How to Read Course Descriptions
HTM 54. Critical Thinking in Tourism. 3 Units
General Education Area/Graduation Requirement: Critical Thinking (1-B)
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Introduction to critical reasoning, evaluating, and thinking skills through the social, environmental, and economic issues in the tourism industry. Students will use research, reflection, acquisition of information, structuring arguments, and other critical thinking processes to analyze individual decision-making as consumers and gain an understanding of the greater global impact of tourism sustainability.
HTM 80. Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall only
Hospitality and tourism are vitally important to California's image and economy, and these two related industries are among the world's top employment providers. This course provides an introductory overview of the broad hospitality and tourism industries, covering several topics, including growth and development, trends and current concerns, and professional employment sectors.
HTM 81. Financial and Analytical Foundations for Service Operations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course introduces key financial concepts and analytical tools for decision-making in service operations. Students learn to interpret financial statements, apply basic accounting principles, and use budgeting and pricing techniques to improve performance. Topics include cost classification, cost--volume--profit analysis, and performance evaluation. Emphasis is placed on using financial information to support effective planning, accountability, and sustainable management across hospitality and service sectors.
HTM 82. Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Law. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course provides insight into the laws and regulations governing the hospitality and tourism industries with an emphasis on labor relations and human resources best practices. The course addresses the general concepts of tort, contracts, liability, risk management, employment practices, licensing, and insurance needs. The course also explores the legal issues that today's industry professionals face such as privacy, labor laws, the common law system for innkeepers and newer hospitality products in the shared economy such as AirBnB or VRBO. Field Trip(s).
Field trip(s) may be required.
HTM 84. Hotel and Lodging Operations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course is designed to provide knowledge of hotel and lodging operations. Students will acquire an understanding of how a variety of lodging types, specifically hotels, operate by detailed examination of the departments common to most lodging properties, including the front office, sales and marketing, housekeeping, maintenance, and others. Additionally, topics relevant to operations like green initiatives and revenue optimization will be discussed in this course. Field Trip(s).
Field trip(s) may be required.
HTM 105. Management in Service Organizations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course explores essential management functions: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling -- specifically within service organizations like healthcare, hospitality, and related industries. Students learn fundamental principles, techniques, and tools used by managers in these sectors. The course examines how internal and external factors impact managerial processes and decision-making. Emphasis is placed on understanding the manager's role in delivering quality services while addressing the unique operational challenges and stakeholder needs typical of service-oriented organizations.
HTM 110. Research and Evaluation in Service Organizations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Provides students with tools to analyze human behavior, interests, and motivational factors as they relate to service organizations. Emphasizes applied research techniques, including qualitative, descriptive, and analytical methods, as well as evaluation for continuous improvement in service delivery and management.
HTM 139. Event Planning and Management. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course provides an overview of the principles and practices of planning, organizing, promoting, and executing successful events. Students will explore event design, budgeting, risk management, marketing, sponsorship, and evaluation across diverse event types including conferences, festivals, corporate functions, and community events. Emphasis is placed on sustainable and inclusive event practices and the role of events in wellness promotion, community engagement, and destination development.
HTM 178. Human Resources Management in Service Organizations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course examines management practices across service organizations including healthcare, hospitality, and related industries. Students explore critical functions such as recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, and retaining quality staff. The course addresses contemporary challenges facing service managers, including rising labor costs, competition for talent, changing employee attitudes, evolving customer expectations, and regulations impacting human resources policies. Emphasis is placed on developing expertise in managing multiple operational functions while maintaining service quality and organizational effectiveness in diverse service delivery environments.
HTM 179. Revenue and Profit Optimization in Service Organizations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Revenue management plays a vital role in hospitality and service industries, where offerings are time-sensitive and demand varies. This course examines strategic and analytical approaches to managing revenue and enhancing financial performance across diverse service operations. Students learn key principles and tools including capacity management, demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, distribution channel management, and overbooking practices. Emphasis is placed on data-informed decision making, ethical considerations, and sustainable, guest-centered strategies that support long-term organizational resilience in hospitality and related service sectors.
HTM 182. Travel And Tourism. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall only
Examination of the history, significance and nature of travel and tourism in the world with emphasis on the U.S. Analyzes economic, cultural and social factors underlying development and growth of travel and tourism and a review of related research. Identification and description of travel and tourism service providers including their organization, financing and management practices.
HTM 183. Marketing in Service Organizations. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
This course explores marketing strategies tailored to service-based organizations across various industries, including public health, hospitality, financial services, and professional services. Students analyze the unique characteristics of services: intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability; and how these factors influence strategic marketing decisions. The course emphasizes service quality delivery, customer experience management, digital marketing tools, and ethical marketing practices to help build a competitive advantage.
