Online Schools with Restaurant Management Courses and Degree Programs: How to Choose

Online schools offer several options for training in restaurant management, including career diplomas and associate or bachelor's degrees. These programs cover a variety of restaurant management topics and can help graduates start a career in the food service or hospitality industries.

How to Choose an Online School with Restaurant Management Degrees and Diplomas

Award Levels Granted

Online degrees in restaurant management are available at nearly every level, from associate degrees to master's degrees. Though they are available, online master's degrees in this field are not common, and degrees at this level are not always necessary for employment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers in restaurants usually need a high school diploma. For management-level employment in the food service and hospitality industries, employers may seek applicants with more advanced education, according to the BLS (www.bls.gov).

Training Requirements

Online schools may require that restaurant management students complete hands-on training through internships. Because the point of these internships is to gain firsthand, real-world experience, they cannot be completed online.
The BLS says that food service managers are often required to complete training programs within the organizations that hire them, and describes this training as a combination of hands-on work training and classes in topics like sanitation, personnel management and company-specific rules.

Overview of Online Restaurant Management Career Diplomas

Online restaurant management career diplomas are often offered through a restaurant management or tourism and hospitality department. In these programs, students learn to present themselves professionally, manage employees and interact with customers.
Career diploma curricula are often broken into multiple instruction sets or modules that focus on specific topics, like menu planning and sanitation, legal aspects of restaurant management and customer service. Materials, like supplemental DVDs, may be shipped to students with materials for each learning module. A 2-year career diploma prepares students for entry-level positions in food service management. Common coursework includes instruction on food safety and preparation procedures, banquet styles and customer service.

Overview of Online Associate's Degrees in Restaurant Management

An online associate degree in restaurant management typically requires completion of 65-75 credit hours. Required courses include topics like hospitality etiquette, laws governing the hospitality industry, food safety and sanitation techniques, cost control and accounting for restaurants. Course credit is often awarded for internship experience, which may be required to last for at least a quarter-semester of the program.
Materials are often available several weeks before classes begin, through school bookstores or through an electronic format. Many schools use an online content management system like Blackboard to allow students to receive and submit their assignments and communicate with professors.

Overview of Online Bachelor's Degrees in Restaurant Management

Students in online bachelor degree programs in restaurant management are required to complete anywhere from 120-180 credit hours in courses related to business, food service. This may include required practical experience. Some schools require that students document completion of 800 or more hours of hands-on experience, sometimes at the school's hospitality department during a set number of campus visits.
Common courses in restaurant management bachelor's degree programs include an introduction to the hospitality industry, the study of food history and accounting for restaurant and hotel management. These bachelor's degree programs also typically include courses that satisfy general education requirements, like English and mathematics. Course credits from these bachelor's degree programs may be transferable to a graduate degree in hospitality and tourism. These graduate-level degrees are not commonly available online.