Student Perspectives on Foodservice Laboratories in a Four-Year Hospitality Program

Hospitality management programs have historically contained a practical element in their curriculum. These practical elements can take many forms depending on the type of program and goals of the program; however student perceptions of these courses are currently unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine hospitality student perceptions of: practical/vocational courses within the hospitality curriculum, relevance of these courses with regard to future employment, and satisfaction with these practical/vocational courses. The findings of this study will report current student satisfaction levels and perceived future utility of laboratory courses. In addition, the study may provide further efficacy to the benefit of laboratory courses or add to the discourse that these courses are not the most cost effective teaching method.