Plan Description
The 36-hour Master of Science – 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.
Students have the opportunity to conduct research on a subject that interests them by writing a thesis or a professional paper. This decision will be based upon the student’s goals and consultation with an academic advisor. Copies of the completed thesis must meet the guidelines of the UNLV Graduate College and be completed according to published deadlines.
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 student must satisfy the minimum admission requirements of the UNLV Graduate College and the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, including:
- Submission of a completed online application form and required admission fee.
- Submission of two copies of official transcripts from all institutions attended after high school. One copy should be sent directly from the institution attended to the UNLV Graduate College and another one to the Harrah Hotel College Graduate Studies Office. Please note: it is a requirement of the UNLV Graduate College that students with class credits and/or degrees from educational institutions outside the United States must provide a course-by-course evaluation of those credentials by a Graduate College approved NACES Evaluation Agency. This is to obtain an evaluation of the courses, verification of degrees, and establish accreditation of the schools and/or universities. A copy of this evaluation should be sent to both the UNLV Graduate College and the Harrah Hotel Graduate Studies Office. Unofficial copies of transcripts may be uploaded with the online application form.
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, or 3.00 in the last two years of study.
- A satisfactory composite score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (UNLV institution code 4861, Harrah Hotel College code 7549), with a minimum score of 155 on the quantitative portion and 148 on the verbal portion of the exam. Or, the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) (UNLV institution code 71T, Harrah Hotel College code 71T-TD-68), minimum score 550 with at least 25% on the verbal portion. All scores must be sent directly from the testing center to the Harrah Hotel College Graduate Studies Office.
- 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.
- A brief essay of approximately 500 words outlining the applicant’s career goals and how the applicant’s hospitality employment background has prepared the applicant for graduate study.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from a current or former employer and one from a college faculty member able to evaluate the applicant’s potential for success in a graduate program. If the applicant is no longer in touch with faculty members, letters from two employers will suffice.
- A current resume with employer references. The resume should clearly indicate job titles, places and dates of employment, and specific job responsibilities.
- All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
Items 6, 7, and 8 above can be submitted to the Harrah Hotel College Graduate Studies Office by email or mail. Recommendation letters must be mailed or emailed directly from the employer or professor, not forwarded by the applicant.
Application Deadline: Refer to the Graduate College website for specific deadlines.
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: 36
Course Requirements
Required Courses – Credits: 24
HOA 703 - Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry
HOA 705 - Financial Analysis for the Service Industries
HOA 711 - Laws of Innkeeping and Food Service
HOA 730 - Statistical Analysis for Hospitality
HOA 731 - Operational Analysis in Hospitality Management
HOA 735 - Research Methodology
HOA 740 - Marketing Systems
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
Supporting Elective Course – Credits: 3
Complete three credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
Thesis – Credits: 6
HOA 789 - Thesis
Degree Requirements
- Successfully complete a minimum of 36 graduate-level credit hours, 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 candidates for the M.S. degree.
- Successfully complete supplemental courses as required by the academic advisor, if the student’s undergraduate preparation is insufficient. Generally, no more than six credits of supplementary courses will be required.
- 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
- The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
- 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.