Tourism Management

The Degree

Associate in Applied Science (A.S.)

The Outlook

Tourism Management is the largest industry in the world. Today's travellers demand quality experiences, and this heightened demand requires a higher level of professionalism from those in the tourism industry..

The diversity of tourism careers includes event/festival management, group tour management, outdoor/adventure tourism, or historical tourism. The Tourism Management program at Finger Lakes Community College is designed to prepare you for an exciting marketing or management career in this growing industry.

The Program

The Tourism Management Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is designed with an emphasis on the development of entry level skills for managerial positions in destination marketing organizations, convention services, convention centers, meeting/planning, event management, commercial and public attractions, chambers of commerce, and wineries. Students will develop the skills and aptitudes necessary to succeed in the tourism industry through the application of authentic case studies and group projects.

Awards: The Tourism Management program at FLCC received the Edward Allen Tourism Award as an outstanding tourism program in New York State. The New York State Travel and Vacation Association, in bestowing the award, cited the tourism program at FLCC as "the most appropriate preparation for students seeking careers in the tourism industry." The New York State Division of Tourism recognized our faculty as outstanding tourism educators.

Online Courses: As part of the SUNY Learning Network (SLN), students pursuing the A.A.S. Tourism Management degree may take the majority of the curriculum requirements online. Students may take a course at a convenient time and place without the need to travel to campus, thus eliminating any time and location restrictions a student may have.

Honors Courses: The College offers honors courses that provide enhanced educational experiences for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in honors courses is open to qualified students in this degree program, as well as all other qualified FLCC students. Successful completion of honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

The Experience

Experiences abound in the Tourism Management program at FLCC. Internships: Internship opportunities, both paid or unpaid, have been arranged through the Seneca Park Zoo, Strong Museum, Canandaigua Lady, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Seneca Falls Urban Cultural Park, Yates County Chamber of Commerce, Finger Lakes Tourism, Niagara Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Rochester Visitors Association, Glenora Winery, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, and AAA. As part of the Walt Disney World College Program, students in the Tourism Management degree program work at the world-famous destination, gaining the experience of a lifetime.

Field Work: In the Tourism Management degree program, students are required to complete field-based courses. These courses involve visitation to model destinations such as Cleveland, the Adirondack Park, Cooperstown, Ottawa, and Quebec City to study destination planning, marketing, and management. Students also visit Charleston and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, to study historic preservation, municipal tourism planning, and eco-tourism. Students attend seminars in each destination conducted by tourism professionals and complete a comprehensive destination analysis.

The Graduates

Graduates from the program have transferred to complete baccalaureate degrees in tourism, marketing, public relations, and communications at four-year institutions such as Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY College at Brockport, St. John Fisher College, Niagara University, SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, Central Florida University, the University of Arizona, Purdue University, and Clemson University.*

Careers: Our graduates have gone on to fill positions such as special events coordinator and group tour coordinator at the Seneca Park Zoo; convention sales executive for the city of Binghamton, NY; special event coordinator for the Seneca Falls Historical Society; visitor information specialist for the Greater Rochester Visitors Bureau; marketing specialist for Delta Airlines; meeting planner for Walt Disney World; group tour coordinator at the Monterey (CA) Aquarium; event planner at Glenova Winery; assistant to the owner at Bristol Mountain; director of sales for Canandaigua Lady; and group tour planner for AAA.

*This is a sampling of some of the four-year colleges and universities to which our students have transferred. Please consult your advisor or the Center for Advisement and Personal Development for a complete listing of transfer agreements between Finger Lakes Community College and four-year institutions.

The Scholarships

If you are an FLCC student meeting the specific criteria, you may be eligible for the Bristol Mountain Tourism, Wentz Family Award, Tourism Lakes Visitors Connection Tourism scholarships. Many of our students have received statewide scholarships sponsored by the tourism industry such as the Destinations of New York scholarship. Contact a member of the Tourism Management faculty or the Financial Aid Office for details.

