Finding the Right Educational Degree Plan for You

Step 1: Career Cluster

Step 2: Educational Pattern

Step 3: Degree Plan

3. Creating a Workforce Career Degree Plan Workforce Career Plan for the Hospitality and Tourism Cluster You have chosen the Workforce Career pattern of education in the Hospitality and Tourism (HSPTR) career cluster. The Workforce Career Pattern means that you will be taking mostly Technical Job-focused courses and a few General Education courses for the completion of your Marketable Skills Achievement Award (MSA), Certificate of Completion and/or Associate in Applied Science degree at Houston Community College. Careers related to Attractions, Event Planning, Lodging, Restaurant, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Travel, Tourism. Your educational degree plan will be a Certificate of Completion or an Associate in Applied Science Email your HCC Student ID number to a counselor to let him/her know that you are choosing one of the degree plans listed below from the HSPTR Career Cluster. A Counselor will respond within 24-36 hours. Email contacts: ce.counseling@hccs.edu Workforce Education Awards offered at Houston Community College: AAS indicates Associate in Applied Science degree (~2 years full-time or 4 years part-time study) Certificate indicates Certificate of Completion (length varies from 1-3 semesters study) MSA indicates Marketable Skills Achievement Award (~1 semester study) AAS Baking and Pastry (64 sem. hours) Certificate Baking and Pastry (39 sem. hours) MSA Baker (39 sem. hours) MSA Cake Decorator (39 sem. hours) MSA Pastry Cook (39 sem. hours)    AAS Culinary Arts (67 sem. hours) Certificate Culinary Arts (39 sem. hours)   ATC Hotel / Restaurant Management (47 sem. hours) Certificate Hotel Management (39 sem. hours) Certificate Restaurant Management (39 sem. hours)    AAS Travel and Tourism Services (37 sem. hours) Certificate Travel and Tourism Services (39 sem. hours) Certificate Travel Automation (39 sem. hours) Note: Each award above is designed to be an exit point to the world of work enabling the graduate to have the skills for entry level and more advanced occupations. Each award above is also designed to build upon each other. Thus, a student can achieve a Marketable Skills Achievement Award (MSA) and then go to work. The MSA Completer can continue his/her education applying the MSA courses toward a Certificate of Completion in the same field. The Certificate of Completion graduate can continue his/her education and apply the Certificate courses toward the Associate in Applied Science degree (AAS) in the same field. There are also many creative and non-traditional accredited universities who will transfer the AAS degree toward a bachelor degree either in the same field or in a related field. Thus, at each point of completion, the student will possess skills directly impacting performance in the work world and the student can continue progressing in his/her educational pathway eventually attaining the associate and the bachelor degree. The courses in each award above are detailed in the college catalog in force at the time of your first enrollment at HCC. Look at the Academic Transfer Pattern in this Cluster Choose a different Career Cluster