Skip to main content
Eastern Illinois University
← All Programs

Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship

Build the hospitality experience you wish existed. EIU’s Entrepreneurship option combines lodging, foodservice, events and destination management with accounting, management, an Entrepreneurship minor and a substantial industry internship.

Apply to EIU MyEIU
Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship

Request Info: Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship

We know you have questions about Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship at EIU, and we don't want to leave a single one unanswered. Submit the form below for a personal response to your inquiry.

Degree Level
Bachelor of Science
Delivery
In Person
Time to Degree
8 Semesters
Credit Hours
120 Total, 70 in Major
Careers
Entertainment, Managers, Executives, Officers
Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship students at EIU

Why Study Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship at EIU?

  • Combine hospitality expertise with an 18-hour Entrepreneurship minor
  • Study accounting, management and business law alongside lodging, foodservice, events and tourism
  • Graduate with at least two career-related work experiences on your resume
  • Test your interests through a substantial 6-to-9-credit industry internship
  • Prepare to launch a venture or bring entrepreneurial thinking to an established hospitality organization
See it for yourself Schedule a Visit
"From the moment I stepped onto campus, every professor, staff member, and student I encountered treated me with such genuine warmth and respect, as if I were already a valued member of their community. Despite not having officially joined the EIU family, I immediately felt a deep sense of belonging. The atmosphere was one of comfort and inclusivity, where everyone seemed genuinely invested in my success and well-being."
Abbey McCord
Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship | Class of 2025
Abbey McCord, Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship at EIU

Hands-On Experience

  • Complete an industry internship that develops operational and leadership experience
  • Apply hospitality concepts through project-based learning
  • Study real organizations through field trips, guest speakers and industry events
  • Explore business ideas through entrepreneurship coursework and applied projects
  • Build a professional network through conferences, student organizations and the industry advisory council
Explore Courses
Hands-On Experience, Hospitality & Tourism: Entrepreneurship students at EIU

What You'll Learn

The Entrepreneurship option is designed for students who want to create, grow or reinvent businesses in hospitality and tourism. Students develop industry knowledge through courses in lodging operations, food science and sanitation, nutrition, meetings and events, destination management, sustainability, business law, professionalism and hospitality leadership.

4-Year Sequence Dept Flyer
View in Catalog
$169,167
Median Salary for These CareersMedian salaryThe median is the middle value: half of the people counted earn more and half earn less. It is an estimate for a typical graduate, not a promise of what you will earn. Pay varies by employer, location, experience and the specific job.

Career OutcomesCareer outcomesThese are example careers that graduates of this program often pursue, taken from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET occupation list. They are examples, not job guarantees, and many graduates work in other fields.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

  • Entertainment & Recreation Managers
  • Chief Executives
  • Chief Sustainability Officers
  • General & Operations Managers
  • Regulatory Affairs Managers
  • Compliance Managers
  • Loss Prevention Managers
  • Wind Energy Operations Managers
  • Wind Energy Development Managers

Career Insights

Job Outlook ★ Bright Outlook Bright OutlookBright Outlook careers are ones with a promising future. They're expected to grow quickly, to have lots of job openings, or to be brand new and emerging. A career earns the label if it meets any one of these: projected growth of 5% or more, at least 75,000 projected openings, or New & Emerging status.
Grow Rapidly: Jobs in this career are expected to grow 5% or more over the next several years, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.
Openings: Employers are expected to need at least 75,000 people for this career over the next several years. That count includes new jobs created by growth and spots opened when workers move on.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor Grow Rapidly / Openings
Preparation Needed Considerable (4/5)Job Zone 4: Considerable preparationMost of these careers require a four-year bachelor's degree. They also tend to build on several years of work-related experience or training.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor
Personality Fit EnterprisingEnterprising interest typeYou like business and leadership. This type of work includes managing, selling, marketing and leading, including in politics or law.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

Connect With Us

Nichole Hugo
Professor Hospitality and Tourism, Graduate Coordinator of Sustainability, MBA Graduate Coordinator
nhugo@eiu.edu
3625 Lumpkin Hall
217-581-8595
Nichole Hugo Message Nichole

Message Nichole

or email nhugo@eiu.edu directly
Evan Kubicek
Senior Instructor
emkubicek@eiu.edu
3603 Lumpkin Hall
708-986-1802
Evan Kubicek Message Evan

Message Evan

or email emkubicek@eiu.edu directly
Billy Panther
Head of Panther Pride
Old Main
217-581-2223
Billy the Panther Message Billy

Message Billy

or email billy@eiu.edu directly

Related Programs

Business Administration Business Analytics Entrepreneurship Hospitality & Tourism: Management Marketing > View All Programs

Still Exploring?

Add any program to your comparison or browse all options.

Middle Level Education with Licensure
Major • B.S. Education
Health Practice
Major • B.A.A.S.
Chemistry, Thesis
Graduate Option • M.S.
Studio Art
Minor
Electrical Engineering
Major • B.S.
Pre-Medicine Pathway
Undergraduate Option • B.S.
← Back
0 of 3 selected Compare →

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

APPLY NOW  SCHEDULE A VISIT 
Eastern Illinois University

CONNECT.

CONTACT US.
Contact Us | Accessibility | About EIU | Emergency Information | Employment at EIU | Campus Map | Freedom of Information Act | Supporting our Veterans | Concerns & Complaints | Privacy Statement

Eastern Illinois University is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

EIU's programs, resources, and facilities are available to all students regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity. Discrimination precluded by federal and state statutes is strictly prohibited.