Why students choose a hospitality-degree program An Australian case study

Abstract

High-school students who enrolled in a hospitality-degree course at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, reported that their choice was based on the reputation and availability of a particular course of study rather than on the overall reputation of the university. This study, which used focus groups and a questionnaire completed by 143 first-year students, found that only 53 percent had decided to study at the university before deciding to pursue hospitality studies. Slightly more than a third reported that they chose the university at the same time that they decided on a hospitality career. Only 10 percent knew that they wanted a career in the hospitality industry before they chose a college. Many students were influenced by positive perceptions of the hospitality industry from personal observations, experience as casual or part-time employees, and media reports on the projected rates of growth in the hospitality industry. The influence of peers and knowledgeable adults was surprisingly low.