About This Program


MPI Networking Event with Students talking to industry partners

The hospitality industry is Colorado’s second largest employer and one of the state’s fastest growing industries. 

To meet the needs of Colorado’s burgeoning sector, as well as prepare people for global leadership roles, MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality offers the country’s most dynamic and innovative programs – providing relevant, applied, and exceptional experiences 

Rooted in industry partnerships and experiential learning, the School of Hospitality houses programs to enhance the skills of anyone in the hospitality industry. Whether it’s crafting beer for production at the historic Tivoli Brewing Company on campus, working in the University’s SpringHill Suites® Denver Downtown hotel, planning events and meetings, leading outdoor recreation activities, or studying travel in the tourism mecca that is the Mile High City, students graduate from MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality ready for Colorado’s workforce and beyond. We CRUSH IT!

Curriculum Checklist

Hospitality Leadership

Benefits of Earning Your Degree at MSU Denver


Apply for the Rita and Navin Dimond Fellows Program, which recruits and rewards high-achieving students with unique professional development opportunities. These include paid internships with the executive teams at Stonebridge Companies hotels in Denver, mentorship from Hotel Management industry professionals, networking meetings with leaders in the local Hotel Management industry and the annual $5,000 Dimond Elite Fellow of the Year award.

Manage a lodging property in a real-time, simulated environment during your senior-level capstone course. MSU Denver’s unique, diverse approach to education in Hotel Management helps students transition to the workforce by exposing them to situations and issues they’ll face day to day in Hotel Management.

Access all of the benefits of MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality, including its central campus location, networking groups, special events, community partnerships and training facilities.

 

Career Opportunities for Our Graduates


A student and chef prepare food for the Hispanic Restaurant Top Chef 2021 Competition

Students graduating with their degree in Hospitality Leadership can look forward to a variety of career paths in the lodging, restaurant, travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries.  Whether it is leading a culinary team through a Nuggets season at Ball Arena or developing outdoor programs for Denver’s “Game Plan for a Healthy City” students are sure to find a place in the hospitality industry where they belong.

Accolades


A generous gift by Gina and Frank Day to Metropolitan State University of Denver is infusing MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality with Day’s brand of inclusive leadership that has proved invaluable to the launch of national hospitality success stories such as Rock Bottom Brewery and Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom.

The Gina and Frank Day Leadership Academy offers opportunities for industry professionals to take the next step to advance their careers. The Academy:

  • Creates a new Hospitality Industry Leadership major.
  • Establishes a structured mentoring program, involving alumni and hospitality industry professionals.
  • Creates a formalized internship program.
  • Institutes a retreat-based leadership program for industry professionals and students.
  • Offers tailored hospitality leadership training to companies interested in improving the skills of their new hire associates, from top leaders to new hires.

Facilities & Resources


 

 

Featuring the 150-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Denver Downtown, the Hospitality Learning Center is the heart of the School of Hospitality. A LEED Gold-certified hotel and conference center, the building combines a hotel with academic facilities and high-tech labs and campus food and beverage services.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Denver Downtown is one of only 11 campus-based teaching hotels in the country. A fully functioning commercial hotel, SpringHill Suites is also a learning lab for Hotel Management students, providing you with experiential learning opportunities as interns or class participants to observe and help with various levels of lodging operations, from housekeeping to guest services. The hotel of choice for many lower downtown businesses such as the Pepsi Center and visitors to the Auraria Campus, SpringHill Suites supports student scholarships through the MSU Denver Foundation.

Program Accreditation


The degree programs in the School of Hospitality at MSU Denver are accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

 

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Hospitality Management Program

Contact the School of Hospitality

Located in the Hospitality Learning Center (HLC), 1190B Auraria Parkway, Room 209

Mailing address:

School of Hospitality
Metropolitan State University of Denver
PO Box 173362, Campus Box 60
Denver, CO 80217-3362

Contact Information

Phone: 303-615-1616
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.msudenver.edu/hospitality