Campus Life

UWF’s College of Business teaches hospitality and tourism knowledge and skills in free online course

The University of West Florida Global Hospitality and Tourism Department, housed in UWF’s College of Business, is offering a free self-paced online certificate course for anyone interested in pursuing or advancing their career in the hospitality and tourism industry. Leaders and experts on hospitality and tourism share their industry expertise in one of the few certificate programs in the state that focuses on professional development.

“Especially devastated by COVID-19 is the hospitality and tourism industry,” said Jill Plumer, a global hospitality and tourism management instructor and designer of the Exploring Careers in Hospitality and Tourism course. “This course enables the participants to have time to complete this course so when the economy does recover, they will have an advantage over the competition in the job market.”

Each of the seven modules comprises lectures, informational videos from industry professionals and supplemental resources. The course includes a combination of delivery meant to increase engagement and interaction including videos, text, article links, polls and wordmashes. There are also resources to assist individuals in updating their resumes, planning their career path and where to look for employment opportunities. 

“Lifelong learning mindset is what we strive for in higher education, and specifically, a large part of what we do in business education,” said Dr. Alison “Ali” Green, UWF Department of Global Hospitality & Tourism Management associate dean and associate professor. “It is the joy of learning on your own, for the pure reason of improving knowledge of a subject. This course is thoughtfully designed with learning outcomes, and is infused with active learning strategies to reach different people and offer something for everyone who ever wondered what the hospitality industry offers.”

The online course can be completed over a period of four weeks. Participants should plan to spend approximately eight hours total watching videos, reading course content and working through the assignments.

“During times of crisis, it is easy to fall into the negative, and this course accentuates the positive  that now is the time to form a plan of action for participants to accomplish their career goals,” Plumer said.

To enroll in Exploring Careers in Hospitality and Tourism, visit uwf.edu/explorehospitality

For more information about the UWF College of Business, visit uwf.edu/cob.