IUP hospitality program ranked top 10 in nation

INDIANA — Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality management has been ranked in the 2021 top 10 best bachelor’s degrees in hospitality management by Study.com.

IUP’s program is the only Pennsylvania college or university in the top 10 listing, which considered academic and career resources and the quality of education and the faculty.

Editors praised IUP’s program for providing students “with many careeradvancing prospects,” like Eta Sigma Delta honor society or volunteer opportunities, like the local regional medical center’s Hospitality Ambassadors Program.

The program was also recognized by editors for “offering ways for students to customize their degrees by adding a minor in restaurant and food service management, hotel and lodging management, and special event and tourism management.”

Only 50 programs were selected for the ranking, which examined hundreds of programs throughout the United States.

In addition to the Bachelor of Science in hospitality management, the department offers an Associate of Science in hospitality management and four minors: hospitality management, hotel and lodging management, restaurant and food service management and special event-tourism management.

In addition to the core academic classroom requirements, in order to give students the professional experience needed to be competitive for management positions, students are required to have at least 240 hours of field experience prior to graduation.

“We are very honored to have been identified as the ninth best hospitality management program in the United States, and first among all hospitality management programs within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Dr. Stephen Shiring, chair of the IUP Department of Hospitality Management, said.

“This prestigious recognition is a testament to the team effort we have here at IUP. Our exceptional faculty, Dr. Yasong Wang, Dr. Nicole Buse and Chef Jeffrey Santicola, mentor and guide our students toward successful management careers. We receive crucial support from our administrators, and key members of our team also include our administrative staff, Sherry DiPaolo, and custodial support personnel who keep our labs and facilities working all in support of our students. We remain thankful to our alumni and industry partners to help us achieve this prestigious recognition.”

IUP is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top doctoral universities by U.S. News & World Report. It has been included in the Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” guidebook for 18 years and has been included in Washington Monthly magazine’s national rankings of schools based on their contributions to society.

IUP also has been selected for national rankings that recognize value in online programs.

“U.S. News & World Report” recognized three IUP programs — the master’s program in criminal justice, master’s program in mathematics education and the master’s program in nursing for its “Best Online Programs” for 2021. EduRef.net, a nationally recognized provider of college planning resources, named IUP to its “10 Most Affordable Accredited Online Colleges” ranking for 2020.

IUP offers more than 140 undergraduate majors and more than 60 graduate programs, including 14 doctoral programs. In addition, students can complete more than 65 minors and scores of specialized tracks and certificate programs, including certificates in athletic coaching, gerontology, photography and digital imaging, popular music and public history.