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Tourism Management M.T.M.

9
Months to Earn Your Masters
95%
CSU Online Grad Students have Plans Related to their Career
93%
Grad Students would choose CSU Online Again
$447M
Investment in research in FY21
Degree Overview Open Accordion

CSU's online master's in tourism management helps you develop your business management acumen, enhance your knowledge of industry practices, and understand the social and environmental impacts of global tourism — so you can live the lifestyle you love while working to create positive experiences for others.

Global events, an evolving market, and new technology have all changed the way people engage in tourism activities. As a result, more consumers now seek regional experiences with greater personalization and a focus on sustainable, meaningful, and authentic experiences.

Start building the industry-specific knowledge you need to become a well-rounded leader in a tourism management role.

Learn a whole-system approach

Gain foundational skills as you study a holistic, integrated approach to sustainable tourism management. Explore technological and strategic business solutions that can help you operate a more agile, streamlined operation. Investigate the social and environmental impacts of this evolving industry as you learn to balance the ethical treatment of people and resources while running a profitable venture.

Throughout this master’s program, you will learn:

  • Financial management processes and tools
  • Effective marketing and communication strategies
  • How to use data to gain insight and guide business decisions
  • How to strategically and ethically manage both people and resources

Customize your education with a related graduate certificate

As a student in this program, you may choose to replace up to six credits with courses in Ski Area Management or Adventure Tourism to gain specialized knowledge. Speak with your academic advisor to learn more.

Explore Careers Open Accordion

Inspired by exploring the outdoors or regional cultures? Looking to align who you are with what you do? Tourism offers many options for shifting into a new career or advancing into a management role within the industry.

Build the specialized skills to make a meaningful impact on the world while doing something you love.

Gain a competitive career advantage with employers specializing in:

  • Hospitality and resort management
  • Outdoor and adventure travel
  • Tourism management
  • Destination management or marketing
  • Event management
  • Cruise management
  • Agritourism

Start your own tourism venture

Exciting and lucrative opportunities in tourism exist for professionals with the right entrepreneurial skills. Business course electives in marketing strategy, managing human capital, supply chain management, and more have been integrated with tourism-specific coursework in this program to provide you with a solid foundation.

Course Descriptions Open Accordion

NRRT 567 – Tourism Entrepreneurship

In NRRT 567, you will explore the dynamics that influence tourism entrepreneurship, including how to think like an entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how to plan for adapting to issues; learn financial and organizational components of starting a tourism enterprise, and how to identify and acquire start-up funding; and apply entrepreneurial thinking, strategies, theories, and technical skills to address complex socio-environmental issues and conservation through experiential learning.

NRRT 600 – Tourism Industry Concepts and Practices

NRRT 600 is designed to provide students with an introduction to key foundational tourism concepts, and how they have informed, and can be applied to, tourism operations around the world. As the tourist is at the center of tourism, this course begins by defining and characterizing tourists, examining their varying motivations, and understanding the nature of tourist experience. Focus is then shifted to the tourism industry and tourism systems, as well as tourism destination development over time. This is followed be an examination of key economic, sociocultural, and technological issues and considerations associated with tourism development. This will provide students with a holistic understanding of the tourist, the tourism industry and system, and how it is affected by the broader macroenvironment, from which students can further build their tourism knowledge.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define and characterize tourists and the tourism industry
  • Compare and contrast different social theories that apply to tourists, and tourism development
  • Evaluate different tourism management strategies and considerations
  • Identify and discuss the different stages and management considerations of the tourist experience
  • Identify and discuss the different stages and management considerations for tourism destination development
  • Critically examine the various economic, sociocultural, and technological aspects of tourism

NRRT 601 – Quantitative Analysis in Tourism I

NRRT 601 provides an overview of the statistical techniques used by researchers to inform and support tourism decision-making. Emphasis is placed on understanding data manipulation techniques and what statistics are appropriate for addressing applied decision–making problems.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify the appropriate uses of the major statistical techniques utilized by researchers to inform and support tourism decision-making.
  • Differentiate what statistical techniques are appropriate for analyzing selected types of tourism research questions.
  • Conduct data analysis using IBM SPSS (i.e., Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
  • Interpret SPSS computer printouts and construct data tables/figures for communicating with technical and non-technical audiences

NRRT 609 – Tourism and Conservation

Provides the landscape view that situates how tourism, conservation, and natural resource management come together. Examine the history of public lands and protected areas around the world. Explore the evolution of the relationship between tourism and conservation, and the way in which different international agreements on biodiversity and climate change affect tourism and conservation.

