Welcome to the Department of
Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management
At RHTM, you will find a dynamic curriculum where innovation meets application. We offer a welcoming, immersive environment designed to help you master consumer experience design, retail strategy, hospitality operations, and resilient tourism systems. You will go beyond the classroom to solve real-world problems alongside expert faculty and industry leaders, preparing you to innovate and lead in these vital, people-centered fields—whether in professional practice or advanced academic study.
Undergraduate Programs
Students majoring in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management gain the practical skills, industry insight, and applied experience needed to thrive in people-focused service environments. Whether you’re drawn to fashion buying, data-driven consumer strategy, culinary arts, or large-scale event experiences, our undergraduate pathways offer opportunities to explore your strengths and prepare for diverse career paths.
Hospitality & Tourism Management (BS)
Prepare to lead service-oriented operations across lodging, foodservice, events, and destination development. Students may choose from the following minors to customize their career focus: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Culinary Arts, Event Planning & Design, or Corporate Event Strategy, Promotion, & Production
Retail and Merchandising Management (BS)
Build expertise in consumer experience, merchandising strategy, and retail innovation. Students choose from Fashion Retailing or Merchandising Analytics concentrations and often complement their studies with a Business Administration minor.
Graduate Programs
Advance your expertise and shape the future of industry, scholarship, and innovation.
RHTM graduate programs provide applied research training, one-on-one faculty mentorship, and opportunities to solve real-world challenges across retail, hospitality, and tourism. Whether advancing toward leadership roles or pursuing an academic career, you’ll build analytical depth, research excellence, and an innovation mindset that drives meaningful, lasting impact.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Unlock immersive learning beyond the classroom through study tours, hands-on industry projects, experiential learning opportunities, and student-led organizations that prepare you to thrive in people-centered professions.
RESEARCH & OUTREACH
Driving real-world innovation through applied research, industry collaboration, and community-engaged projects that strengthen retail, hospitality, and tourism across local and global contexts.
RHTM News & Highlights
Celebrate the achievements of our students, faculty, and alumni—advancing careers, shaping industries, and making an impact.
- Fall 2025- Greetings from the Department Head
Dear Alumni, Friends, and Students, I hope this newsletter finds you well and that your summer included moments of rest and joy with family and friends. As we… Read more: Fall 2025- Greetings from the Department Head - What Our New PhD Graduates Say!
Youngdeok Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor (Summer 2025)Department of Retailing, University of South Carolina My Ph.D. experience at UT was truly the most rewarding journey of my life. The… Read more: What Our New PhD Graduates Say! - Alumni Highlights
Lexane Adrion, Class of 2019, Merchandise and Business Planner for Gucci Lexane entered the Neiman Marcus Executive Development program after graduation, later becoming an Assistant Buyer. In 2021,… Read more: Alumni Highlights
Ready to apply?
Want to join us on Rocky Top? Request more information about our programs by clicking below.