Program Overview

Graduate Certificate in Hospitality Design

About

Hospitality Design Leaders from Las Vegas based architecture firms (responsible for designing most of the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and countless other national/international projects) are collaborating with UNLV School of Architecture (SoA) to offer a graduate concentration in Hospitality Design/Entertainment Architecture. This concentration allows students to engage and learn from industry leaders and investigate the issues that shape this dynamic international design industry. For qualified applicants including international students, practitioners in disciplines related to hospitality design, and students already holding an accredited architecture degree, the SoA would like to announce the HD Certificate.

The HD Certificate program is an intensive one year course of study. To earn the certificate, students must engage in design/research under the guidance of faculty with diverse expertise and professionals with several years of experience, successfully defend their work before a panel of design critics, and demonstrate their ability to generate original material relevant to the profession and/or academia by completing a publishable work.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to analyze industry challenges through the lens of hospitality design proposals.
• Students will be able to engage and participate in architectural research to test and evaluate innovations in the field.
• Students will be able to navigate a range of available career opportunities that utilize the discipline’s skills and knowledge.
• Students will be able to assess the potential impact of implementing hospitality design decisions in various professional settings.

Requirements

Plan Description

Hospitality Design Leaders from Las Vegas based architecture firms (responsible for designing most of the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and countless other national/international projects) are collaborating with UNLV School of Architecture (SoA) to offer a graduate concentration in Hospitality Design/Entertainment Architecture. This concentration allows students to engage and learn from industry leaders and investigate the issues that shape this dynamic international design industry. For qualified applicants including international students, practitioners in disciplines related to hospitality design, and students already holding an accredited architecture degree, the SoA would like to announce the HD Certificate.

The HD Certificate program is an intensive one year course of study. To earn the certificate, students must engage in design/research under the guidance of faculty with diverse expertise and professionals with several years of experience, successfully defend their work before a panel of design critics, and demonstrate their ability to generate original material relevant to the profession and/or academia by completing a publishable work.

Plan Admission Requirements

• Application deadlines: Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
• Hospitality Design (HD) Certificate applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications for consideration of admission to the HD Certificate program: an undergraduate degree, a strong design or research background, and professional or internship experience in the hospitality industry.
• Applicants must submit a portfolio of original work (specify exact role on work generated in collaborative settings) and a one page letter of intent that describes their design and/or research agenda to be developed.
• Each year, the HD Concentration's coordinator must receive student applications to the HD Certificate Program by July 1 in order to conduct the admissions process and make preparations for design-research proposals.
• All applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Plan Requirements

• Total Credits Required: 21

Course Requirements

• Required Courses – Credits: 9
  • AAE 775 - Tourist Facility Design and Development
  • AAE 789 - Architecture Research Studio
• Elective Course – Credits: 3
  • Complete 3 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
• Hospitality Elective Course – Credits: 3
  • Complete 3 credits from the following list of courses, or another advisor-approved course:
    • HOA 739 - Psychology of Hospitality Marketing
    • HOA 797 - Philosophy of Science in Hospitality Research
    • HOA 574 - Seminar in Hotel Research
    • SLS 718 - Programming for Sport and Leisure Service Organizations
• Project Design Course – Credits: 6
  • AAE 790 - Professional Project Design

Certificate Requirements

1. Completion of a minimum of 21 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
2. Ideally, students take one elective in the fall semester and one elective in the spring while they are engaged in independent design research projects focusing on hospitality design/entertainment architecture issues.
3. The Project Design course will be conducted as a design research project guided by the Hospitality Design Concentration Coordinator. The culminating experience must include successful defense of design/research presentation to the student's critics and the submission of the work (or component thereof) to a refereed conference, journal, or equivalent.

Plan Certificate Completion Requirements

• The student must successfully complete and defend their final project.
• Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.

Documents/Downloads

• Plans of Study
• Syllabi
• Degree Worksheets
• Careers
• Graduate Handbooks
• Additional Downloads
• Related Links

Contacts

Graduate Coordinator

• Grant Mosey
• Assistant Professor

School of Architecture

• The School of Architecture provides professional and continuing education in the design professions of architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and design. Along with addressing the theoretical and practical aspects of general design education, our school focuses on the important design issues facing Las Vegas, the state of Nevada, and the Southwest.

College of Fine Arts

• The College of Fine Arts provides an academic experience that heightens awareness of the physical, intellectual, and cultural world. We diligently prepare students for professional employment and/or post-graduate study in their artistic area.