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Begin your career in hospitality management, a fast-paced, dynamic field. Harper College's
Hospitality Management Program will provide you training in every aspect of managing
hotels and restaurants, including: food preparation, menu planning, operations, safety
and quality, purchasing and cost control, sales, customer service, and leadership
skills. Through The Dining Room at Harper College, our on-site restaurant, you get hands-on experience planning, preparing and serving
meals.
At Harper College, we offer a supportive environment for our students, with a number
of resources and services to help you succeed, including job search assistance, leadership opportunities and
more.
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Hospitality program options
Harper College offers degree and certificate programs in hospitality management. Students
who earn a Hospitality Management AAS degree can transfer to bachelor’s programs at
several area institutions. Harper also offers several certificate programs, credit
courses and continuing education classes.
Degree program
Harper's Associate in Applied Science—Hospitality Management is designed to prepare you to enter the fields of hospitality, food preparation,
hotel management, restaurant management and tourism. This is one degree with two areas
of specialization: Food Service Operations Management and Hotel Operations Management.
Quickly learn new skills through a hospitality management certificate program. Many
of the courses you take for certificate programs can also be applied to the AAS in
Hospitality Management degree.
Harper also offers non-credit hospitality and food service courses to help you develop
personally or professionally, such as training course for SafeServ Food Sanitation Manager certification. For more information, visit Community Education.
Transfer to complete your bachelor's degree
To make transferring to a hospitality management bachelor's program as easy as possible,
Harper College has developed transfer agreements with several area universities, including
Roosevelt University and Southern Illinois University. To learn more, visit our Transfer
Information page or see your advisor.
Learn more about career outcomes for Harper's Hospitality Management degree/certificate
programs. Each career profile offers a complete picture on the Chicago, Illinois,
job market, including salaries, open positions, top local employers and more. To learn
more, visit our Hospitality Management Careers page.
Chefs and Head Cooks
Chefs and Head Cooks
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Chefs and Head Cooks career profile for most current data.
$58,977 Median Salary
4.9% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
497 Job Postings
Description:
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups,
fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items,
order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Core tasks:
Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery
of services.
Check the quantity and quality of received products.
Quick facts:
Nearly 52% of chefs and head cooks have an associate degree. Top posted job titles include sous chefs, executive chefs, and sushi chefs. Top Chicago-area hiring chefs and head cooks include Compass Group, Levy Restaurants,
and Hyatt.
Food Service Managers
Food Service Managers
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Food Service Managers career profile for most current data.
$57,058 Median Salary
3.8% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
1,848 Job Postings
Description:
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves
food and beverages.
Core tasks:
Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.
Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify
product quality and quantity.
Quick facts:
Food Service Managers have a salary range from $37,639 to $102,997.
Top posted job titles include general managers, assistant managers, and restaurant
managers.
Top Chicago-area hiring chefs and head cooks include Buffalo Wild Wings, Taco Bell,
and Domino's Pizza.
Lodging Managers
Lodging Managers
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Lodging Managers career profile for most current data.
$56,488 Median Salary
5.2% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
162 Job Postings
Description:
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides
lodging and other accommodations.
Core tasks:
Answer inquiries pertaining to hotel policies and services, and resolve occupants'
complaints.
Participate in financial activities, such as the setting of room rates, the establishment
of budgets, and the allocation of funds to departments.
Greet and register guests.
Confer and cooperate with other managers to ensure coordination of hotel activities.
Quick facts:
About 72% of Lodging Managers have a bachelor's degree.
Top posted job titles include hotel general managers, hotel operations managers, and
hotel guest service agents.
Top Chicago-area hiring chefs and head cooks include Hilton, Marriott International
and Hyatt.
Travel Agents
Travel Agents
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Travel Agents career profile for most current data.
$44,172 Median Salary
-4.8% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
20 Job Postings
Description:
Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination,
modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also
describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving
clients' travel problems.
Core tasks:
Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates,
financial considerations, and accommodations required.
Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff
books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives
offered by various travel carriers.
Quick facts:
About 52% of travel agents have an associate or bachelor's degree.
Top posted job titles include travel agents, corporate travel coordinators, and travel
consultants.
Top Chicago-area hiring travel agents include Uline, ADTRAV, and AAA.
For more information about starting your hotel/restaurant management training at Harper
College, please contact Admissions Outreach at 847.925.6700.
