From day-to-day to big-picture
Build fluency in finance, marketing, management, and strategy—so you can read a P&L, defend an investment, and connect guest-experience decisions to long-term business outcomes.
About Our Program
Lead in the global service economy.
The MSBA-HTM at Virginia Tech blends MBA-level business foundations with specialized hospitality, tourism, and analytics coursework—designed for working professionals in the global service economy.
Hospitality has always been a people-first industry. The Master of Science in Business Administration – Hospitality & Tourism Management (MSBA–HTM) at Virginia Tech knows that is a strategic advantage, not a soft skill.
This program is built for students and working professionals who understand that service, storytelling, and relationships sit at the center of every successful venture—and who are ready to translate those instincts into long-term strategy and leadership.
Anchored in the Pamplin College of Business and the globally recognized Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the MSBA–HTM blends MBA-level business fundamentals with specialized hospitality and tourism expertise. It’s designed for people who want to move from operations to strategy, from managing moments to shaping systems.
The industry that touches nearly every other.
Why hospitality, events, and tourism — and why now
Hospitality and tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economic sectors, touching everything from hotels and events to sports, entertainment, healthcare, and government. In that landscape, organizations are looking for leaders who can translate service instincts into strategy, connect guest experience to business performance, and navigate constant change.
The MSBA–HTM helps you make that leap by strengthening both your business fluency and your leadership toolkit—so you can step confidently into roles that shape teams, brands, and experiences.
From “people person” to people leader
Move beyond “I’m great with guests” to “I can design and lead teams, cultures, and service systems that scale.” Courses in leadership, organizational behavior, and service management help you turn emotional intelligence into managerial strength.
From local venue to global context
Examine how tourism, events, and hospitality function as economic drivers and community assets—from college towns and mountain resorts to global capitals and emerging destinations.
Along the way, you’ll engage deeply with analytics, AI, sustainability, and digital guest experience—building the agility to thrive in a data-driven, tech-enabled service economy.
A business-anchored, hospitality-focused degree.
What you’ll study in the MSBA–HTM program
The MSBA–HTM blends MBA-level business fundamentals with specialized hospitality and tourism expertise. Across 30 credit hours, you’ll complete a business core plus flexible HTM electives that let you deepen your knowledge in analytics, strategy, events, leadership, and more.
MBA-level business core
Build the language and tools of business so you can speak confidently with executives, owners, and cross-functional teams.
- Accounting and financial decision-making
- Managerial statistics and data literacy
- Principles of finance and investment
- Organizational behavior and team dynamics
- Marketing strategy and brand stewardship
Together, these courses strengthen your ability to read a P&L, defend an investment, and connect guest experience decisions to business outcomes.
Hospitality & tourism depth
Customize your degree with HTM electives that align with the teams you want to lead and the problems you want to solve.
- Hospitality business analytics, AI, and IT
- Revenue management and demand forecasting
- Event and experience design & operations
- Leadership, HR, and service management
- Real estate, asset management, and development
- Entrepreneurship, franchising, and new ventures
- Tourism & destination management strategy
You can also stack graduate certificates in areas like business analytics & revenue management, international hospitality strategy, or entrepreneurship to signal a clear focus to employers.
Throughout the curriculum, case studies, applied projects, and a capstone experience help you connect classroom learning directly to the hotels, venues, destinations, and organizations where you work today—or aspire to lead tomorrow.
Two campuses. One powerful network.
Where you’ll learn and build your network
The MSBA–HTM connects the strengths of Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus and the Washington, D.C., metro region. Whether you’re a current Hokie planning a 4+1 pathway or a working professional in Alexandria, you’re plugged into a community that lives at the intersection of business, technology, and hospitality.
Blacksburg: the collegiate launchpad
Ideal for current Hokies and recent graduates
Stay in the community you already know and love while you take the next step in your education. Through the accelerated 4+1 option, qualified undergraduates can begin graduate coursework as seniors and complete the MSBA–HTM with just one additional year of study.
- Blend upper-level HTM courses with graduate business coursework.
- Build relationships with faculty mentors early in your career.
- Graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s—and a head start on management roles.
Alexandria & D.C.: the industry center
Designed for working professionals in the region
Study at Virginia Tech’s new academic building in Alexandria, surrounded by global hotel brands, destination marketing organizations, major associations, and hospitality-adjacent roles in government, consulting, and tech.
- Take evening classes in a modern, tech-enabled learning environment.
- Network with Hokies across the D.C. metro area and beyond.
- Connect coursework directly to your current role and regional career opportunities.
No matter where you’re based, you benefit from Virginia Tech’s global alumni network, strong employer relationships, and a culture grounded in Ut Prosim—“That I May Serve.”