The Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management (TESM) at IU Indianapolis is thrilled to announce the launch of three new majors: tourism, hospitality and event management, in addition to sport management. Each major offers an experience-based education, allowing students the flexibility to earn credit for work experience while building their resumes and professional networks.
“These majors provide so much more than traditional listen-to-lecture learning,” said Professor David Pierce, Ph.D., TESM department chair. “All four majors allow students to earn credit for work-based learning experiences, equating to a semester’s worth of credit toward graduation.”
The curriculum embeds students in all that Indy has to offer, starting with volunteer work during their first semester and continuing through internships, newly formed co-ops, and industry-driven capstone courses. Each major also includes a business foundations certificate from the IU Indianapolis Kelley School of Business, ensuring a solid grounding in essential business skills. Students will graduate with in-depth knowledge specific to their industry while also understanding the operations and finance sides.
“What the faculty have put together for students is unique and truly leverages Indy’s location as a sports, convention and event host city—and hospitality destination,” said Mike Karnuta, Indiana Sports Corp’s chief development officer and co-chair of the department’s advisory council. “TESM students are often seen at major events and games, working hard behind-the-scenes to hone their craft and help us succeed. I am confident students in these new majors will graduate workforce-ready, a hallmark of the TESM program.”
Deep partnerships and industry connections bring professionals to campus as guest speakers, adjunct instructors, and participants in networking events and career panels. These synergistic relationships create pipelines for talent while educating future leaders, a win-win for students, TESM and industry.
Beyond major-focused classes, business courses and work-based learning, students also complete 21 credit hours in shared TESM courses, emphasizing the interconnectedness of sports, events, hospitality and tourism industries. An additional 18 credit hours of electives offer students the flexibility to pursue double majors or other opportunities within TESM.
“These are multi-million, if not billion-dollar industries that fuel our state and city’s economy,” said Pierce. “We are proud to contribute to our community and ensure TESM graduates are prepared to lead and grow these areas.”
According to Pierce, TESM fields have fully recovered since the pandemic, with numerous entry-level job opportunities and rapid advancement potential. Workforce needs span from front-line positions to behind-the-scenes roles in leadership, digital marketing, analytics, technology management, sustainability and more.
“I believe that Indy is one of the greatest places for students to be right now,” Pierce added. “The need for our program is tremendous. We have a world-class destination with high-visibility events and venues, plus numerous hotels, restaurants and cultural offerings—all within walking distance of campus. I can’t wait to see how our graduates impact the future of our city, state and beyond.”
TESM invites prospective students to explore these exciting new majors and embark on a rewarding career in tourism, hospitality and event and sport management. Learn more at go.iu.edu/tesm.