Want A Restaurant Management Degree? Here Are Your Options

Running a restaurant isn’t as simple as it seems. There’s more to it than just preparing and serving food. As a restaurant manager, you need to be able to oversee a lot of different moving parts, such as your waiter team, food ordering, your chefs, scheduling, budgeting, and a lot more.

While experience in the field is invaluable, those wishing to work in the food industry as a manager should look into getting a restaurant management degree. This degree will give you valuable new skills and strengthen existing ones so that you’ll be able to confidently manage a restaurant in the future.

Want to learn more about getting a degree in restaurant management? Read on to learn more about this interesting degree and decide if it’s right for you.

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What is a Restaurant Management Degree?

For the most part, a restaurant management degree is pretty self explanatory. With this degree, you’ll be able to manage restaurants.

Aside from learning the ins and outs of running a restaurant, you’ll also learn important business skills that will allow you to run your restaurant profitably and effectively. You might also learn topics such as marketing your restaurant, recruiting and training staff members, how to develop menus, overseeing the quality of the food, and a lot more.

Some restaurant management degrees also involve hotel or hospitality management, so you’ll learn a lot more than just the restaurant business.

Should You Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Restaurant Management?

Well, that mostly depends on you and your ideal career path.

A lot of people who already have a career, whether it’s working in the restaurant business or something else, might be interested in getting a degree in restaurant management if they’re looking to switch careers. If you fall into this category, you might want to look for an online or remote learning program so that you can continue to work while you study.

If you’re interested in growing your communication and business skills in order to work in either the restaurant or hospitality industries, then getting a restaurant management degree can be the right move for you.

How to Choose a Restaurant Management Degree Program

Choosing a restaurant management program shouldn’t be a decision you make lightly or quickly. In order to find the right one, it’s important to put some time and consideration into selecting a program.

First, check if the program you’re looking at offers full-time and part-time studies. If you’re going to be working while earning a degree, you’ll likely want to study part-time.

Additionally, check if the program offers online learning so that you can learn remotely. Finding a program you can take online will open a lot of doors for you since you aren’t limited to applying to local colleges.

You’ll also want to look into the types of classes offered in each program. Check if the courses will provide the right skills that you need and also if they offer any hands-on experience in the form of internships or apprenticeships.

Finally, if you’re going into this degree with a specific goal or career in mind, then things like specializations and the location can be more important than they are in other degrees. Studying in a city known for its culinary scene — like New York City, for example — can help you network while you’re still in school, so this is also something you should consider.

Restaurant Management Degree Admissions Requirements

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Just like you would for any other bachelor’s degree, you need to be prepared with the right paperwork before applying to your selected programs.

You’ll need to provide transcripts, any test scores you have, and your completed application for each school. You’ll also likely need to send in a personal statement along with letters of recommendation. For these, make sure you demonstrate your interest in the field of restaurant management and highlight any previous experience you have. If you can get letters of recommendation from people in the industry, whether it’s old managers or colleagues, they’ll be able to highlight the skills the admissions office will be looking for.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by only applying to one school. Pick a few programs you’re interested in and submit applications to all of them to increase your chances of admission.

Employment Outlook and Salary

It’s important to know the employment outlook for any career before you plan on making it your life’s work.

The employment growth outlook for restaurant and food service managers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is only expected to grow about 1% until 2029. However, don’t be too discouraged. The outlook in 2018 projected an 11% job growth, but likely due to the ongoing pandemic and the closure of restaurants, this figure was decreased. When life gets a little more back to normal, you might expect this number to go up once again. Additionally, with a degree in restaurant management or hospitality, your job prospects are better than those without a degree in the field.

Restaurant managers make an average of $55,320. Of course, the type of restaurant you manage will likely dictate your salary. If you’re managing a high-end restaurant, your salary will likely be higher.

Another thing to consider is that people in the restaurant business typically work more than 40 hours a week, so most people in this industry aren’t in it for the money but to fuel their passion!

Best Restaurant Management Degree Programs

Here are a few of the best restaurant management degrees from schools in the US and around the world that might interest you. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive so you’ll want to do your own research to find a program that matches your specific requirements.

• Hospitality Management, New York Institute of Technology
• Hospitality Management, Drexel University
• Hotel and Restaurant Management, Niagara University
• Hospitality Management, Alabama University
• Food Business Management, The Culinary Institute of America
• Hospitality Management, Kendall College Chicago
• Hotel and Restaurant Management, Synergy University Dubai
• Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, University of Delaware
• Hotel and Restaurant Management, Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila
• Hospitality Management, Florida International University

The Bottom Line

A restaurant management degree can be a worthwhile and fulfilling investment. If you know you want to work in the restaurant or hospitality industries, then this is probably the right academic and career path for you.

Another direction you might consider going in is a business administration degree from University of the People. Pursuing an undergraduate certificate program in business administration can also prove to be highly beneficial. You’ll be able to study remotely so you can continue working, you’ll be able to benefit from a tuition-free education, and you can use a lot of the business skills you learn in a restaurant or hospitality setting.