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Curriculum

Curriculum overview

How the MSBA–HTM curriculum is structured

The MSBA–HTM curriculum combines an MBA business core with specialized hospitality and tourism coursework. Across 10 courses (30 credit hours), you’ll build fluency in finance, accounting, marketing, statistics, and organizational behavior while tailoring your degree toward the areas of hospitality that matter most to your career.

Courses are taught by a mix of research-active faculty and industry professionals, giving you direct exposure to emerging technologies, analytics tools, and management practices shaping hospitality, tourism, and events today.

Program structure at a glance

Total: 30 credit hours (10 courses)

  • 5 MBA business core courses (15 credit hours)
  • 5 hospitality and tourism electives (15 credit hours)

Within your electives, at least 50% of your coursework (3 of 5 courses) must be HTM-prefixed courses. You may mix and match electives or intentionally cluster them into specialization areas such as analytics and revenue management, international strategy, entrepreneurship, or events and experience management.

MBA business core (15 credit hours)

These five courses establish the analytical and managerial foundation for advanced work in hospitality and tourism.

Hospitality & tourism electives (15 credit hours)

Choose five electives (with at least three HTM-prefixed courses) to build depth in leadership, analytics, revenue management, global strategy, entrepreneurship, real estate, events, and more.

Many of these electives also feed into the MSBA–HTM graduate certificates in Hospitality & Tourism Business Analytics and Revenue Management, International Hospitality & Tourism Strategy, and Entrepreneurship in Hospitality & Tourism Management.

For the most current and official course descriptions, prerequisites, and scheduling information, please refer to the Virginia Tech Graduate Catalog and the MSBA–HTM curriculum page .

Schedule & format

Built for working professionals

The MSBA–HTM is designed for working professionals across the greater D.C. metro area, with evening courses that fit around full-time roles and commute patterns. Virginia Tech Academic Building One (AB1) in Alexandria is the home of the program.

When and how you’ll attend

  • Most courses meet one evening per week, typically 6:00–8:50 p.m. at AB1.
  • Classes are scheduled Monday–Thursday, with occasional Friday evening or Saturday morning offerings.
  • Summer electives are available if you want to maintain momentum year-round.

University breaks are observed during the fall and spring semesters, aligning with the Virginia Tech academic calendar.

Choose your pace

Most students take two courses per semester, balancing steady progress with professional and personal commitments. You can enroll in one to four courses in a term, depending on your goals and schedule.

  • Full-time students can typically complete the degree in one year.
  • Part-time students generally finish in less than two years.

Where you’ll study

Most students in the accelerated pathway:

  1. Start in Blacksburg as undergraduates, and
  2. Finish the MSBA–HTM at AB1 in Alexandria — the home of the program.

If you need to remain based in Blacksburg, the program team can help you explore completion options using available formats (including select online offerings) while staying connected to the Alexandria-based faculty and network.

Ready for next steps?