NRRT 610 – Natural Resource Management and Tourism

NRRT 610 The United States has led the world in establishing the need to protect public lands for public use. Recreation is one of the key uses established for these public lands in the U.S. and is fast becoming an economic development tool not only in the U.S., but also in developing countries around the world.

The first section of this course will look at the philosophy and history of the conservation movement in the U.S. and the development of natural resource tourism here, as well as the broader Tourism System. We will also look at covenants and institutions world-wide in the form of the UN Convention on Climate Change and Bio Diversity that govern international development policies and the conservation of scarce global resources. In addition, we will examine the role of tourism as a development tool internationally and as an economic driver in the U.S. and a variety of other national settings. In the second section of the course we will examine the measurement of natural resource recreation supply, demand and economic impact; as well as the role of these measures in the comprehensive planning process for recreation resource management at the federal, state and local levels. Finally, we will examine the role of compliance in managing natural resources for recreational use, including the implications of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) on recreation resource development.

Natural resources are at the heart of the tourism experience in the United States and world-wide. The federal government in the United States controls more than 650 million acres of public land, more than 30% of the nation’s total land area. This immense natural resource is governed by Federal land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Army Corp of Engineers, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs (Native American Reserves), and the Department of Defense (Military Reserves). Add this to the almost 200 million acres of public land held by states and all county and local governments and public lands in the United States tops one billion acres, or about 35% of the country’s total land mass (National Wilderness Institute 1995).

Public lands have many uses, including forest resources, rangeland, watersheds, highways, power and water easements, waterways, military reservations, Native American reservations and mineral leases. Approximately 80% of non-reserve public lands are primarily used for recreation, including 20% that are managed both as recreation resources and as important animal habitat and ecologies or designated as Wilderness (Nelson 2012).

The Outdoor Industry Association Outdoor Recreation Economy Report (2018) estimates that in 2017 outdoor recreation or natural resource tourism generated more than $887 billion in consumer spending, providing about 7.4 million direct jobs in the United States. “Outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse in the United States…” (OIA). Natural resource tourism and outdoor recreation provide a huge economic engine in the U.S. and globally.

Management of these resources for the benefit of all users is a priority for land management Agencies and other organizations that manage lands for recreation use. These organizations include corporations such as Vail, Aspen, IntraWest, Squaw Valley and other major ski resorts; as well as smaller resorts, rafting companies, backcountry, hunting and fishing and other guide services and many other organizations that depend on natural resources to provide the place for their customers to play.

This broad scope of recreational opportunity also brings challenges unique to natural resource tourism managers. Whether working to secure base funds to operate state or local parks and open space; dealing with environmental regulations when expanding a ski resort; applying for permits for backcountry, fishing, or river guides; or working with national governments and local communities to develop unique ecotourism opportunities in Malaysia, natural resource tourism management is a complex undertaking governed by local, regional, national and international tourism systems.

NRRT 615 – Sustainable Tourism Development

The NRRT 615 course is designed to provide an understanding of the concept of sustainable tourism development. Theory, practice, history, terminology and issues in sustainable tourism planning and management are examined in the context of sustainable livelihoods and conservation. A comprehensive survey of sustainable tourism components – including poverty alleviation through tourism, natural resources as attractions and destinations, social and resource responsibility, establishing policies, and principles for sustainability – will be covered from a systems thinking perspective.

Student assessment will take the form of discussion posts and responses, personal journal, two mini-papers, and a single course case study project requiring application to real world examples of materials presented in the course.

Course modules will be available through Canvas with each module being posted prior to the start of that module’s scheduled week. This “gating” is intended to keep the cohort together in terms of material presented so that discussion assignments can be completed with the maximum amount of student interaction.

