Plan Description
This is a dual degree offered by the Harrah Hotel College in conjunction with UNLV’s Lee Business School. The MBA/MS HOA study is designed for those who seek career and business leadership opportunities in hotel administration. The programs will provide students with the needed skills, knowledge, and tools to become visionary and creative business leaders in hotel administration. The core MBA program is designed to advance the knowledge and practice of business and administration. The MS – Hotel Administration portion of the dual degree is designed to provide the industry-specific teaching and learning program. The program takes advantage of the natural learning environment that is created by the Las Vegas economy, the entertainment capital of the world. Students will receive a dual degree, an MBA and a MS – Hotel Administration.
For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.
Plan Admission Requirements
Application deadlines
Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
The admission requirements for the dual degree are the same as those stated under the MBA and MS HOA programs. The only exception is that the dual MBA program only accepts the GMAT for admission. All dual degree program applicants are required to show that they have at least one year of full-time management/supervisory experience or three years of cumulative full-time front-line experience in the hospitality industry.
Application Process
See the Application Process section under the MBA and the MS HOA programs. Applications will be reviewed by representatives of the Lee Business School and the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration in an independent process within each college. Applicants must be admitted to both the Lee Business School and the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration to qualify for the dual degree program for that term.
Application Deadline
Refer to the Graduate College website for specific deadlines. All documentation and application materials must be received by the Graduate College, the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Graduate Studies Office, and the Lee Business School by the deadline for the application to be considered.
All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.
Subplan 1 Requirements: Thesis Track
Total Credits Required: 51
Course Requirements
Total Credits Required for the Business Administration M.B.A.: 30
MBA Core Required Courses – Credits: 18
MBA 761 - Accounting for Managers
MBA 763 - Leadership, Teams, and Individuals
MBA 765 - Financial Decision Making
MBA 767 - Market Opportunity Analysis
MBA 769 - Applied Economic Analysis
MBA 775 - Data Modeling and Analysis
Electives – Credits: 9
Complete 9 credits of electives from any 700-level course offered by the Lee Business School.
Capstone Course – Credits: 3
MBA 787 - Strategic Management
Total Credits Required for the Hotel Administration M.S.: 21
Required Courses – Credits: 12
HOA 703 - Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry
HOA 711 - Laws of Innkeeping and Food Service
HOA 735 - Research Methodology
HOA 777 - Critical Issues in Hospitality Management
Management Elective Course – Credits: 3
Complete one of the following courses:
HOA 716 - Principles and Practices in Hotel Management
HOA 717 - Principles and Practices in Convention and Meetings Management
HOA 718 - Principles of Casino and Gaming Management
HOA 720 - Principles and Practices in Food Service Management
Thesis – Credits: 6
HOA 789 - Thesis
Degree Requirements
- Completion of a minimum of 30 credits of MBA courses and a minimum of 21 credits of HOA.
- A grade point average of at least 3.00 for course work required for the degree.
- No grade lower than C is acceptable.
- Students with unsatisfactory progress toward the degree requirements are subject to dismissal. A student with a grade of C or lower in any of the required courses for the degree will be put on probation for one semester. Conditions and deadlines for the removal of probation will be specified. Failure to meet the condition will result in departure from the program. A student with two grades of C or lower will be dropped from the program.
- In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a thesis committee of at least three departmental members. In addition, a fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
- In addition to the academic requirements, the Harrah Hotel College requires 500 hours of acceptable employment experience in the hospitality industry. The work experience requirement requires the student to find employment, but carries no academic credit and may be earned outside Nevada and during the summer. This work experience will be evaluated qualitatively as well as quantitatively, and may be waived at the discretion of the program coordinator. International students must go to the Office of International Students and Scholars to verify employment eligibility.
Graduation Requirements
- Students cannot graduate from one portion of the dual degree until the requirements for both are met. Students must apply to graduate from both programs for the same semester.
- The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation from both degrees up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
- The student must successfully complete the MBA capstone course.
- The student must submit and successfully defend his/her thesis by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
- The student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard–copy thesis to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.