The hospitality industry is in constant flux state. New trends are popping up every now and then resulting in the students to must have a strong educational background in this industry. In order to survive, they need first-hand industry experience along with theoretical knowledge. In addition to this, they need to have a passion for service and the desire to create great customer experiences.
With a distinguished 53-year history, Harrah College of Hospitality – University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has been delivering quality education in the field of hospitality management. By teaching the most up-to-date management theories and practices, the leading college is helping its graduates stay relevant and valuable to their organizations. Its goal is to immerse its students in the art, science, and business of hospitality. It is prepared to go above and beyond traditional hospitality programs by staying at the forefront of industry innovation and demand while providing its students with the latest skills that will place them at the top of hiring lists and ensure success in their first, second, and third jobs
A Premier Hospitality Management College
Consistently ranked among the top five hospitality programs in the world, Harrah College of Hospitality – UNLV provides students with the theoretical and practical foundation they need to succeed in the competitive hospitality field. The college believes that online education can be as effective as a traditional education if online classes are designed properly. So, it supports continuity and academic integrity by designing all online courses under a master template. This model ensures that course content and learning objectives are consistent across all “like” courses regardless of who is teaching the class or the delivery system.
<>Harrah College of Hospitality – UNLV offers a host of advanced degree options for those interested in both traditional and online programs. This includes B.S. in Hospitality Management, Master of Hospitality Administration (online), M.S. in Hotel Administration, Dual MBA/MS in Hotel Administration/Business Administration, and Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration. Also, it provides one-on-one support, industry-relevant research opportunities, and flexibility for students who are in various stages of their academic and professional careers.
The premier hospitality management college also believes that partnering with industry is key to its students’ success. Therefore, each year it organizes nearly 600 internships, welcomes more than 100 national hospitality brands for recruitment events, and pairs an average of 175 industry mentors with students because these crucial relationships help build careers of its students.
Focusing On Creating Beneficial Online Courses
For students who are looking for genuine online courses in hospitality to enhance their knowledge can opt for Harrah College of Hospitality – UNLV’s hospitality management programs. Its master’s degree in hospitality administration, which has been operating for over 10 years, is offered totally online. The university is currently building out its entire undergraduate program in an online format to accommodate bachelor’s degree-seeking students in addition to master’s students. Since many students work full or part time in the online world, courses are going to be designed in such a way that real work experience can be applied to fulfill the realistic components of a course. It envisions a future in which a three-credit class could be broken up into two credits of theory and one credit of practical experience.
Online Learning Modules
The valuable online institute understands the demands of the working professionals today. Therefore, Harrah College of Hospitality – UNLV has designed a series of online learning modules for the PGA of America, for which it serves as the professional education arm. These modules are used to teach the latest theories and practices for PGA professionals that apply to running a complex service project like a country club. Furthermore, these modules are approximately two hours in length and broken into six 20-minute units. Each unit has a reading assignment and after completing all six units, the student is required to undertake a cumulative project that reflects the learning of the six units.
Instill Cultural and Social Responsibility in Students
In today’s world, cultural and social responsibility is a hot topic for discussion. Students need to understand the importance of this concept. To do so, Harrah College of Hospitality – UNLV has incorporated cultural and social responsibility subjects into numerous courses, regardless of whether they are offered on campus or online. Such elements are also expressed in the voluntary service hours of its students in support of non-profit organizations, scholarship fundraisers, and sustainability programs.
A Seasoned Educator with Extensive Experience
Stowe Shoemaker is the Harrah College of Hospitality Dean at UNLV. Prior to earning a PhD at aged 40 from Cornell University, he had spent many years working in the hospitality industry. While working he realized that many of those working in the hospitality industry desired more education and a degree from a reputable institution but were unable to simply quit their jobs and move to a traditional educational institution. He believes that online education is a great way to fulfill the non-traditional student’s needs as well as giving our conventional students the opportunity to merge traditional classes with online learning so that they can retain their work schedules.
As dean of one of the top hospitality programs in the world, Stowe’s responsibility is to be vigilant about the future. He says, “I must help build an organization that not only survives the inevitable changes of the industry but also thrives amidst these changes. This means staying viable, relevant, and part of a strong, stand-alone hospitality management program—not a subset of a business school.” So, his responsibility now is to ensure that a great hospitality education is available to anyone who wants one. Moreover, he hopes that the online education ecosystem continues to evolve—finding new and inventive ways to be more flexibility, more accessible, and adaptive to an increasingly non-traditional student.
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