Master of Science Hospitality Management: Cruise Line Operations Specialization

With record-breaking numbers of “Sunshine State” tourists every year, Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, sits in one of the most strategic locations for any hospitality management school as most of the cruise companies are headquartered in South Florida. Moreover, Florida is home to PortMiami, the No. 1 busiest cruise port in the U.S. More than 6.8 million passengers traveled through PortMiami in 2019, and the port is also home to 20 cruise lines berthing 55 ships. After PortMiami, Port Canaveral, No. 2, is home to 47 vessels and Port Everglades, No. 3, is home to 41 vessels. FIU is in a unique position to offer its students exclusive access to leaders embedded within the cruise line industry, real-time information and current case studies to instruct students on the most salient aspects of cruise line travel and operations today.

Of note, the global cruise line industry is also continuing its steady growth and will need a stream of professionals to fill new positions. Moreover, China is the fastest-growing cruise market in the world and is expected to be the largest by 2030. There are 12 new departure ports and up to three new home ports slated for construction in China. Pre-COVID, it was projected that the Chinese cruise line market would host roughly eight to 10 million guests a year. 

Cruise industry workers are employed on ships and also work in ports, in head offices, in travel agencies and in many other locations. The M.S. in Hospitality Management: Cruise Line Operations Specialization takes this vast range of managerial pathways into consideration to prepare graduates for immediate application of their skills. The multibillion dollar industry is in need of managers to help support the massive numbers of tourists each year at more than 2,000 cruise line ports worldwide. Additionally, in 2021, 28 new ships launched and more than 17 new ships are on order to launch in 2022 and 2023. Experts indicate that pandemic-induced pent up demand for cruise line travel will propel the industry to new heights in the years to come.

With a wide range of careers, the hospitality industry is one of the largest sectors in the service industry and provides a large number of opportunities for those with an M.S. in Hospitality Management: Cruise Line Operations Specialization.

Partnerships

The Chaplin School, named for Mr. Harvey Chaplin, Chairman of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, annually co-produces the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SobeWFF) along with Southern Glazer’s. The event, largest of its kind in the U.S., generates experiential learning opportunities for as many as 1,200 FIU students each year. Additionally, the Chaplin School has developed many other long-standing relationships with major global hospitality and tourism corporations such as Carnival Cruise Lines (funder of the Carnival Gold Scholars and the Carnival Student Center on our BBC campus) and Marriott International (namesake for the school’s Marriott Tianjin China Program), along with some well-known names among food and beverage producers to the industry such as Bacardi, Badia and Quirch that have greatly contributed to the school’s Restaurant, Culinary and Spirits Management programs. Global corporate partners have been central to efforts to expand funding opportunities to students, serve the local community, provide employment experiences, and deliver the resources needed to advance the quality of education and service provided to students and alumni. Building meaningful relationships with industry organizations has been an integral part of the Chaplin School’s highly-successful existence, earning the #1 ranking for U.S. online hospitality and tourism programs for six years in a row. 

Career Path

Hotel General Manager, Food Service Manager, Entertainment Manager, Food & Beverage Manager, Convention Sales Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Cruise Operations Manager, Revenue Manager, Hotel Development, Entrepreneur.

Non-traditional Career Paths

HR Coordinator

Customer Service Manager

Sales Representative

Recruitment Consultant

Communication Coordinator

General Manager

Income Range

$34,000 - $198,000

Industry Outlook

FL: 11% ⬆️

US: 7% ⬆️

(Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics and onetonline.org)

33 Credit hours total. No thesis will be required for this track.

CORE COURSES 

HMG 6257 Hospitality and Tourism Industry Research Analysis 3

HMG 6446 Hospitality and Tourism Technology Innovations 3

HMG 6477 Financial Management for the Hospitality Industry 3

HMG 6246 Organizational Behavior in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry 3

HMG 6280 Global Issues in Hospitality and Tourism 3

HMG 6296 Strategic Management for Hospitality and Tourism 3

HMG 6916 Hospitality Industry Research Project 3

OR

HMG 6946 Graduate Internship 3

CRUISE LINE OPERATIONS COURSES 

HMG 6263 Logistics and Shoreside Operations 3

HMG 6261 Cruise Line Leadership 3

HMG 6600 Cruise Industry Law 3

HMG 6260 Sustainability in Cruise Line Operations 3

This is an 11 course, 33 credit program. Both the Strategic Management for Hospitality and Tourism and Graduate Internship should be completed in the final semester.

TENTATIVE COHORT SCHEDULE

Fall 2022

Term A

HMG 6257 Hospitality and Tourism Industry Research Analysis

HMG 6446 Hospitality and Tourism Technology Innovations

Term B

HMG 6477 Financial Management for the Hospitality Industry

HMG 6246 Organizational Behavior in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Spring 2023

Term A

HMG 6280 Global Issues in Hospitality and Tourism

HMG 6263 Logistics and Shoreside Operations

Term B

HMG 6261 Cruise Line Leadership

HMG 6260 Sustainability in Cruise Line Operations

Summer 2023

Term A

HMG 6296 Strategic Management for Hospitality and Tourism

Term B

HMG 6600 Cruise Industry Law

Term C

HMG 6916 Hospitality Industry Research Project 3

OR

HMG 6946 Graduate Internship 3

Admissions Documents

The following must be submitted: 

Online master's programs application ($30).

