“We are thrilled about this opportunity to co-create unique and rigorous educational programming with the globally-recognized L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at SDSU.”
San Diego State University’s
L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is partnering with
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) to create a new graduate degree in meeting and event management. The program will be the first of its kind in the United States and will target mid and senior-level professionals in the field of meeting and event management.
Scheduled to launch in 2019, the master’s degree program will incorporate experiential learning, simulations and industry partner mentoring.
Classes will be taught by faculty who have worked in the meeting and event industry. Students will also have the opportunity to attend guest lectures delivered by industry professionals. Classes will be held online, while on campus meet-ups will accommodate student work schedules.
“It is about time that this profession is recognized as needing high-level knowledge, skills and abilities taught in an academically rigorous and relevant manner at the graduate level,” said
Carl Winston, director of SDSU’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “This master’s degree will assist professionals in developing their skills while still employed, benefitting both themselves and their organizations.”
The collaboration with MPI, the world’s largest meeting and event industry association, will also develop an academic certificate program geared toward non-traditional students. Students in the certificate program will earn college credit, which can later be applied towards the master’s degree program if students wish to pursue that path.
“We are thrilled about this opportunity to co-create unique and rigorous educational programming with the globally-recognized L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at SDSU,” said
Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. “MPI continuously strives to bring more visibility and credibility to the meeting and event industry, and the new master’s degree and academic certificate programs are stellar examples of how we fulfill our mission.”
This is not the first time the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has partnered with MPI. The university has collaborated with MPI and
Event Model Generation since 2015 on the Event Design Certificate program. The immersive three-day training course teaches students a systematic 10-step visual approach to event design. The next EDC Program course is scheduled for Jan. 11-13, 2018, and
registration is now open.