Program Overview

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Executive Master of Hospitality Administration

About

The Master of Hospitality Administration (M.H.A.) degree program is an exciting, self-paced, online degree opportunity for professionals in the hospitality industry. Each course will lend power to your everyday activities as you employ new ideas and draw on time-honored theories. When you complete your professional paper — the culmination of your learning experience — you will take the learning opportunities right into your office as you focus on a challenging issue facing your company.

This program was designed with the busy professional in mind. Offered totally online, this program allows one to live anywhere in the world, work, and travel and still receive a master’s degree from an accredited, internationally renowned university.

Available Options

• Hospitality Management
• Gaming Management

Accreditation

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

Learning Outcomes

• Examine the functions of human resource management, with special attention to strategic human resource alliances and developing trends.
• Apply accounting and financial information to executive decision making in the hospitality industry.
• Develop marketing & advertising systems for hospitality industries based on the need to create new markets and the need to respond to significant shifts in social and economic patterns.
• Examine service marketing and management concepts relevant to the hospitality industry and explore how these concepts can be applied to service delivery systems.
• Examine research methods including: scientific method, literature review, sampling, statistics, research design and analytical technique.
• Examine mechanisms and techniques employed in the management of hotel management, convention and meetings management, casino management, or food service management.
• Develop strategies to address the challenges of a specific problem in hospitality management on basis of interest and preparation and apply this to their current work environment.
• Conduct independent research in their major area of work on the analysis of a problem for a hospitality organization.

Career Possibilities

View Career Possibilities

Requirements

Plan Description

The Master's of Hospitality Administration (MHA) degree is a 30-credit program designed to bring hospitality executives together to learn the latest management and leadership techniques in an executive format, via the Internet and other media. Demand determines the class schedule for the program.

Students must choose one of two subplans: 1) Hospitality Management, and 2) Gaming Management. Students must specify the program option as part of the admission process.

Courses are taught entirely online—there is no requirement that any student come to the main UNLV campus. Courses are offered throughout the year in five eight-week sessions. Two sessions are scheduled during the fall and spring semesters and one during the summer semester. At least two required courses and two elective courses are offered during each session.

The professional paper and entrepreneurship classes are offered during the regular 16-weeks of the Fall and Spring. The professional paper should adhere to the American Psychological Association's current publication manual regarding writing style and format.

In addition to regular tuition and fees, this program has an additional fee of $510 per credit to cover the cost of delivery in an executive format.

Plan Admission Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, or 3.00 or higher in the last two years of study.
• A combination of 1 to 3 years of supervisory and managerial experience in the field of hospitality (or related field).
• To apply, applicants must submit the following materials by the application deadline to be considered for admission into the program.
• Completed and submit the online UNLV Graduate College admission application and pay the required admission application fee.
• Submit of all post-secondary transcripts from all institutions attended. Unofficial copies of these transcripts must be uploaded into the online application system.
• International applicants must submit the results of the TOEFL or IELTS as evidence of English proficiency. Test scores must be less than two years old at the time of application in order to be valid.
• Submit a Statement of Purpose (approximately 500 words) that outlines your career goals and how your hospitality employment background has prepared you for graduate study.
• Submit a resume with employer references. The resume should clearly communicate your career history, including detailed job responsibilities.
• Submit two letters of recommendation. Letters can be from a current or former employer or a faculty member that can comment on your potential success in the graduate program.
• Applicants may be required to participate in an online recorded video, Skype, or other personal interview at no cost to the applicant.

Plan Requirements

Subplan 1: Hospitality Management (Exclusively Fully Online*)

• Total Credits Required: 30
• Course Requirements:
  • Required Courses – Credits: 15
    • MHA 603 - Human Resources and Behavior in the Hospitality Industry
    • MHA 605 - Financial Analysis for the Service Industries
    • MHA 635 - Research Methodology
    • MHA 640 - Marketing Systems
    • MHA 651 - Hospitality Service Management
  • Elective Courses – Credits: 12
    • Complete four additional MHA courses
  • Culminating Experience – Credits: 3
    • Complete either a professional paper or hospitality entrepreneurship

Subplan 2: Gaming Management (Exclusively Fully Online*)

• Total Credits Required: 30
• Course Requirements:
  • Required Course – Credits: 12
    • MHA 603 - Human Resources and Behavior in the Hospitality Industry
    • MHA 605 - Financial Analysis for the Service Industries
    • MHA 618 - Gaming Operations
    • MHA 635 - Research Methodology
  • Required Marketing Course – Credits: 3
    • Choose one of the following courses:
      • MHA 639 - Casino Marketing
      • MHA 640 - Marketing Systems
  • Elective Courses – Credits: 12
    • Complete four additional MHA courses
  • Culminating Experience – Credits: 3
    • MHA 788 - Professional Paper

Degree Requirements

• This Program is available Fully Online (Please see the Fully Online Modality Tracks in Programs section of this Catalog for more information).
• Students must successfully complete 30 credits of 500-/600-level course work in the MHA Hospitality Management subplan in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
• Students may take courses in any order with these exceptions: students are encouraged to take MHA 635 – Research Methods in their first semester; MHA 635 – Research Methodology must be taken prior to the culminating experience; and the culminating experience cannot be taken until 80% of all coursework is complete and the student is in the last semester of study.

Graduation Requirements

• The student must successfully complete a culminating experience.
• 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.