<p>I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish in 2012. My plan at the time was to work for a few years and then return to grad school, with a specific interest in eco-tourism programs. My first job out of undergrad, however, was working for Disney and it was a great experience, and I might expand my program search to more traditional tourism programs as well. I have a few questions as my search takes off:</p>
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<li><p>As of my expected enrollment date of fall 2014, I'll have been out of school for two years, and have plenty of customer service experience but little to no management experience. Many programs seem catered towards those who are already at mid-management. I am okay with taking additional coursework to meet any prereqs; what programs would be a good fit for someone like me, with my bachelor's degree in a different field but some non-managerial work experience in tourism/hospitality? Or would it make much more sense to either gain more work experience or look into certificate programs in the meantime? (I qualify for considerable financial aid from the VA right now, but it's only good for the next few years, which is part of the push to enroll in the near future)</p></li>
<li><p>How important is location in selecting a school in this field? If my ideal would be to return and work for Disney or a similar theme park/resort operation, would it be best to focus on schools in near Anaheim and Orlando for the sake of networking and internships? I have some connections in both of these regions, but I am a current Pennsylvania resident.</p></li>
<li><p>That being said, I still have some interest in eco-tourism operations or working for the sustainability department for a bigger resort company. How much weight would a degree in eco-tourism hold if I were applying to a job in the traditional tourism field, and vice-versa? Are there more conventional tourism programs that are still very ethics/sustainability minded?</p></li>
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<p>Sorry for all the TL;DR rambling. Does anyone have any tips?</p>