College of Hospitality & Business
The College of Hospitality & Business prepares students for interconnected, fast-moving and globally focused professions. With programs spanning hospitality, marketing, finance, sports, events, management and retailing, the college delivers forward-thinking coursework that blends academic rigor with hands-on learning and industry engagement. Graduates aren’t just prepared for a position — they build adaptability, creativity and strategic insight that shape future careers.
Business and Hospitality Fit Together
Our graduates go everywhere — banks, ad agencies, sports franchises, startups, retailers, hotels, nonprofits, their own companies. What connects those jobs isn’t an industry. It’s that every one of them runs on numbers and on people, and most degrees only prepare you for one.
Here you get both. A finance major learns what makes a business worth working for, not just what makes it profitable. A hospitality major learns to read a balance sheet. Wherever you land, you’ll understand the operation and the numbers behind it.
Get Career Experience Before You Graduate
You won’t wait until senior year to do the work. Finance students manage part of JWU’s actual endowment through the Wildcat Investment & Finance Initiative. Seniors run a working restaurant. Students pitch business ideas at SharkFest, take on projects for real clients and complete internships during the school year.
THE CONNECT CONFERENCE is a good example. Students helped build it — handling logistics, marketing and VIP coordination — and one student moderated a panel of industry executives.
Labs That Operate Like Real Businesses
These aren’t practice spaces. In Providence, the SEEM Lab puts students in a 2,200-square-foot sports and entertainment environment with a 20-foot screen. Fashion Merchandising & Retailing students build portfolio work in the Retail Lab. The Bigelow Tea Classroom teaches sensory evaluation and Bistro 61 runs as a working restaurant.
In Charlotte, the Hospitality Dining Room serves real guests against a floor-to-ceiling view of the skyline, and the Mixology Lab trains students in beverage service under certified beverage specialists.
Bigelow Tea Classroom at JWU Providence (Top)
Finance & Strategy Lab at JWU Providence (Middle)
Hospitality Dining Room at JWU Charlotte (Bottom)
Hired for the World Cup
Soh Kone ’26 was finishing his last course in Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management when FIFA reached out. His work at Gillette Stadium with the New England Revolution got their attention, and after an interview they brought him on for World Cup 2026 — supervising fan operations at Boston Stadium, where he oversaw 40 volunteers and managed crowd flow for matches drawing more than 61,000 people.
He credits three faculty members with steering him toward every opportunity that led there. Two other Wildcats worked the tournament: Jonathan Walker ’14, ’17 MBA brought Ghana’s team base camp to Rhode Island, and Varun Shivdasani ’02 ran culinary nutrition for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
In the Restaurant, On the Pitch Stage
Two ways students put classroom work in front of an audience. Students in Advanced Food Service Operations Management take over Bistro 61, a full restaurant with guests, running menu development, front and back of house, financial planning and floor plan design. At SharkFest, students work with the Larry Friedman Center for Entrepreneurship to sharpen a business pitch, then compete for seed money to get the idea off the ground.
Students run Bistro 61 — menu, service, budget, staff
SharkFest pitches, in 15 seconds or less.
Where Our Graduates Work
A degree from this college doesn’t lead to one job — it leads to a range of them. Andrea Cabrera ’16, ’18 MBA recently opened a second location of her restaurant, Café Ava. Jennifer Curtin ’13 is general manager of The Beatrice, an independent luxury hotel in Providence, where she oversees guest experience, marketing and revenue management. Jonathan Walker ’14, ’17 MBA is executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission at GoProvidence. Others manage accounts at Capital One, lead economic development organizations, direct events at private clubs and work as certified wine professionals.
Professors who Ran the Business First
Our faculty worked in these industries before they taught them — as event managers, business owners, catering directors, operations directors and corporate consultants. Their hands-on knowledge and personal support help you grow your skills and prepare for success in today’s fast-moving business and hospitality worlds.
Memberships
Johnson & Wales University is honored to be a member of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) and the National Retail Federation (NRF).
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in the United States, supporting and advocating for the hospitality industry including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, RITS, bed & breakfasts and industry partners. The association’s more than 1,000 corporate members include the top 10 hotel companies and more than 32,000 member properties.
Founded in 1927, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is a global organization of sales, marketing and revenue management professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry, with nearly 5,000 members from 35 countries.
With a strong focus on education, HSMAI is an industry champion in identifying/communicating trends in the hospitality industry, serving as a leading voice in hospitality sales, marketing and revenue management, and connecting members with customers.
Founded in 1946, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) is a collegial association that advances and improves global hospitality and tourism education and research. Members within regional federations can take advantage of conference and networking opportunities.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has represented retail for over a century, serving as retail’s greatest advocate. NRF membership unites industry leaders and boundary breakers around complex issues and bold opportunities. Membership is available for retailers, industry partner companies, insights partner firms, universities and international retail association members.
