Graduate Programs
Empower Your Future in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism
The Department of RHTM offers an online Master of Science (MS) degree and a in-person Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management. The Ph.D. program offers two concentration areas: (1) Hospitality and Tourism Management and (2) Retail and Consumer Sciences.
Our Programs
RHTM graduate programs offer dynamic, interdisciplinary training for students seeking to advance as industry professionals or academic scholars in retail, hospitality, and tourism. Graduate students gain advanced knowledge, applied research experience, and personalized mentorship from world-class faculty.
MS in RHTM
As Tennessee’s only program of its kind, our fully online, asynchronous MS in RHTM helps professionals move from operations into strategic, data-informed leadership roles. This program builds the analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills needed to grow in a competitive, data-driven industry. Your career has no borders, and now, neither does your education!
Ph.D. in RHTM
The Ph.D. program in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management (RHTM) prepares students to become leading scholars in academia and research. Graduates contribute to groundbreaking scholarship and hold faculty positions at top universities around the world. The program offers two concentrations: Hospitality and Tourism Management and Retail and Consumer Sciences.
Our MS in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management prepares retail and hospitality industry professionals to advance their careers by developing analytical, problem-solving, and data informed decision-making skills. Through a flexible, industry-connected, and problem-based learning, students build strategic thinking and communication skills applicable across diverse career paths.
Hongping Zhang
Clinical Assistant Professor & Director of Master’s Program
Our PhD program prepares graduates for successful academic careers. With strong faculty-student mentorship and nationally recognized scholars, students engage in impactful research in Hospitality and Tourism Management or Retail and Consumer Sciences—supported by a dynamic, collaborative environment that fosters academic growth and meaningful contributions to the field.
Dr. Michelle Childs
Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies