The MBA Hospitality programme is a specialised postgraduate degree aimed at people in the hospitality, catering or tourism industry. It is ideal for those who already work in the industry and want to improve their career advancement prospects and take on senior management or other leadership roles. After completing UPSA’s MBA in Hospitality Management programme, graduates will have a broad understanding of what it takes to run an organisation, as well as certain skills and knowledge specific to the hospitality industry. As a result, graduates will be able to take on any leadership role in the catering or tourism industry. This article will cover what you can do with an MBA specialising in hospitality and look at some exciting jobs such as hotel director or restaurant operations manager. It will also explain what is covered in the UPSA Hospitality MBA and list the core MBA courses as well as the hospitality specialisation courses unique to this programme. Applications are open all year, so you can start your studies soon.

What can I do with an MBA in hospitality

An MBA specialising in hospitality will qualify you for a range of management roles in the tourism and catering industries. Thanks to its focus on travel and tourism, this degree will quite literally open graduates up to a world of possibilities. UPSA’s hospitality MBA will teach graduates international best practices and the latest in modern management techniques. The course teaches global perspectives and prepares students for the many challenges that are faced by both local and foreign tourism companies. With these skills, graduates will be able to work almost anywhere in the world. Looking closer to home, there are still many opportunities in this exciting industry. Topping the list of the best-paying hospitality jobs in Ghana is the job of a hospitality director, followed closely by that of a hotel director.

Hospitality director/Hotel manager

As a hospitality or hotel director, you could be responsible for anything from a hotel to a cruise ship to a resort or casino. Your duties would include ensuring that the venue meets guests' expectations and managing the facility's daily operations. Hotel managers are responsible for making sure that all areas of a hotel environment run smoothly and work together successfully. This includes managing employees and coordinating and administering different functions at the hotel, such as catering, events and marketing. To get an idea of the jobs on offer in Ghana’s hospitality management industry, you can view this Google jobs search or LinkedIn. For an idea of the average salary earned by a hospitality director or hotel manager in Ghana, please look at the average salaries on PayLab and Salary Explorer.

Restaurant operations manager

If you are passionate about food and your particular interest in hospitality is in catering, then you may consider becoming a restaurant operations manager. As the person in charge of the restaurant’s operations, your duties would include hiring and training employees, coordinating schedules, overseeing inventory ordering and ensuring regular maintenance. To see what jobs are available, you can take a look at this Google jobs search or this LinkedIn page. For an indication of the salaries earned by restaurant managers in Ghana, you can visit this Salary explorer page.

What does a hospitality MBA cover

All of the MBA online programmes offered by UPSA consist of the same set of core courses, with different combinations of electives to reflect the chosen areas of specialisation. The core courses cover a range of business and management courses. These will prepare you for a leadership role and give you the skills to effectively manage an organisation's operations and finance. The hospitality programme combines a focus on theoretical and practical elements of the international hospitality industry with cutting-edge skills in digital transformation. Students will also cover additional courses on the management of both staff and projects. Where this specialised programme differs from other MBAs is that it also teaches methods and principles in food production. Graduates of this programme will emerge with a solid understanding of food production concepts and principles and be able to manage a food service that follows the best food safety and sanitation methods. Going beyond the kitchen, the course also looks at the economic, social and environmental consequences that a hospitality organisation can have on the surrounding community. Guided by modern management principles and ethical standards, this course aims to produce managers that will have a positive impact not only on their organisation but also on the surrounding environment.

Core subjects for an MBA Hospitality:

These are the core subjects that are shared by all the MBA online programmes offered by UPSA, aimed at giving a broad understanding of what is needed to effectively manage and run an organisation.

• Marketing Management
• Financial Management
• Management & Organisational Behaviour
• Economics for Managers
• Management Information Systems
• Accounting for Managers
• Statistics for Decision-Making
• Global Dimension of Business
• Legal Environment of Business
• Business Ethics and Leadership
• Research Methods
• Strategic Management

Specialised courses for a Hospitality MBA:

These are the courses that are specific to the Hospitality MBA. Some of these are covered in the other MBA online programmes offered by UPSA, but none have this specific mix. This selection is aimed to prepare graduates with the latest skills and insights into the international hospitality industry.

• Critical Perspectives in Hospitality Management
• Digital Transformation Strategy
• Human Resource Management
• Hotel Development and Real Estate Management
• Project Management
• International Hospitality Development

Get started

If you would like to further your career in the hospitality, tourism or catering industries, then you can get more detail on the MBA in Hospitality Management programme. You can also view all of UPSA’s online programmes on the online programmes page as well as find information on course fees on the fees page.