Mosley

    Assistant Professor of Hospitality
    and Tourism Management

    Matthew Mosley is an Assistant Professor in the Hospitality & Tourism Management program. He holds a PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, a Master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, and a Bachelor’s from South Dakota State University. Dr. Mosley has worked in the hospitality industry in both restaurants and hotels for over 20 years prior to entering academia. Dr. Mosley’s current research track examines both music and film induced tourism. Dr. Mosley currently teaches classes such as Eco-Tourism, Event Management, Hotel Management, Strategic Management, and Hospitality Finance Management.

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Student Spotlight: Konner Smith

“I chose this major because I love people and I love traveling. There’s so many opportunities to travel, and there’s so much you can do through Hospitality and Tourism – like airlines, cruises, restaurants, hotels, and casinos. I hope to one day have a career in sales and marketing for hotels and resorts. I enjoy the aspects of booking rooms, talking with event planners, and setting up for conferences. That’s why I chose Residence Inn by Marriott as my internship.”


Dr. Matt Mosley awarded ‘Advisor of the Year.’

Dr. Mosley joined the College faculty in 2019. Students seek him out for guidance and advice, and he takes on the role with pride.

“He is always there for his students, and is always willing and wanting to help them succeed,” one of his students said.