Course Objectives:

By taking the NRRT 671 course, students will be able to:

  • Synthesize the definitions, terminology and concepts of sustainable tourism and how it relates to tourism, livelihoods, and community development via course journals, mini-papers and online discussions.
  • Understand the history and development of sustainable tourism development.
  • Identify impacts associated with tourism development and apply intervention strategies to mediate the impacts identified.
  • Learn, apply and discuss ethics (codes of conduct, compliance and eco-labeling) in sustainable tourism for policy development.

NRRT 620 – Organizational Management in Tourism

NRRT 620 will focus on enhancing student understanding of concepts in management applied to a travel and tourism organization. The course begins with an introduction to management, the management process and a discussion of the personal characteristics that make an effective manager. Following this, course topics include the managing ethics, diversity, and globalization; planning, decision-making, and competitive advantage; designing organizational structure and managing for change; leading individuals and groups, and controlling activities and processes such as communication and information technology and operations. A predominant characteristic of this class (and the MTM program as a whole) is that discussions, exercises, and case studies will require students to think about the application of management principles and concepts to the management of travel and tourism organizations.

Course Objectives:

By taking this course, students will be able to:

  • Discuss what management is within the context of travel and tourism industry sectors.
  • Describe how personality traits and psychological characteristics influence a manager’s behavior and impact the organizational culture of a travel and tourism organization.
  • Explain what it means to effectively manage diversity in a travel and tourism setting.
  • Describe the steps of the planning process and explain the relationship between planning and strategy.
  • Describe the types of organizational structures that are appropriate in a tourism setting.
  • Describe how motivation theories can be applied to maximize employee productivity, retention, professional development, and satisfaction.
  • Explain leadership attributes that most contribute to the effectiveness of tourism managers.
  • Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to the effectiveness of tourism organizations.
  • Describe how tourism managers can encourage/facilitate collaborative decision-making.
  • Explain how human resource management helps gain competitive advantage.
  • Describe the functions of human resource management within the context of a tourism organization.
  • Explain how operations management ensures a high-quality tourism experience.

NRRT 625 – Communication/Conflict Management in Tourism

NRRT 625 Communication has many roles in tourism management, from the most obvious: communicating with current and potential visitors; to more subtle applications such as internal and external stakeholder communication, conflict and change management. This course offers a review of current theoretical approaches to communication study, as well as practical application of communication techniques relevant to tourism management.

NRRT 650 – Financial Management in Tourism

NRRT 650 Financial Management in Tourism, focuses on enhancing the student’s understanding of key concepts of finance as they relate to managing a travel and tourism business. While many of the concepts covered in this course are applicable to those students who find themselves working for large corporations, the content also applies for those students working in or starting smaller entrepreneurial tourism enterprises. Discussions, applications, and case studies will enable students to apply concepts specifically to businesses within the travel and tourism industry. Section 1 of the course introduces students to the financial accounting aspect of finance, including an introduction to the development, interpretation, and analysis of financial statements; analysis of profit, profitability, and breakeven, as well as forecasting and budgeting. Section 2 addresses management accounting aspects of finance; including working capital management, time value of money and capital budgeting.

Course Objectives:

By taking this course, students will be able to

  • describe the nature of financial statements used by travel and tourism businesses.
  • apply techniques for the analysis of financial statements for a travel and tourism business and organization.
  • distinguish between profit and profitability.
  • analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of a travel and tourism business and organization.
  • describe the steps in selecting, evaluating, and applying financial forecasting models.
  • describe a travel and tourism business’s revenue base, sales forecasts, assets, and a need for financing.
  • apply methods of dealing with current asset management and current liability management.
  • calculate and apply future- and present value of lump sums used to solve time-value-of-money problems.
  • calculate and apply future- and present-value annuities used to solve time-value-of-money problems.
  • describe the purpose, need, and implications for making appropriate capital budgeting decisions.
  • describe and apply the steps required in making a capital budgeting decision.