HTM 184. Hospitality Administration. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Introduces students to resorts and hotels and their position within the tourism and hospitality industries. The scope of the hospitality industry and various issues concerning the successful development of a hospitality product will be discussed. Prepares students to engage in an internship or employment in this or a related industry, including restaurants and retail. It also helps these and other students to reinforce concepts and skills learned elsewhere by providing concrete, real-world examples of marketing and management methods.
HTM 185. The Art and Science of Experience Design. 3 Units
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing; a WPJ Portfolio score OR ENGL 109M or ENGL 109W
General Education Area/Graduation Requirement: Writing Intensive Graduation Requirement (WI), Physical Science (5-A)
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
What makes an experience truly unforgettable? This course explores the art and science behind designing immersive, engaging, and meaningful experiences across various areas - from hospitality and travel to entertainment, wellness, event, and beyond. Drawing from interdisciplinary research, students will examine how environmental, psychological, and physiological factors shape human perception and behavior. Using evidence-based strategies and data-driven insights, students will design and evaluate real-world experiences that enhance satisfaction, well-being, and impact. Ready to craft experiences that leave a lasting impression?
HTM 187. Food Tourism. 3 Units
General Education Area/Graduation Requirement: Humanities (3-B)
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course examines the growing global culinary and gastronomic tourism industry, exploring how destinations market themselves through food. Students will investigate diverse food cultures, analyze tourist motivations, evaluate the role of suppliers, and critically assess the social, cultural, and environmental impacts of food tourism on people and places across Western and non-Western contexts.
HTM 188. Sacramento Region Craft Beer Industry Tourism. 3 Units
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course examines California's craft beer industry as an agritourism attraction, focusing on the Sacramento region. Students gain foundational knowledge of craft beer production, history, styles, and tasting techniques. The course explores tourism-related products including beer festivals, trails, and applications, as well as hospitality operations such as brewery tasting rooms and retail establishments. Topics include beer laws, industry organizations, food pairings, and market segments. Students analyze how craft beer contributes to Sacramento's unique agritourism identity and evaluate regional brewery operations within California's broader beer tourism landscape. Field Trip(s).
Note: Must be 21 or over to enroll in the course.
Field trip(s) may be required.
HTM 189. The Science of Wine and Dining. 3 Units
General Education Area/Graduation Requirement: Physical Science (5-A)
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
This course explores the science behind winemaking, wine appreciation, and the dining experience. Through an examination of competing scientific literature and research methodologies, students will learn how to create multisensory wine and dining experiences that are more sensational, enjoyable, and memorable than ever before. Shall we wine and dine?
HTM 195. Internship: Hospitality and Tourism Management. 3 - 10 Units
Prerequisite(s): Instructor or Internship Coordinator Permission.
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Supervised, part-time work experience in hospitality or tourism designed to give students an increased understanding of the nature and scope of industry operations. Supervision is provided by the faculty and the cooperating agencies.
Note: Refer to the HTM Internship Manual for procedures and requirements.
HTM 195H. Internship: Hospitality and Tourism Management. 10 - 15 Units
Prerequisite(s): RPTA 1, RPTA 30, RPTA 61, RPTA 80, RPTA 82, RPTA 101, RPTA 105, RPTA 106, RPTA 110, RPTA 183, and approval of academic advisor.
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Supervised, full-time work experience in hospitality or tourism designed to give students an increased understanding of the nature and scope of industry operations. Supervision is provided by the faculty and the cooperating agencies.
Note: Refer to the HTM Internship Manual for procedures and requirements.
HTM 198. Co-Curricular Activities. 1 - 3 Units
Prerequisite(s): Approval of an instructor and the Department chair.
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Co-curricular activities related to the subject matter and professional concerns of Recreation and Leisure Studies. For example, students may earn credit by participating as a tutor or discussion leader for recreation and leisure studies classes or a teacher or leader in programs offered by community organizations.
Note: The course may be repeated three times for a maximum total of 3 units. Students can enroll for a class that counts as 1, 2 or 3 units. No more than 3 units of RPTA 198 may be used to meet the major requirements.
Credit/No Credit
HTM 199. Special Problems. 1 - 3 Units
Prerequisite(s): Approval of an instructor and the Department chair.
Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Individual projects or directed reading.
Note: Open only to students who appear competent to carry on individual work. Can be repeated six times for a maximum total of 6 units. Students can enroll for a class that counts as 1, 2 or 3 units. No more than 6 units of RPTA 198 and RPTA 199 in combination may be used to meet major requirements.
Credit/No Credit