Food Service Management Degree: What Will I learn in a Degree Program?
A food service management degree is a popular choice for those looking to get into the restaurant business. This type of degree should give you the background knowledge you need to be successful in the business aspects of running a restaurant, as opposed to the food preparation side of the industry. Here's an overview of the types of courses you can expect to take throughout a typical food service management degree program.
General Courses
As with any degree program, you will have to take some courses that fall outside of your major as part of the school's general education requirements. This can include courses in math, science, writing, history and more. Depending on the particular school you choose, you may have specific courses that you are required to take, or you may be able to choose between several options in each area of study.
While it might not seem like these courses are related directly to your major, each one helps you in a different way. If you don't have math skills, how will you be able to balance the books at your restaurant or tally inventory? If you don't have writing skills, how will you communicate with customers and vendors through email or perform basic advertising tasks for your business? General education courses are valuable, just like classes in your major.
Business Courses
At its core, a restaurant is a business, and although the food service industry is markedly different from other industries in the business world, it still shares plenty of similarities. In this portion of your degree program, you'll cover topics like accounting, business ethics, marketing and legal issues. You'll learn to manage your restaurant effectively from a business standpoint, as you would with any other business.
In some cases, your business courses may be geared specifically towards the food service industry, while at other times, they may take a more general approach to the topic. This will depend on the school you choose and the preferences of the professor teaching each course. Ask your academic advisor or other students for guidance if you have a particular preference in this area.
Food Courses
This is where you get right down into the details of what distinguishes the food service and restaurant industries from others. The classes you take in this part of your degree program will be specifically related to the unique needs of this industry. You'll take courses on topics like wine and beverage management, food service cost control, special event management, and food service case studies, to name a few.
These will likely be some of the more fun classes in your degree program, as these are the ones that are most closely linked to your chosen path. Be sure to pay attention during class and give your assignments the attention they deserve to ensure you leave school with the skills required to be successful in the food service industry.
Bringing Your Knowledge into the Real World
To ensure that you retain as much of the information you learn as possible, it is a good idea to get a job in the field while you are in school. It's fine to work part-time if you are worried about not having enough time for your studies. The goal is to get some real-world experience in the industry. This way, you'll have a frame of reference that will give you better understanding of your course materials. You'll even be able to put some of your new skills and knowledge into practice while at work.
Are you interested in becoming a food service manager? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Service Management, ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this course at an accelerated pace. For more information about this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.