About Option Two:

Why study travel and tourism in the Department of Geography? There could hardly be a more appropriate place for travel and tourism studies, since tourism and travel is primarily about geography: places, culture, landscapes, the movement of people, and interrelationships between humans and their environment. These topics are integral to the study and the practice of geography.

While our program is not career specific and prepares for all possible career choices within the industry, it incorporates courses focusing more specifically on tours and meeting planning and programming, as well as tourism promotion and regional development.

Our program is supported by qualified faculty who are actively involved and hold positions in such professional organizations as International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators; Louisiana Tourism Professionals; Travel and Tourism Research Association; and Recreation, Tourism and Sport Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers. The faculty members hold professional endorsements from American Airlines Travel Academy and International Air Transport Associations, and have personal experience in hospitality management, travel agency operations, tour organization, and guiding, conference programming, and worldwide travel.

The Program:

Travel and tourism requires a minimum of 58 credit hours, of which 15 credit hours consist of general geography core, and 43 (or more) credit hours as a travel and tourism option requirement. Within the latter, there are 16 hours of the option's core courses, 12 hours of the option's specialized courses, six hours of regional courses, and nine hours of geography systematic courses. The best way to fulfill this program's requirements is to declare a major during the freshman year and design a proper sequence of courses, both within the major, minor, and Ball State University Core requirements. However, the geography/travel and tourism requirements can be easily achieved within a two-year period. Therefore, there are opportunities to join the program during the sophomore and junior years.

REQUIRED COURSES -- 30 - 33 hours

•     GEOG 101 Earth, Sea, and Sky: A Geographic View (3)
•     GEOG 121 Geography of the Cultural Environment (3)
•     GEOG 150 Global Geography (3)
•     GEOG 240 Map Reading and Interpretation (3)
•     GEOG 261 Tourism Systems (3)
•     GEOG 262 Tourism Regions (3)
•     GEOG 265 Introduction to GIS (3)
•     GEOG 369 Professional Experience (3 - 6) or GEOG 479 Practical Experience (3  6) 
•     GEOG 491 Tourism Development (3)
•     GEOG 494 Research Methods (3)

SPECIALIZED COURSES:  12 hours

Choose 12 hours from:

•     GEOG 360 Tours and Meetings Management (3)
•     GEOG 460 Travel and Tourism Consulting (3)
•     FCSFN 250 Lodging Management (3)
•     FCSFN 363 Institutional Administration (3)
•     FCSFN 476 Event Management (3)
•     NREM 371 Outdoor Recreation (3)
•     MGT 200 Management Principles (3)
•     MKG 200 Fundamentals of Marketing (3)

ELECTIVES:  15 hours

Choose 9 hours from:

•     GEOG 120 Economic Geography and Contemporary Issues (3)
•     GEOG 230 Elementary Meteorology (3)
•     GEOG 320 Ethnic Geography (3)
•     GEOG 321 Urban Geography (3)
•     GEOG 323 Tourism and Geography of Food (3)
•     GEOG 331 Global Climatology (3)
•     GEOG 340 Cartography and Graphics 1 (3)
•     GEOG 423 Population Geography (3)
•     GEOG 470 World Political Geography (3)
•     GEOG 480 Distant Area Field Studies (3)

Choose 6 hours from:

•     GEOG 350 Geography of the United States and Canada (3)
•     GEOG 351 Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean (3)
•     GEOG 352 Geography of Africa (3)
•     GEOG 353 Geography of Indiana (3)
•     GEOG 354 Geography of Asia (3)
•     GEOG 356 Geography of Russia and its Neighbors (3)
•     GEOG 357 Geography of  Europe (3)
•     GEOG 480 Distant Area Field Studies (3)

Recommended minors for Option 2 include:  Modern Languages and Classics, Food Management, Hospitality Management, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, and any Business or area studies.

Employment Opportunities with Option Two:

The Travel and Tourism program at Ball State offers students excellent opportunities to prepare themselves for a variety of positions within the travel and tourism industry. Our educational package fully reflects the industry's requirements. Those who hire travel and tourism professionals are less concerned about very definite skills like ticketing, for example, than with employing well-educated college graduates who can think, solve problems, communicate, and adjust smoothly to changing circumstances in the marketplace. Our program offers everything you need in this regard.

For example, our recent graduates have found employment with American Trans Air (crew scheduling), Resorts Condominium International (customer representative), Delta Airlines (flight attendant), AAA (travel agent), Ball-Foster Glass (corporate travel agent), Holiday Inn Express, and others. They are valued for their knowledge, skills, attitude, and flexibility.

While our program is not career specific and prepares for all possible career choices within the industry, it incorporates courses focusing more specifically on tours and meeting planning and programming, as well as tourism promotion and regional development.  The knowledge and skills gained in some courses serve as a sufficient base to obtain entry-level professional competency certifications or endorsements, which are offered to our students in conjunction with industry certification bodies such as the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, National Tour Association, and Viasinc. However, the essence of our program is the broad geographic base which can be utilized anywhere, even outside the travel and tourism business.

Faculty Contacts for Option Two:

Dr. Jerzy Jemiolo: Associate Professor of Geography
e-mail: jjemiolo@bsu.edu

Dr. Michael Hawkins: Associate Professor of Geography
e-mail: mhawkin2@bsu.edu