Hospitality Degree Programs at the University of Nevada (Las Vegas)
The University of Nevada (Las Vegas) appears in our ranking of the 10 Best Online Colleges for a Master’s Degree in Hospitality.
Las Vegas, Nevada is home to more hotels and restaurants per square mile than almost any other state in the world. The University of Nevada (Las Vegas) provides students with the training and the education needed to work for any of those companies through its hospitality programs. Not only does it offer a program for undergrads, but the university also has programs designed for graduate and doctoral students.
The first of those programs is the university’s Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. Suitable for students who want to work in any area of hospitality management, it teaches them how to look at the finances of an operation, create a budget, manage the daily operations of those companies and sustain the available resources. Students can choose different concentrations based on where they want to work. The program includes concentrations in gaming management, PGA golf management, restaurant management, and events and meetings. Students can either take a capstone course or do an internship in addition to taking classes such as Hospitality Finance, Hospitality Cost Control, Hospitality Accounting and Facilities Management.
An online Master of Hospitality Administration (MHA) program is available for executives and features two tracks: gaming management and hospitality management. The hospitality management focuses more on restaurants and hotels, while the gaming management features courses on casino operations. Fifteen of the credits that students earn come from core courses, including Financial Analysis for the Service Industries, Hospitality Service Management and Human Resources and Behavior in the Hospitality Industry. Students will also select four electives from a variety of courses such as Hospitality Industry Cost Control, Operational Analysis in Hospitality Management, Dynamics of Tourism, Information Technology in Hospitality Management and Online Training and Development.
Also available is a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Administration, which features 60 credits. This program asks students to complete 12 credits of practical work such as practicums and internships and 24 credits of classes from the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. Though 12 credits will come from their dissertation work, the other 12 credits will come from courses that include Issues and Trends for Hospitality Educators, Philosophy of Science in Hospitality Research and Readings in Hospitality Management. The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality that offers all of these programs was named after the local casino of the same name.
About the University of Nevada (Las Vegas)
Better known as UNLV, the University of Nevada (Las Vegas) is a public university located less than two miles away from The Strip, which is the main road that runs through Las Vegas. Established in 1957 as the Southern Division of the University of Nevada, it became Nevada Southern University in 1965 and UNLV in 1969. UNLV offers opportunities for hospitality majors because of the partnerships that it has with local companies, including resorts and casinos. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, UNLV is one of the largest colleges in Nevada.
University of Nevada (Las Vegas) Accreditation Details
UNLV has the regional accreditation that is necessary for students to transfer their credits. Not only can they transfer credits into a hospitality program, but they can also use the credits they earned at UNLV at another college. This accreditation comes from the NWCCU and also lets the university give financial aid packages to any student in need.
University of Nevada (Las Vegas) Application Requirements
Graduate students have until July 15 to submit their applications to the hospitality administration program, but doctoral students must submit their applications by January 15. The graduate program has deadlines of November 15 for the spring semester and April 1 for the summer semester. Those applying to the doctoral program have only one deadline because the program only starts in the fall. The basic requirements for graduate students include a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher or a GPA of 3.0 or higher over the last two years. They must also have a minimum of three years of hospitality experience.
Those students will also submit unofficial transcripts, a personal statement of 500 words, a resume that lists the student’s current employer and employer’s contact information and at least two letters of recommendation. Doctoral students must have a graduate degree and transcripts that show they took at least 24 credits of hospitality courses in graduate school. The university requires that they submit the same documents that graduate students do and that they participate in an interview session. This interview can take place on the UNLV campus or online.
The admissions process for undergrads is a little less intensive. Students who took three years of math, social science, and life science classes and four years of English courses and maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher in those classes receive guaranteed acceptance. The university will also accept those who scored 22 on the ACT or 1120 on the SAT. Undergrads applying for financial aid should submit their applications by November 1, but UNLV will keep accepting applications through the beginning of June. Students will pay a $60 fee to submit the application online and then provide their transcripts and test scores. UNLV also allows students to apply via the Common Application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Both undergrads and advanced students pay a tuition rate based on whether they are Nevada residents. Undergrads residents pay $3,336 per semester as a resident or $10,572 each semester as a nonresident. Graduate students who are residents of the state pay $4,452 per semester. If they are not full-time residents of Nevada, they pay the nonresident rate of $11,688 each semester. These rates only include UNLV tuition and not any fees or personal expenses.
Financial aid packages can help students cover all of their UNLV costs. To get one of these packages, they need to submit their applications by the priority deadline and complete the FAFSA. Some of the aid that undergrads get include grants from the Nevada state government and loans from the federal government. They may receive institutional aid such as grants and scholarships too. Graduate students generally borrow loans from the government and alternative lenders, though they can work for the university in different positions too. The University of Nevada (Las Vegas) will also accept reimbursement plans that local employers offer for hospitality majors.