NRRT 655 – Tourism Marketing Concepts and Applications

The NRRT 655 course examines various marketing theories and concepts and their application within a travel and tourism organizational context. The first part of this course describes the tourism marketing process and the unique nature of tourism marketing, as compared to the marketing of other products and services. The second part of the course discusses tourism marketing opportunities and strategies. This includes an examination of the dynamic tourism market and how it influences tourism demand, the use of market research and information systems to better understand tourist behaviour, and the subsequent development and application of market segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies. The third and final part of this course continues the discussion of the tourism marketing mix by focusing on product design and development, pricing considerations, the use of particular distribution channels, and the promotion of tourism products and services.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define and explain the general concepts and theories behind the marketing of tourism products and services
  • Describe the unique nature of the travel and tourism industry and how it influences the marketing process
  • Examine the role of market research and marketing information systems in understanding tourist motivations and behavior
  • Discuss external factors and their impact on the tourism marketing process
  • Apply market segmentation techniques to travel and tourism markets
  • Discuss and apply the marketing mix as it applies to travel and tourism

NRRT 667 – Capstone

Coalesce everything learned in the Master of Tourism Management program through an 8-week team project. Work with community partners to conduct an applied research or consultancy project, and then provide a final written and oral report to present to the stakeholders. Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally, develop their networking and leadership skills, and work cooperatively in teams.

NRRT 671 – Strategic Management for Travel and Tourism

NRRT 671, Strategic Management for Travel and Tourism focuses on enhancing student’s understanding of the concepts underlying the strategic management of a travel and tourism business. The first section of the course introduces the strategic process as well as conducting an internal analysis of factors within the travel and tourism organization. The second section discusses the external analysis of the organization, with a specific focus on both the macro‐ context and micro‐context (i.e., the competitive environment) of the external environment of the organization. Combination of these two sections results in the development of an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the organization (SWOT). Section three examines strategic choice and strategy implementation for a travel and tourism organization. This includes discussions of competitive strategy and directions, methods of development for travel and tourism, evaluation, selection, and implementation of strategic choices. The section also addresses international and global strategies for travel and tourism organizations.

Course Objectives:

By taking this course, students will be able to

  • Describe the strategic process as it applies to travel and tourism organizations and the industry.
  • Articulate the fundamental components of an internal analysis of a travel and tourism organization.
  • Present the role and application of conducting an internal analysis of the travel and tourism organization.
  • List the fundamental components of an external analysis of a travel and tourism organization.
  • Explain the role and application of conducting an external analysis of a travel and tourism organization.
  • Apply the internal and external analyses to the development of an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the organization (SWOT analysis).
  • State development, evaluation, and selection of strategic choices for a travel and tourism organization.
  • Explain the process of strategy implementation for a travel and tourism organization.
  • Recognize the nature of the internationalization and globalization of the tourism industry

NRRT 677 – Project Management and Event Planning

Applies project management knowledge and skills to the planning of tourism events. Event planning, logistics, and management best practices are discussed within the context of leisure, cultural, sporting, lifestyle and business meetings and events.

NRRT 678 – Tourism Leadership

Introduction to the fundamentals of leadership theory and different leadership styles. Apply this knowledge at an individual, organizational, and community level within a tourism context. The role of leadership in service excellence, crisis and change management, and sustainability is examined, with a focus on providing the necessary skills to develop resilient tourism industry leaders.

NRRT 679 A-B – Current Topics in Natural-Based Tourism

Co-taught by our Industry Advisory Board this two course series NRRT 679A and NRRT 679B provide an avenue for industry engagement through a guest speaker series that touches upon current topics within the tourism industry. It also focuses on professional development and career preparation for the tourism industry. Students will learn how to develop a resume and digital profiles to help them present themselves in a professional and relevant manner to other tourism industry professionals. Students will also be given opportunities to network and engage with tourism industry professionals through a mentoring program.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this two-course series, students will be able to:

  • Prepare a professional resume and digital profiles to assist in job searching within the tourism industry
  • Communicate in a professional manner (written and verbal) with tourism industry professionals
  • Learn about the ins-and-outs of the tourism industry in a one-on-one setting with a tourism professional mentor
  • Critically evaluate current issues pertinent to the tourism industry
  • Network and engage tourism professionals to assist with career development
Learning Experience Open Accordion

As a student in CSU’s online tourism management master’s program, you receive the same education, learn from the same faculty, and earn the same regionally accredited degree as students on campus. Additionally, you can expect:

  • The Ability to Graduate in Less than a Year: In just nine months you can earn an industry-specific master’s degree that helps set you apart when seeking employment or advancement in the tourism industry.
  • A Focus on People and the Planet: Learn to provide meaningful travel experiences for clients while making business decisions grounded in sustainability and social responsibility. Explore the types and extent of tourism impacts on natural resources. Discover methods for reducing the ecological footprint of tourism activities and destinations. Learn how to increase tourism's contribution to natural resource conservation while improving human welfare in the process.
  • Preparation in Fact-Based Decision-Making: This program incorporates courses in global tourism policy (NRRT 662) and two courses in quantitative analysis (NRRT 601 and 602) to equip you with the knowledge needed to make smart, meaningful business decisions driven by data.
Faculty Open Accordion

Alan Bright, Ph.D.

Alan's teaching responsibilities include on-campus and distance coursework for the M.T.M. program and courses in the natural resource tourism program. Alan's primary research interests center around theoretical applications of social psychological constructs toward the management of natural resources, including values, attitudes, behavior, and the complexity with which people think about issues. These constructs are also considered in the context of attitude and behavior change. Alan's teaching interests focus on development and administration of coursework in the tourism undergraduate and graduate programs.

Christina T. Cavaliere, Ph.D.

Cavaliere is an environmental social scientist with a focus on linking tourism and biocultural conservation. Her areas of research involve the human dimensions of socio-ecological systems including tourism impacts. She serves as an Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Cavaliere investigates aspects of sustainability and climate change impacts related to gender, conservation, aviation, wildlife, and governance. View Dr. Cavaliere’s full bio.

Stuart Cottrell, Ph.D.

Stuart teaches courses in ecotourism, sustainable tourism development, protected area management, and research in human dimensions of natural resources. His research focus includes sustainable tourism, travel and tourism behavior, visitor impact management, and public perceptions of landscape disturbance issues. Present projects involve a National Science Foundation grant to examine land management agency and water provider perception of pine beetle impacts on water quality. As a former resident fellow with the School for Global and Environmental Sustainability, Stuart conducted a preliminary study of the impacts of mountain pine beetle infestation on recreation and tourism, which led to the present NSF project. One of the highlights of Stuart's teaching involves the monitoring of diseased corals and volunteer based conservation projects for an NGO in the Bahamas.

David Knight, Ph.D.

David has developed a unique transnational skill-set in sustainability and tourism management living and working in the U.S., Spain, the Philippines, Peru, and China. Drawing from experience as director, educator, researcher, consultant, collaborator, and confidant, David’s growing university-level leadership underscores his passion for partnerships and diversity in working with real-world organizations and communities to provide tangible, experiential learning opportunities for students. His research and consulting projects for organizations operating from local to international levels have analyzed a variety of sustainability and tourism issues pertaining to National Parks, Chinese tourist behavior, marine protected areas, and rural (e.g., Machu Picchu) community development. Ultimately, David hopes to employ his experience, compassion, and intellect to support institutions of higher learning in empowering diverse communities through exceptional outreach, student recruitment/retention, advising, teaching, and research activities.

Mike Manfredo, Ph.D. Head

Michael’s research focus is on understanding human thought about wildlife and natural resources. The goals of his current research program are: to increase the availability of human dimensions information relevant to wildlife and natural resource management; to provide for increased understanding of the role of human dimensions information in natural resources decision-making; to facilitate the integration of human dimension information into the natural resource decision-making process.

Sam Martin

Sam has more than 25 years of industry experience, having owned and operated several tourism-oriented businesses. He has also held senior marketing and management positions in upscale resort and lodging properties, and in institutional fundraising. Sam is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Heritage Tourism in the department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, with a focus on heritage values, learning theory, and their relationship to visitor motivation.

Dr. Bastian Thomsen

Dr. Bastian Thomsen is a conservation social scientist whose research intersects conservation, social responsibility, and tourism. He was most recently an Assistant Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at Boise State University, and holds a Ph.D. in Management from Central Queensland University. He is nearly finished with a second Ph.D. in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Oxford. Bastian is the Strategy & Innovation Editor for the Journal of Ecotourism and has recently had articles accepted for publication in top tier journals such as the Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Annals of Tourism Research. He taught in the MTM program as an Affiliate Faculty last year and is eager to teach in the program full-time, engage with community stakeholders, and to work collaboratively with board members to tie industry needs to classroom lessons. His wife, Dr. Jennifer Thomsen will start her second doctorate in CSU’s DVM program this fall and they love to travel and get outdoors with their two border collie rescues, Bella and Zoey.

Dr. Sarah Walker

Dr. Sarah Walker’s research uses an environmental justice lens to investigate the role well-being can play in helping us better understand people’s relationships with their environments. Specifically , she studies human well-being in the context of climate resilience and adaptation in vulnerable communities around the world. Her work also investigates the well-being benefits of spending time in nature. Sarah received her PhD from Colorado State University and is currently completing her post-doctoral training at University of Colorado Boulder. She’s an avid hiker and cyclist, and loves being in the classroom with students.

Lina Xiong

Lina Xiong, Ph.D.

Lina Xiong is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She is also called "Dr. Bear," because her last name in Chinese means bear. Dr. Bear came to the U.S. in 2006 from mainland China. Lina completed her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University in Philadelphia. Before coming to CSU, Dr. Bear had taught many business courses in the College of Business at Marshall University. Her teaching assignment at CSU includes tourism strategic management, tourism marketing, and advanced lodging in the Master of Tourism Management program. She is also responsible for developing several M.T.M. courses in mandarin. Dr. Bear's research interests include service management, internal branding, employee brand motivation, and customer loyalty. She has published several articles in hospitality management journals. Recently, Dr. Bear's dissertation, titled, "Employee Brand Internalization: The Central Route to a Brand Aligned Workforce," has received a Highly Commended Award of the 2014 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Hospitality Management category. This is a prestigious international annual award presented by Emerald and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). She has worked in hospitality and tourism businesses in both China and the U.S.

Frequently Asked Questions Open Accordion
What is tourism management?

Tourism management is a field of study that explores the theory and practice of creating, overseeing, and marketing tourism ventures. Management professionals in the tourism industry typically require skills in leadership, finance, and business operations. The online tourism management program offered by CSU has a unique focus on natural resource management and tourism policy.

What can I do with a degree in tourism management?

As the industry continues to evolve, there are many new and unique opportunities for professionals with an advanced tourism management degree. Graduates of the online Master of Tourism Management program will be qualified to work in fields that include: hospitality and resort management, outdoor and adventure travel, event management, agri-tourism, ecotourism, and more. Anyone intending to create their own tourism enterprise will also benefit from completing this program.

Why study tourism management?

There are numerous rewarding career opportunities in the tourism industry for people with the right skills. In the U.S. alone, tourism supports more than 15 million jobs and generates nearly $2 trillion in economic output, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Working in this industry is often appealing to individuals with a passion for travel, exploration, adventure, and the outdoor lifestyle. The primary goal of tourism ventures is to provide customers and clients with positive experiences.

What jobs can I get with a tourism management degree?

Graduates of the tourism management master’s program gain the managerial skills to create entrepreneurial ventures, or take leadership roles in the industry. Career opportunities in tourism management range from agri-tourism to hospitality and resort management. Students gain the skills to build careers as tourism program directors, event coordinators, sales managers, account executives, marketing managers, customer experience managers, and many others. Visit the Career Opportunities page to learn more.

What is the average salary for hospitality and tourism?

Salaries vary widely in the hospitality and tourism industry depending on the specific job, region, and other factors. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary (U.S.) for a tourism marketing manager is $80,673, and the average salary for a hotel manager is $59,461. The median annual salary for a resort manager is $46,342, according to PayScale.com.

What is sustainable tourism management? What is ecotourism management?

