ECU Online: Flight Path Programs
Lead the Experiences People Remember.
Finish your hospitality management degree online in a program built for working adults that is flexible and can fit into your schedule. Shape your coursework around the career path you want, learn from industry-connected faculty and graduate with the leadership skills, professional network and real-world experience to step confidently into hospitality management.
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ECU’s online hospitality management degree program is designed for working adults who have earned college credit and are ready to finish their bachelor’s degree while preparing for leadership roles in hospitality. It’s an ideal fit for professionals already working in hotels, restaurants, tourism, food service, events or customer experience who want to advance their careers, as well as those looking to transition into hospitality management. With 100% online coursework, a curriculum you can shape around your goals and strong industry connections, this program helps you build on your experience, develop management skills and graduate ready to lead in a wide range of hospitality settings.
Prepare to lead with the hospitality management program trusted by more students than any other in North Carolina. ECU’s online Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management combines the reputation of one of the Southeast’s premier hospitality schools with 100% online courses that let you learn on your schedule, without ever logging in at a specific time.
You’ll build practical skills in operations, leadership, finance, customer experience and strategic decision-making while exploring every corner of the industry. Employer partners, including Aramark, Darden Restaurants, Chick-fil-A and the Biltmore Estate, help shape the curriculum around the skills hospitality leaders need today while creating opportunities for networking, internships and applied learning. Ongoing virtual engagement with industry professionals and global connections help you start building your network long before graduation, contributing to a program with a 94% job placement rate for graduates.
Customize your education through three career-focused areas of study while building a broad hospitality foundation that prepares you to lead across hotels, restaurants, events, tourism and more. You’ll learn from internationally recognized faculty whose experience brings a real-world perspective into every course. Graduate in as few as 3.5 years with a respected ECU degree from a university recognized among America’s Top Online Colleges.
With 94% job placement rate as well as regional and national businesses lining up for our talent, you'll graduate into a career, not a job search.
We built the biggest one in North Carolina and one of the largest in the Southeast. Your degree carries weight because the name behind it does too.
When industry leaders help shape your education, you're already building the connections that move careers forward.
With coursework spanning hotels to conventions, you build the hospitality expertise that matches where you want to go.
Hospitality is an industry that runs on strong leaders, and ECU graduates are ready to step into that role. With a 94% job placement rate for program graduates, ECU hospitality students enter a field where employers are actively looking for talent with the skills to lead teams, manage operations and create exceptional experiences.
From lodging managers and food and beverage directors to event leaders and operations professionals, graduates leave prepared for leadership opportunities across the hospitality industry. Backed by ECU’s reputation, industry relationships and real-world curriculum, your degree helps you move beyond finding a job and toward building a career. Explore career opportunities and their national salary data below.1
Openings for meeting, convention and event planners each year, 2024–2034
Number of jobs for meeting, convention and event planners, 2024
Projected employment of entertainment and recreation managers, 2024–2034
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2026
2 Payscale, 2026
Lead Like a Pirate
“The program provided me with lifelong connections in the industry. I genuinely wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and education I received from East Carolina’s School of Hospitality Leadership.”
The online Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management is a 120-credit undergraduate degree offered through the College of Business. It includes 40 hours of general education courses, 51 hours of core courses, 9 hours of cognate courses, and 20 hours of general electives.
ECU’s hospitality management curriculum is built to help you turn your experience and interests into a degree that moves your career forward. You’ll build a strong foundation in hospitality operations, business strategy, leadership, marketing and financial management while developing the skills employers look for in management-ready professionals. With coursework spanning lodging, food and beverage, convention planning, tourism and destination management, and special events management, you can tailor your path to the area of hospitality that aligns with your goals.
Designed for students who are ready to finish what they started, the program accepts up to 90 transfer credits from prior institutions to help you make the most of the work you’ve already completed. Instead of starting over, you’ll build on your previous coursework while gaining hands-on experience through field experience and internships, where you’ll apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to real hospitality environments, strengthen your professional portfolio and develop the confidence to lead in the industry. With support from experienced faculty and advisors, you’ll follow a clear path toward graduation with a degree built around where you want to go next.
Coursework explores the full hospitality ecosystem, including hotels, restaurants, tourism, retirement communities, event management and food and beverage operations. You’ll learn how technology, changing consumer expectations and evolving markets shape the industry while building practical skills employers value.
