The Center for Hospitality & Business was created to encompass new academic offerings in hospitality management and business administration, as well as other programs tied to workforce development needs for economic growth and prosperity in the Rapid City/Black Hills region. Our main goals are:
Facilitate significant Rapid City community engagement to create a dynamic network of community leaders
Orchestrate an innovate educational center for tourism and hospitality programs creating partnerships, curriculum and workforce support for one of South Dakota’s top economic industries
Coordinate recruiting strategies to support current and new programs offered on site
Establish the presence as the centralized hub for academic partnerships in association with South Dakota State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Western Dakota Tech
Develop work-force driven programs, workshops, seminars that tie into business and industry needs and workforce training through our BHSU Advantage: Strategic Training Programs
Associates in Tourism & Hospitality
61 Credits – 4 semesters
4 Core Competencies:
Lodging Management
Restaurant Management
Tourism Management
Meetings, Conventions and Event Planning Management
The Business programs at Black Hills State University are accredited by AACSB, placing them among just 5% of business schools in the world to have earned this distinction. Through innovative instruction, mentoring, research, internships, and service, BHSU develops business graduates who become local and regional leaders and compete in a dynamic global environment.
Fuel the Growth: Forging Ahead in 2021 Through Economic Development
The Rushmore Region Economic Development Alliance (The Alliance) is an economic development initiative of Black Hills Community Economic Development. It was created to stimulate and increase business investment in the Black Hills of western South Dakota. The Alliance provides consulting, marketing, and other services to support the growth and success of new and existing businesses, as well as businesses relocating to the region. The Alliance works closely with local economic development organizations and development partners to build capacity within the region. One of the key ways it wishes to build capacity in the region is by providing educational content to stakeholders and partners, and to establish western South Dakota as a nexus for economic development leadership.
BHSU has partnered with the Rushmore Region Economic Development Alliance to facilitate educational and leadership development trainings to not only strengthen the Black Hills region, the state of South Dakota and all other surrounding states.