Sustainable tourism management is an approach to the business of tourism that values the environment and social responsibility as much as profit. Ecotourism is a subset of sustainable tourism that primarily focuses on exotic, remote, and/or threatened natural areas such as rainforests, coral reefs, and other fragile ecosystems. The typical goal of ecotourism is to promote the conservation of these areas by helping tourists experience them while creating minimal or no environmental impact. A portion of profits from some ecotourism ventures may also be used to help fund various conservation efforts.

Can I get a graduate certificates along with this master’s degree?

Yes. You can apply up to 6 credits from a certificate program toward the online Master of Tourism Management. There are two certificates offered online:

What is the average timeframe to complete the program?

The online Master of Tourism Management can be completed in two semesters. However, for students who are working full-time, this is likely an unrealistic timeframe. The average student completes the program in two years, but some students may take longer. The flexible, online program allows you to earn your degree at a pace that suits your lifestyle and goals.

Are summer classes an option?

No. All coursework in the program is during the fall and spring semesters.

What fees should I expect to pay in addition to tuition?

In addition to the tuition, students will pay a $32/semester technology fee. There will also be an added cost for books and texts.

Curriculum Open Accordion

The Master of Tourism Management requires completion of 30 credits, with a minimum of four elective credits.

All courses are eight weeks with some courses offered the first part of a semester and others in the second part of a semester. There is also an option to incorporate an Adventure Tourism or Ski Area Management gradate certificate into your MTM degree. Please work with a Program Coordinator to determine your approved course plan:

Kathryn Metzger
Program Coordinator, Tourism Enterprise Program
(970) 491-7617
Kathryn.metzger@colostate.edu

Linda Sawyers
Program Coordinator, Tourism Enterprise Program
(970) 491-7592
Linda.Sawyers@colostate.edu

MTM Curriculum

Fall Semester: First 8-week Session

Fall Semester: Second 8-week Session

Spring Semester: First 8-week Session

Spring Semester: Second 8-week Session

Elective Options:

Students can take the electives listed below or other electives may be approved by an advisor.

You may substitute some of the MTM courses with electives from the Adventure Tourism, Ski Area Management, or Communication for Conservation graduate certificate programs.

The are some additional options, such as RRM 520 – Lodging Management, available as well. Please contact your Program Coordinator to determine your approved course plan.

How to Apply Open Accordion

Application Deadlines

Fall semester July 15
Spring semester December 1

Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.

Apply Now

Applications are reviewed once they are completed. You can expect to be notified of your application status within two weeks of submitting all application materials.

1Review Admission Requirements

The tourism management master's degree requires that students have the following:

  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution.
  • A 3.0 GPA on all undergraduate coursework. Exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis.
  • GRE scores are not required.

2 Prepare Application Materials

Three letters of recommendation (professional and/or academic):
Three professional recommendations are required. You will provide information about your recommenders in the online application. CSU will contact them with instructions and a link to a secure form they will submit on your behalf.

Statement of purpose:
Please provide a one-page letter addressing: 1) why you selected this program, 2) what you hope to gain from the program, and 3) your future career goals.

3 Complete Online Application

Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.

  • Select "Tourism Management (M.T.M.) – Distance" when choosing the program of study.

4 Request Official Transcripts

Request one official transcript of all collegiate work completed from all institutions attended. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.

Electronic (preferred):
Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial.

Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.

Mail (if necessary)
Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University – Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

Check Your Application Status

View your application status at any time to ensure your application checklist is complete or to check on updates.

For International Applicants

Proof of English language proficiency is required for applicants from countries or United States territories where there are official languages other than (or in addition to) English. This includes the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Learn more about English language proficiency requirements.

Questions?

We love learning about your goals and answering any questions you have.

Morgan Parsley
Tourism Management M.T.M.
Prospective Student Support Coach
Schedule Time to Talk

Program Details

Courses
Credits
30
Tuition
$794 per credit
Degree Awarded
Master of Tourism Management
Time Frame
Can be completed in 9 months
Admission Reqs.
  • A bachelor's degree from regionally accredited institution
  • 3.0 GPA on all undergraduate coursework

Application Dates

Fall semester
July 15
Spring semester
December 1

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