William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration

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Purpose and Focus

The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration provides students with one of the world’s best programs in the preparation of students for the global hospitality and leisure services profession. Strong classroom academics are combined with focused internship and mentoring opportunities to provide a strong, applied educational foundation. In addition to the college facilities in Frank and Estella Beam Hall, the new Stan Fulton Building houses the International Gaming Institute. The city of Las Vegas offers students the “World’s Greatest Laboratory” of opportunities to acquire professional experience in the hospitality and leisure services field.

Accreditation

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Professional Golfers’ Association of America

Majors, and Undergraduate Degrees

College of Hotel Administration
Hospitality Management — Bachelor of Science
    Gaming Management Concentration
    Meetings and Events Management Concentration
    Professional Golf Management Concentration
    Restaurant Management Concentration  

Graduate Degree Programs

Hospitality Administration — Executive Master of Hospitality Administration (Online Program)
Hotel Administration — Master of Science
Hospitality Administration — Doctor of PhilosophyAdmission to the College

Admissions

New students who meet the university’s admission requirements may apply and be admitted directly to a major within the College of Hotel Administration. Continuing students may request admission to the college through the change of major process by contacting the Office for Student Advising and making an appointment to meet with an academic advisor. Minimum GPA for change of major is 2.00.

International students must demonstrate English proficiency by providing a test score from the TOEFL, IELTS, or the institutional Michigan Test. Scores must meet the minimum standards listed below.

TOEFL — Overall score of 80 or higher with a minimum Writing score of 20 on the IBT version.
IELTS — Overall band of 6.5 with Writing score of 6.
UNLV Institutional Michigan Test score of 81 percent, with a Writing score of 40.

Transfer Policies

The university determines courses that will be accepted for credit. Some credits accepted by the university may not apply to the college’s degrees specifically and, therefore, may not contribute to the student’s academic progress.

No fewer than 30 credits in hotel administration course work must be earned at UNLV, regardless of credits transferred.

College Policies

Academic Policies

All required courses must be taken for a grade; the satisfactory/fail grading option may not be used except for courses that are only offered pass/fail. All college major and concentration required courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.00) or better.

Although the college offers summer courses, students should not rely on summer courses to meet graduation requirements.

Credits transferred from a two-year program (junior or community college credits) cannot be used to satisfy upper-division core requirements.

Failure to maintain a UNLV GPA of 2.00 will first result in probation. If the GPA is not elevated to 2.00 by the following full semester (spring/fall), the student will be suspended from the college for one year.

Failure to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward a degree in the College of Hotel Administration will cause a student to be placed on college probation or suspension.

Probation/Suspension Policy

Reasons for college suspension can include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: overall UNLV GPA below 2.00, two or more semesters of work on academic probation, failure to take courses applicable to a degree in the College of Hotel Administration for two or more terms, academic misconduct, or failure to meet an academic contract.

Suspended students must complete a reinstatement petition to re-enter, regardless of the interval since last attendance, which will be reviewed by the College Academic Standards Committee. The committee will determine if the student is to be reinstated.

The college will not consider an application for readmission if the student has been suspended more than one time.

Appeals for administrative relief can be made to the dean of the College of Hotel Administration, to the University Academic Standards Committee, and to the provost, in succession.

Students should seek advising prior to enrolling in classes outside of UNLV while on suspension to ensure adherence to policies concerning residence sequence, upper-division credits, and transferability of courses.

All academic standards, probation, and suspension policies are available in the Office for Student Advising.

College Core Requirements

A candidate for a Bachelor of Science degree must earn a minimum of 120 credits in required and elective courses. Half of the total credits musts be earned at a four-year institution.

Credits transferred from a two-year program (junior or community college credits) cannot be used to satisfy upper-division core requirements. 

Pre-Major Designation

A student may not enroll in upper-division required courses (300–400 level) until the completion of the pre-major in the College of Hotel Administration. All exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Office for Student Advising.

All students entering the College of Hotel Administration will be designated as a pre-major until they have completed the pre-major core and achieved an overall 2.00 GPA. Transfer students will also be designated as a pre-major regardless of the number of transfer credits until an evaluation of their transcripts is completed. Upon completion of the pre-major core, students must apply for acceptance to the advanced major by submitting an application to the Office for Student Advising. Students who have completed all but two of the courses will be permitted to enroll in upper-division required courses provided they are enrolled in the remaining two pre-major core courses during the same semester. Advisor approval is required. Application for the advanced major is still required.

The pre-major core for the Hotel Administration degree includes: ENG 101, ENG 102, MATH 124, TCA 221, ECON 261, HMD 101, FAB 101, FAB 159.

Work Experience Requirement

In addition to general academic requirements, the Harrah College of Hotel Administration requires 1,000 hours of acceptable employment in the hospitality industry. This work experience will be evaluated qualitatively as well as quantitatively and must be consistent with the student’s major. See major requirements for additional information. The work experience requirement may be met during the school year or in summers. International students must go to the Office of International Students and Scholars to verify employment eligibility.

The work experience requirement differs from the college’s internship requirement. The work experience requirement requires the student to find a paid job but carries no academic credit and may be earned anywhere. The internship requirement is an approved and supervised experience supervised by the college faculty and valued at three academic credits.

Advisement

All students are advised through the college’s Office for Student Advising throughout their academic career as needed. 

Policies concerning application for graduation and academic standards are available in the college’s Office for Student Advising.

Specialized Programs

Second Degree Program

Special provisions for an accelerated second baccalaureate degree have been developed for applicants who already hold a baccalaureate degree in another unrelated discipline. Candidates must apply as an undergraduate transfer student and meet all university admissions requirements. Program details are available in the college’s Office for Student Advising.

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