Students network with employers at a bustling hospitality career fair in 2023S
tarting in July 2024, there will be a new school at the Driehaus College of Business. The sports business program, launched in 2018, will be integrated into the School of Hospitality Leadership to form the School of Hospitality and Sports Business.
The programs housed within the School of Hospitality and Sports Business (HSB) are in high demand among today’s students. Enrollments have grown consistently across these programs, which prepare students for careers in a wide array of fields, ranging from event planning and hotel management to the food and beverage industry to sports management and marketing. A growing selection of minors facilitates this career exploration.
The school’s curricular offerings are connected to industry and relevant to a wide variety of career goals. Newly developed courses include a Chicago Quarter course that introduces freshmen to the city’s multicultural neighborhoods through food; a sports tourism class; and a leadership class that combines industry exposure with real-world case studies.
As the HSB continues to grow, so too are its industry and academic collaborations. Lisa Young, director of the HSB, has nurtured relationships with community college across the Chicagoland area as demand for jobs in the field continues to increase. The Executive-in-Residence Program brings in top leaders from industry (most recently, from Hyatt Hotel’s Chicago headquarters), to share their expertise with students. Ongoing partnerships with major restaurant groups in Chicago — such as Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and Gibsons Restaurant Group — give students frontline experience in the food and beverage industry. Likewise, the HSB boasts extensive connections to leaders in Chicago’s thriving sports business scene, including at Paragon Marketing Group, Wilson Sporting Goods, and multiple major-league teams across Chicago.
The HSB is equally committed to giving students a global perspective on their chosen industry. An annual trip to London led by Andy Clark, director of the sports business program, brings students face-to-face with global leaders in sports marketing, management and events. Study-abroad trips led by Joel Reynolds, director of undergraduate programs in hospitality leadership, bring students to the forefront of Italy’s world-class food and beverage industry. And over the past decade, trips to Singapore and Tokyo led by Young have given students a firsthand perspective on a wide range of industries throughout Asia — including hospitality, tourism, sports and entrepreneurship.
“The key point of difference for both sports business and hospitality students at DePaul is real-world learning and industry connections,” said Clark. “This quarter alone, our students and alumni have accepted positions with the Cubs, the Bears, NASCAR, and Wilson.”
“This new school will leverage the expertise of our faculty and industry partners for the benefit of all our students and alumni,” said Young. “Students in these disciplines learn to create meaningful, transformative experiences from the ground up. Many top universities already group these disciples under one umbrella. We are delighted to be joining them.”