With guidance from experienced faculty and connections to industry leaders, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to step into hospitality management roles and make an immediate impact.
Introduction to meetings, expositions, events, and conventions industry.
Applies marketing principles to hospitality products and services.
Integration and applications of human resource management and ethical principles through case studies of lodging, food and beverage, and convention/special event operations.
Management systems and techniques used to monitor and control finances and costs in the hospitality industry.
Chart your own course through hospitality. Choose courses across four industry-focused areas of study to build expertise that aligns with where you want to go, while still earning the broad hospitality foundation that prepares you to lead wherever opportunity takes you.
Plan and lead memorable experiences, from conferences and festivals to weddings and corporate events. Build skills in event operations, logistics, budgeting and guest experience.
Prepare to lead restaurants, catering operations and food service organizations by developing expertise in operations, team leadership, budgeting and customer experience.
Build the leadership and operational skills to manage hotels, resorts and lodging properties while delivering exceptional guest experiences and driving business success..
Learn to support local communities and create memorable travel experiences by building skills in tourism planning, destination marketing, sustainable tourism and visitor experience.
I love being part of our students' journeys, particularly as I see how much they've had to overcome to pursue their education. Watching them persevere and thrive while balancing work, caregiving, and other commitments is truly inspiring. Supporting them throughout this journey is deeply fulfilling.
When you earn a degree from East Carolina University, you earn more than a credential. You earn the reputation of a university that's spent more than a century serving students who are determined to make a difference.
East Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of East Carolina University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.
You’ll find that ECU is a place where people know you for more than what you do; we see you for who you are and who you’ll grow into. As such, we are committed to equality of opportunity and do not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation and veteran status.
At least 24 transferable credit hours from the last or current institution attended.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all attempted coursework.
A grade of C- (1.7) or higher in coursework is required to be considered for transfer.
Applicants must be in good academic standing at their current or most recent institution.
Official transcripts are required from all colleges and universities previously attended.
Submission of ECU’s online application for admission, including all required materials.
Current ECU students should email [email protected] before completing a Flight Path program application.
Mail Official Transcripts to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Mail Stop 517
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-435
We also accept electronic transcripts from most transcript services. Please request to have them sent directly to [email protected].
To qualify for in-state tuition rates, North Carolina residents must first confirm their in-state status by completing an application through the Residency Determination Service (RDS). To learn more about how to apply for NC residency, please refer to the North Carolina Residency page.
Chromebook devices are currently not recommended by any academic programs at ECU due to several limitations. For more information on tech requirements, visit our technology page.
ECU’s online Flight Path programs are designed to make earning your degree affordable, transparent and predictable.
Tuition may vary by program and is subject to change.
Financial aid options may be available to help cover the cost of your degree, including federal aid, grants, scholarships and loan programs.
Dr. Craig R. Marshall is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the College of Business at East Carolina University, where he teaches courses in restaurant...
Cynthia S. Deale is a Professor in the School of Hospitality Leadership in the College of Business at East Carolina University. She previously worked...
Stephanie Bae is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Hotel Administration from the University of...
Our admissions team can help you explore your options. Flight Path is designed for students returning with 24 or more college credits who want a focused path to graduation.
Yes. ECU’s hospitality management degree online offers the flexibility to complete your coursework without scheduled class meeting times while earning the same respected ECU degree as on-campus students.
Graduates work in hotel management, food and beverage operations, event management, tourism, resorts, restaurants, convention services and other leadership roles throughout the hospitality industry.
ECU offers the largest hospitality program in North Carolina and one of the largest in the Southeast. Industry partners help shape the curriculum, creating valuable networking, internship and career opportunities.
Yes. You’ll build expertise by selecting courses focused on Lodging, Food and Beverage, or Convention and Special Events, allowing you to tailor your degree to your career interests.
Yes. Students engage with hospitality professionals through industry partnerships, virtual networking opportunities, applied projects and internship experiences that connect classroom learning to the workplace.
We’re here to help you find the best way forward.
Filling out a quick form connects you with an ECU admissions representative who will answer your questions, review your options and help you chart the best path to your degree. It's a conversation focused on your goals, not a sales pitch.
"Don't assume you're starting over just because you're coming back."
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"You may have more options available than you realize. I'm here to help you find them."
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"I do this all day, every day. If I don't have the answer, I'll find it for you."
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