A new partnership between the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and

Restaurant Management and St. Philip's College is raising the level of hospitality education in the tourism capital of Texas.

With classes set to begin in the fall of 2014, the Conrad N. Hilton College – San Antonio will give

students the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Houston without ever leaving the Alamo City.

"With the impact the hospitality and tourism industry currently has in the San Antonio area, this new

campus will benefit students greatly," said Dr. John Bowen, dean of Hilton College. "We have received tremendous local industry support and are proud to be San Antonio's only provider of a bachelor's- level hospitality education."

St. Philip's currently offers a two-year associate's degree in hospitality management, which fulfills the

prerequisites for successful transfer to the Conrad N. Hilton College – San Antonio. Students who transfer in from other four-year colleges can also pick up the hospitality and general education prerequisites they might need at St. Philip's, then continue with their upper-division courses in the Hilton College program. Initially, all classes will be held on the St. Philip's campus while the new campus is being built.

Dr. Graham Bowcher, assistant dean of the Conrad N. Hilton College – San Antonio, has already hired

an admissions director and student advisor, and is actively recruiting students.

"I'm delighted at the opportunity to advance hospitality education in San Antonio through this

program," Bowcher said. "This is a people industry, and it's a huge part of the American workforce. With so many people employed in hospitality, you need leadership. The Conrad N. Hilton College – San Antonio is all about developing those leaders."

For more information on the San Antonio program, visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu/Conrad-N.-Hilton-College-San-

Antonio/.

About The University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

For more information, visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu.