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Master of Science - Hotel Administration
Program Overview
Master of Science - Hotel Administration
About
The 31-hour Master of Science in Hotel Administration degree program will prepare you for a successful career as an upper-level executive in the hospitality industry or as an instructor/researcher in a hospitality education program. You will have an opportunity to choose from a variety of electives on topics including but not limited to hospitality education; entrepreneurship; organizational behavior; gaming; and tourism. In addition, you can further explore the industry through an internship or independent study.
The decision as to topic and format for your final project will be based on your career goals and made through consultation with your advisor.
Application Deadlines
Fall Admit
- July 1 (International Students, May 1)
Available Options
- Thesis Track
- Professional Paper Track
Accreditation
For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over 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 critical analytical skills to assess the quality of the research and information that students will encounter in their professional lives.
- Conduct independent research in their major area of work on the analysis of a problem for a hospitality organization.
- Plan, organize, design, construct, and carry out research to help solve identified problems.
Career Possibilities
- 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 critical analytical skills to assess the quality of the research and information that students will encounter in their professional lives.
- Conduct independent research in their major area of work on the analysis of a problem for a hospitality organization.
- Plan, organize, design, construct, and carry out research to help solve identified problems.
Requirements
Plan Description
The Master of Science degree in Hotel Administration will prepare you for a successful career as an upper-level executive in the hospitality industry or as an instructor/researcher in a hospitality education program. Students will select at the time of admission if they plan to complete the "Professional" or "Thesis" Track.
The "Professional" track is for students interested in securing an industry position upon completion of the program.
The "Thesis Track" is for students interested in research and/or want to complete a PhD degree. Students in the "Thesis Track" will secure a thesis chair by the start of their second semester and work with the chair to finalize a research topic. Copies of the completed thesis must meet the guidelines of the UNLV Graduate College and be completed according to published deadlines.
Plan Admission Requirements
- Application deadlines
- Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
- All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
(a) Graduate College Admission Requirements
- Completed application in the Application Portal and non-refundable application fee.
- Bachelor's Degree – You must hold a four-year baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution or an approved equivalent.
- Grade Point Average – You must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A) for the bachelor's degree or a minimum 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester hours).
- All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each postsecondary institution attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received. Official transcripts required upon admission.
(b) Plan Admission Requirements
Applicants need to meet the following requirements below to be considered for the program.
- It is preferred (not required) that applicants have a minimum of one-year of full-time work experience in a management/supervisory capacity in the hospitality industry, or three years of full-time, front-line experience.
- GRE or GMAT scores are not required. It is recommended and can strengthen an applicant's application.
- 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 two letters of recommendation. It is highly recommended that one letter is from a supervisor of an internship experience and one from a college faculty member. If the applicant has been out of school for a while and is no longer in touch with faculty members, letters from two employers will suffice.
- Submit a resume that outlines internships, full-time jobs, and leadership experiences (i.e. officer in a club/organization, undergraduate research, mentoring programs, and volunteer/community service). Resumes should be one to two pages.
Plan Requirements
See Subplan Requirements below:
- Subplan 1: Thesis Track
- Subplan 2: Professional Track
Subplan 1 Requirements: Thesis Track
Total Credits Required: 31
Course Requirements
- Required Courses – Credits: 15
- HOA 701 - The Hospitality Industry
- HOA 745 - Human Dynamics and Organizational Leadership
- HOA 746 - Contemporary Marketing Practices in Hospitality
- HOA 752 - Legal and Ethical Human Resources Management
- HOA 753 - Financial Management
- Research Methods Requirement - Credits: 3
- HOA 735 - Research Methodology
- Statistics Requirement - Credits: 3
- Students must complete a 3-credit Statistics course. It is recommended for students to complete HOA 730 or an equivalent course per advisor's approval.
- Elective Courses – Credits: 4
- Complete 4 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
- Thesis – Credits: 6
- HOA 789R - Thesis
Degree Requirements
- Successfully complete a minimum of 31 graduate-level credits, of which no less than 24 are in Hotel Administration. This allows for a variety of supplemental tracks including business and education. At least 27 credits must be at the 700-level.
- An oral examination is required of all students completing this track.
- Successfully complete any conditional coursework outlined at the time of admission prior to graduation. It is preferred that any conditional coursework is completed in the first semester.
- In consultation with their advisor, a student will organize a thesis committee of at least three departmental members and a fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department's discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
- Students are encouraged to complete an internship during the summer term between their first year and second year in the program. International students must receive approval to be on CPT before starting an internship experience. All internships must be secure directly by the student and carries no academic credit.
Graduation Requirements
The student must submit and successfully defend their thesis by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public. After the thesis defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their thesis to the Graduate College for format check. Once the thesis format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for thesis defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here.
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.
Subplan 2 Requirements: Professional Track
Total Credits Required: 31
Course Requirements
- Required Courses – Credits: 18
- HOA 701 - The Hospitality Industry
- HOA 734 - Research Methods for the Hospitality Industry
- HOA 745 - Human Dynamics and Organizational Leadership
- HOA 746 - Contemporary Marketing Practices in Hospitality
- HOA 752 - Legal and Ethical Human Resources Management
- HOA 753 - Financial Management
- Statistics Requirement - Credits: 3
- Students must complete a 3-credit Statistics course. It is recommended for students to complete HOA 730 or an equivalent course per advisor's approval.
- Elective Courses – Credits: 7
- Complete 7 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
- Culminating Experience - Credits: 3
- HOA 786 - Culminating Experience
Degree Requirements
- Successfully complete a minimum of 31 graduate-level credits, of which no less than 24 are in Hotel Administration. This allows for a variety of supplemental tracks including business and education. At least 27 credits must be at the 700-level.
- An oral presentation of the culminating project is required of all students completing this track.
- Successfully complete any conditional coursework outlined at the time of admission prior to graduation. It is preferred that any conditional coursework is completed in the first semester.
Graduation Requirements
The student must successfully complete the culminating experience course.
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: Ozgur Ozdemir, Ph.D.
- Degree Contact: Diane Wrightman
- William F. Harrah College of Hospitality
The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality is among the highest ranked hospitality management programs in the world. By blending classroom and real-world experience, our students receive a well-rounded and affordable pathway towards a successful career.