GPA - Minimum 3.0 GPA in upper-division coursework.

GMAT/GRE –Not required if your undergraduate GPA is at least 3.0 in upper-division coursework.

Official transcripts -- All applicants must submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities. Transcripts must be submitted in sealed envelopes directly from the respective institutions. A four-year bachelor degree from an accredited institution as well as a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in upper-division coursework is required. 

Proof of Degree -- Submit official proof of degree: a notarized copy of the original diploma is required if the degree is not posted on the official transcripts.  

Only those applicants who have submitted complete application packets will be considered. Meeting the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admissions. 

International Students

• Proof of English Language Proficiency. If you earned a bachelor's degree in a country whose official language is not English, you must demonstrate English language proficiency by earning a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). TOEFL required minimum score: 550 (paper-based exam) or 80 (internet-based). IELTS required minimum score: 6.5. When requesting official scores, please refer to FIU Institution code 5206. TOEFL / IELTS scores are valid for two years. View list of TOEFL/IELTS-exempt countries.

  • Graduate programs can use the Duolingo English Test.

  • Please visit Duolingo English Test for more information about how to register for the exam.

  • FIU Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 110

• Course by Course Evaluation. If your post-secondary educational history includes coursework outside the United States, you must submit a course-by-course credential translation and evaluation, with grade point average (GPA) calculation included, for all non-U.S. coursework. FIU accepts evaluations/translations from any NACES member evaluation service.

  FIU accepts evaluations/translations from any NACES member evaluation services, below are a few FIU recommends:

  Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Consultants
  7101 SW 102 Avenue
  Miami, FL 33173
  Phone: 305-273-1616 | Fax 305-273-1338
  www.jsilny.org | info@jsilny.com
  Visit the Josef Silny & Associates FIU Form for details

  World Education Services
  PO Box 745
  New York, NY 10113-0745
  212-966-6311
  www.wes.org | info@wes.org 
  
  Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
  PO Box 514070
  Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
  414-289-3400 | www.ece.org

• Official Transcripts Translation. If official transcripts are not in English, a second copy of the transcript must be requested for translation. Both the official translation, as well as the original transcripts, must be submitted to FIU.

• Certified Copy of Diploma. If you obtained your degree at a foreign institution.

• As a fully online degree, this program is ineligible to grant/provide F-1 Student visas. 

Official transcripts/translations must be submitted directly by the respective institution(s) in electronic format or mailed in a sealed institution envelope to: 

FIU Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 659004, Miami, FL 33265-9004 

Address for Express Mail/Courier Services:

FIU Graduate Admissions, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, BT 201, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199

Pursuing your graduate degree is one of the best investments you can make – one that will open doors to personal and professional opportunities. Our tuition costs represent some of the best values in higher education, and we also offer financial aid support to help you reach your goals.

Scholarship opportunities available

Academic Works

FIU offers Academic Works , a website that matches students with relevant scholarship opportunities.  Find the one that’s right for you!  Academic Works is an online scholarship application tool where FIU students can browse and apply for more than 100 scholarships, made possible by the generosity of FIU alumni and friends.  Students can apply after they are matriculated into one of our programs. For more information visit https://give.fiu.edu/business-governance/scholarships/ .

Other Resources

There are other third party resources that prospective students can access while researching on how to pay for school. Below are various links that provide more information on financial aid and scholarship opportunities:

• FinAid
• FastWeb
• BigFuture

Federal Financial Aid

For information on Federal Financial Aid and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), please visit our financial aid page .

Under the revised Florida Board of Governors' (BOG) Regulation 8.002, all institutions of the State University System (SUS) of Florida are required to provide students with a side-by-side Tuition and Fees comparison for continuing education programs. The tuition comparisons are made between a traditional program vs. its counterpart Market Rate/Self-Supporting program. This approach provides students an opportunity to become aware of options that are available upon selecting a degree program of study.

Please click on the following link which will take you to a searchable database that provides the side-by-side tuition and fees comparisons for the Master of Science Hospitality Management Cruise Line Operations Specialization: https://continue.fiu.edu/programs/side-by-side-tuition-comparison/embed.html

Faculty value student exploration and encourage innovation. They serve as mentors and models who challenge and inspire students. Chaplin School faculty members combine strong academic credentials with excellent teaching skills and extensive executive-level industry experience to inspire students to become leaders in hospitality and tourism. Students learn from experts on all aspects of the field from wine tasting to leadership and entrepreneurship to sustainability. Professors are steeped in knowledge about the newest new inroads to outside fields such as healthcare, and the geopolitical influence on hospitality in emerging markets. Faculty also prepare students with sound approaches to financing and networking to help encourage opportunities and innovation.

Learn more about the details of our program by listening in to our information session.