Plan Description
The Master’s of Hospitality Administration (MHA) degree is a 30-credit program designed to bring hospitality executives together to learn the latest management and leadership techniques in an executive format, via the Internet and other media. Demand determines the class schedule for the program.
Students must choose one of two subplans: 1) Hospitality Management, and 2) Gaming Management. Students must specify the program option as part of the admission process.
Courses are taught entirely online—there is no requirement that any student come to the main UNLV campus. Courses are offered throughout the year in five eight-week sessions. Two sessions are scheduled during the fall and spring semesters and one during the summer semester. At least two required courses and two elective courses are offered during each session. The professional paper and entrepreneurship classes are offered during the regular 16-weeks of the Fall and Spring. The professional paper should adhere to the American Psychological Association’s current publication manual regarding writing style and format.
In addition to regular tuition and fees, this program has an additional fee of $510 per credit to cover the cost of delivery in an executive format. For more information, contact the program coordinator at (702) 895-5430.
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 following admission requirements of the Graduate College and the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, or 3.00 or higher in the last two years of study.
- A minimum of three years of full-time management experience in the hospitality industry.
All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Because this program is offered totally online and is available anywhere in the world, UNLV cannot issue an I-20 and you cannot obtain a student visa to come to the United States based upon enrollment in the Master’s of Hospitality Administration Program.
The following information to be submitted electronically to the Graduate College with your application:
- Completed online application found on the Graduate College home page.
- Unofficial transcripts for all post-secondary schools attended.
- Payment of application fees.
- A brief essay of approximately 500 words outlining your career goals and how your hospitality employment background has prepared you for graduate study.
- Resume with employer references. The resume should clearly indicate job titles, place and date of employment and specific job responsibilities.
- Three or more years of full-time experience in a management or administrative capacity in the hospitality industry.
- Two letters of recommendation: You may upload contact information (name, address, phone, email) for a current or former employer and a college faculty member able to evaluate your potential for success in a graduate program (two recommendations required). If you are no longer in touch with faculty members, two letters from employers will suffice. Your contacts will be sent an email with information on how to complete the online recommendation or where to mail a submission, or you may request that your recommenders email their letters directly to hotelgrad@unlv.edu.
The following information to be submitted directly to the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Graduate Studies Office and the Graduate College:
- In addition to the electronic transcript(s) submitted to the Graduate College with your application, official copies of your transcripts must be mailed directly from the educational institution(s) to both the Graduate College and the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Graduate Studies Office.
- Evaluation of Foreign Credentials (see #4 above)
Notes: Students are not required to take the GRE or the GMAT for entry into this program. Applicants may be required to participate in an online recorded video, Skype, or other personal interview at no cost to the applicant.
We will accept email submissions of the essay, resume and recommendation letters. However, recommendation letters must be emailed directly from the professor or employer, not forwarded by the prospective student.
Application Deadlines
Refer to the Graduate College website for specific deadlines.
All required documentation and application materials must be received by the UNLV Graduate College and the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Graduate Studies Office by the listed deadline for the application to be considered.
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.