Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the San Diego State University (SDSU) L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management have announced that they will create the first graduate-level meeting and event program in the United States for mid- and senior-level professionals. They also intend to develop a related academic certificate program for nontraditional students.
“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 the school.
The master’s program is expected to launch in January 2019, and will be offered online. The courses will incorporate experiential learning, simulations and industry mentoring, and will be taught by faculty who have worked in the meetings and events industry.
The MPI/SDSU academic certificate program, which is also expected to launch in 2019, will cover select core content from the master’s degree program. It will also be administered online, with meet-ups on SDSU’s campus. Participants will earn college credits that can be applied toward the master’s degree program.