The Faculty

Faculty members in the Tourism Management degree program hold master's degrees and are responsible for authoring and implementing this award-winning degree program. They were also responsible for the establishment of the Walt Disney World College Program at Finger Lakes. This landmark program was the first destination tourism associate degree program offered by a community college in New York State. Our faculty members are recognized by the State University of New York as Sabbatical Scholars for study of the New York State Urban Cultural Park System and Chancellor Award winners for excellence in teaching. They are active members of the local tourism industry and have extensive experience visiting and analyzing model destinations across the United States and Canada.

Tourism Management

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to complete a minimum of 65 credit hours with a grade point average of not less than C (2.0).

All associate degree programs require English 101 Freshman English and English 102 Introduction to Literature. Students must pass skills assessment for entrance into these courses. Students who are well prepared may substitute ENG 104 English I Honors and ENG 105 English II Honors for ENG101 and ENG102. Students who are considering the English Honors sequence should consult the Director of Honors.

Students must successfully complete:

Humanities

  • ENG101 Freshman English and ENG 102 Introduction to Literature
    or
    ENG104 English I Honors and ENG105 English II Honors
  • COM 110 Public Speaking

Social Science

  • ECO 100 Survey of Economics OR higher level economics
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology

Mathematics/ Science

  • MAT 121 Statistics I
  • Minimum 3 or 4 credit hours in mathematics or science

Tourism Management

  • BUS 100 Introduction to Tourism
  • BUS 205 Services Marketing
  • BUS 215 Tourism Planning and Development
  • BUS 225 Destination Marketing
  • BUS 232 Event Management
  • BUS 255 Tourism Internship
  • BUS 260 Tourism Seminar

Business Administration

  • ACC 101 Principles of Financial Accounting
  • BUS 123 Business Communications
  • BUS 210 Legal Environment of Business
  • BUS 224 Human Resource Management

Computer Science

  • CSC 100 Computing in the Info. Age

Health/Physical Education Elective

  • 4 credit hours

General Electives

  • 3 credit hours

Tourism Management

Sample Schedule

The schedule below shows how the requirements for the A.A.S. Tourism Management degree may be met in four semesters. This schedule is an example of one of many possible different schedules. It is included here only as an illustration of the type of schedule that might be followed by a full-time student. Many students attending Finger Lakes Community College who have work and/or family obligations choose a different sequence of courses and take more than four semesters to fulfill the requirements for the A.A.S. Tourism Management degree. Similarly, students who find they need to take some additional course work to prepare them to do well in the types of courses included in the A.A.S. Tourism Management degree program may plan a schedule that takes more than four semesters to complete the degree. All students should consult their advisor when they plan their schedule.

First Semester (16 Credit hours)

  • BUS 100 Introduction to Tourism (3)
  • CSC 100 Computing in the Info. Age (3)
  • MAT 121 Statistics I (3)
  • ENG 101 Freshman English (3)
  • ECO 100 Survey of Economics (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Second Semester (17 Credit hours)

  • BUS 205 Services Marketing (3)
  • BUS 232 Event Management (3)
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (3)
  • ENG 102 Introduction to Literature (3)
  • ACC 101 Principles of Financial Accounting (4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Third Semester (16/17 Credit hours)

  • BUS 215 Tourism Planning and Development (3)
  • BUS 260 Tourism Seminar (3)
  • MAT/SCI Math OR Science Elective (3/4)
  • BUS 123 Business Communications (3)
  • COM 110 Public Speaking (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Fourth Semester (16 Credit hours)

  • BUS 225 Destination Marketing Organization Management (3)
  • BUS 255 Tourism Internship (3)
  • BUS 224 Human Resource Management (3)
  • BUS 210 Legal Environment of Business (3)
  • General Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

*BUS 255 Tourism Internship may be completed during the Summer or Spring session.