Meeting Professionals International and San Diego State University’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management have announced a joint project to create the first graduate-level degree program in the United States focused on meeting and event management for mid- and senior-level professionals. In addition, they plan to develop a related academic certificate program for nontraditional students.
The master’s degree program, which they expect to launch in 2019, will be delivered online, incorporating experiential learning, simulations, and industry mentoring. It will be taught by faculty who have worked in the industry. There will also be required meetups on the SDSU campus but the logistics have not been worked out.
“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, L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “This master’s degree will assist mid- to senior-level professionals in developing their skills while still employed, benefitting both themselves and their organizations,” said Carl Winston, Director, L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
The MPI/SDSU academic certificate program, also expected to launch in 2019, will cover select core content from the master’s degree program. It will also be administered online, with meetups on SDSU’s campus. Participants will also earn college credits, which can be applied towards the master’s degree program.
This will not be the first collaboration between MPI and SDSU. Since 2015, they have worked with Event Model Generation to present the Event Design Certificate Program, a three-day training course on the SDSU campus that teaches a 10-step visual approach to event design. The next EDC Program course is January 11 – 13, 2018; registration is open until January 1.
