Enquire to study in the UK 
There’s no better way to master the art of hospitality than practice. So imagine a university that lets you receive and entertain a diverse range of guests as you grow into a leader who can create a warm, welcoming experience for your clients, be it in hotels and beyond.
The students at the University of Denver don’t have to imagine the scenario. They get real-world experience within the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management itself. At “Beans Cafe,” a cosy coffee shop run by students, they are in charge of everything, from marketing and managing employees to monitoring profits and losses.
A specialised school within the Daniels College of Business, which is ranked amongst the top 1.25% of undergraduate business programmes in the US, Fritz Knoebel graduates are ready for the business of hospitality. Such rankings tell us of a programme’s impact – which is just as clear to see in how adaptable, unrivalled, and highly-skilled their graduates are.
What Fritz Knoebel graduates possess is an education that goes beyond the books.
As a student, you’re not weighed down solely by piles of theoretical knowledge that don’t translate to your future career. Instead, Fritz Knoebel’s rigorous curriculum includes a multitude of real-world experiences, sharpening your problem-solving skills to navigate internships, hands-on projects, and student-managed events on campus.
Instead of sitting idle in a classroom, Fritz Knoebel brings theory to life. All students must complete a total of 1,000 hours between work experience and internships before graduation.
All of this prepares you for a steadfast career in a fast-paced industry. As a testament to their success — Fritz Knoebel has graduated more than 3,400 alumni who are now thriving in their careers in hospitality management and beyond.
One Fritz Knoebel graduate who’s grown into a widely respected figure is Claire Wallace. She’s the Vice President of Development for Pyramid Global Hospitality, having begun her path in the industry busing tables and working behind the front desk.
“I realised that I loved hospitality,” Wallace says. “But I did want to be in a more corporate position where I could also leverage the tools and resources from the business school.”
It was a professor at Fritz Knoebel who’d introduced Wallace to the real estate side of the industry and provided her with guidance to navigate such a career path. Without him, she wouldn’t be where she is now, thriving with numerous achievements to her name. Her positive experience with several role models and mentors has instilled a value of “lifting while you climb.”
“It’s important to me to pay that forward to support and empower the next generation of students and leaders in our industry,” Wallace says. “Especially helping to break those barriers for young women on this side of the industry to feel like they too can be successful on this career path.”
Since then, she’s remained connected to DU to impart that same kind of wisdom to the next generation of hospitality leaders. She participates in the LEAD Mentorship Programme every year and guest lectures for the hotel introduction and hotel asset management classes. Today, she’s taken on an adjunct faculty position to lead students through the journey of hotel ownership.
A Fritz Knoebel takes you beyond the classroom into hotels, kitchens, companies, field visits, and more. Source: University of Denver
A solid foundation in business + specialised courses
Fritz Knoebel offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Hospitality Management, which combines a core set of business management courses with hospitality management courses. You focus on one of four concentrations in the major: Lodging Real Estate, Restaurant/Food and Beverage Management, Strategic Lodging Management, or Event Sales and Management.
“I truly enjoyed the business background in hospitality school,” says graduate Kiza Miller. “It certainly has set me up for success in my career because I knew that I was going to spend almost every day working with those professionals.”
Miller graduated from Fritz Knoebel in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and the Hospitality Management major. She’s taken her expertise to the Jordan brand at Nike, working with contracted athletes on brand experience, athlete experience, and sports moments. She works on huge projects around the globe, like the NBA All-Star Weekend and the Olympics.
Despite Nike not being your typical hospitality brand, Miller is a star employee thanks to the versatile skillset her BSBA equipped her with.
“My professional career has benefited because of my background in hospitality and because of the way that my mindset works,” Miller says. “You can know what your passions are, you can follow them, and you can do your best to use that hospitality mindset and hospitality-like atmosphere to really make what you’re doing come to life in a different way.”
Students take on hands-on projects and work opportunities, hosting events, running the campus coffee shop, concept restaurants, and more. Source: University of Denver
This being Fritz Knoebel, there’s a lot of learning by doing – even during core courses. Students work through the entire human resources cycle while mentoring refugee and asylee trainees in our internationally award-winning Ready for American Hospitality programme; open three pop-up restaurants each quarter, including ticketed events that are part of the Cossack Family Guest Chef Series; spend the night in Vail, CO and tour some of Colorado’s world-class resorts, meeting with the resorts’ executives; and so much more.
In each concentration offered, students get involved with even more specific experiential learning opportunities to solidify their skill set. You’ll take a jab at pitching restaurant concepts in the food And Beverage/Restaurant concentration, and even visit some of California wine country’s many wineries, luxury restaurants, and resorts. Speaking of wine, students in Event Sales & Management are entrusted to execute the DU Vin Festival, attended by over 450 people tasting more than 150 types of wines. Those in Lodging Real Estate learn to produce a broker opinion of value. And if you’re in Strategic Lodging Management, you’ll be redefining service delivery systems, possibly through the use of artificial intelligence.
Follow the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
