Academics

Students at the Cornell Hotel School can earn both their BS and complete the requirements for an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) from the CIA during the course of their four-year program at Cornell.  You can complete the AOS in either Culinary Arts or Baking & Pastry Arts.

You must be a junior or senior and can enter the program in either May or January.  You will take a preliminary three-week session (Skill Development II or Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology/Principles of Design, depending on your track) to gain introductory skills and become familiar with the learning environment at the CIA.  Following the preliminary session, you will complete two semesters (approximately eight months) on campus at the CIA, working and learning daily in the finest training kitchens in the world. The Baking and Pastry Arts AOS takes additional time to complete.  The time away from Cornell is a semester and a summer.

You apply to the program by completing a CIA application online (also available from Emily Franco, Statler Hall Room 241).  If you choose the online application, please note on the application that you are applying as part of the Cornell Collaborative Degree Program.

Students are required to have completed H ADM 236: Culinary Theory and Practice prior to starting the Collaborative Degree Program, and H ADM 305: Restaurant Management before starting the full Culinary Arts program at the CIA. 

In addition to the core curriculum, Hotel School students are required to take the following four courses to complete the degree requirement:

• H ADM 4403: Specialty Food and Beverage Operations: Guest Chefs
• H ADM 4404: Catering and Special Events Management
• H ADM 4430: Introduction to Wines
• H ADM 4432: Contemporary Healthy Foods

When you apply to the program, you are applying to be accepted as a student at the CIA.  Therefore, as a student at the CIA, you will be responsible for the CIA fees and tuition expenses for the time you are studying there.  If you need financial assistance, you will also apply directly to the CIA for financial aid.  During the semester you are away from Cornell, you will not incur Cornell tuition. 

View specific class costs and additional information.

Special conditions apply to seniors applying to the program.  Seniors are still required to take the required SHA electives.  They will begin the first three week class in January prior to their May graduation or in May prior to their January graduation.  CIA classes begin immediately after Memorial Day, so SHA graduates will not have any break before entering the program.  In addition, once a student has reached the number of required credits for their BS degree, they are no longer eligible for certain state and federal financial aid.

Cornell students participating in the Collaborative Degree Program for Culinary Arts will receive 27 credits towards their Cornell degree: 6 credits in Social Sciences distributive electives and 21 credits in free electives.  Those participating in Baking & Pastry Arts will receive 21 credits in free electives.

The Collaborative Degree Program takes approximately 9 months to complete and results in an AOS in Culinary Arts or Baking & Pastry Arts from the CIA.  Students enrolled in this program will take a consecutive summer and academic semester away from Cornell.

The Immersion classes offer students who are not ready to pursue two degrees the chance to hone particular culinary skills through an intensive three-week experience at the CIA.  These classes are taken over the summer or during the winter intercession.

The Collaborative Degree Program takes approximately 9 months to complete and results in an AOS in Culinary Arts or Baking & Pastry Arts from the CIA.  Students enrolled in this program will take a consecutive summer and academic semester away from Cornell.

There are six hands-on immersion classes available:

• Bakery & Pastry Skills Development: An introduction and overview of the principles and techniques used in preparing high-quality baked goods and pastries
• Seafood and Meat Identification and Fabrication: A staple for any culinarian, this class is an introduction to Seafood and Meat identification and fabrication for foodservice operations
• Garde Manger: An introduction to the cold kitchen, including plated appetizers, reception foods, and buffet arrangements with additional techniques for buffet preparation, food presentation, and curing and smoking.
• Cuisines of…Study of traditional, regional dishes focusing on flavor profiles, ingredients, preparations, and techniques, to include:
  • …the Americas: Featuring the cuisines of Central America, South America, the United States, and the Caribbean
  • …Asia: Featuring the cuisines of China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, India, Indonesia
  • …Europe and the Mediterranean: Featuring the cuisines of Italy, Spain, Franco, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean

Students taking the Cuisines of Asia/the Americas/Europe and the Mediterranean will receive 2 credits each as transfer credit, with a maximum of 2 credits toward the Social Sciences distributive elective credit (any remaining credit will be applied toward free electives).

Students taking the Baking & Pastry Arts/Garde Manger/Meat & Seafood ID and Fabrication classes will receive 3 credits each as transfer credit, with a maximum of 3 credits to count toward Hotel Elective credit (any remaining credit will be applied toward free electives).

• The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
• CIA Transfer Packet Application
• Application Questions
  Email
  1.800.CULINARY (285.4627)
• Financial Aid
  845.451.1243
• Certificate Programs at CIA Greystone, CA
• Continuing Education Programs

Tours are conducted daily for prospective students when the college is in session. To schedule an appointment for your tour, you can call the college's Admissions Department at 1.800.CULINARY (285.4627). 

In addition, the general public can schedule tours on Mondays at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Wednesdays at 4 p.m., and Thursdays at 4 p.m., at $5 per person. Reservations are required.

For more information, or to schedule a tour, call 845.451.1588, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Visit www.CIAchef.edu for more information.

You can make an appointment with Emily Franco, Statler Hall, Room 241, 607.255.4611.

CIA students pursuing their AOS have the opportunity to complete the Cornell School of Hotel Administration program in 5 to 6 semesters.  You do have to complete your AOS and fulfill the Cornell University transfer application requirements.  If accepted, you will be awarded transfer credits based on your CIA grades.  The Cornell School of Hotel Administration has already pre-approved the CIA curriculum in evaluating transfer credits, resulting in an accelerated award of transfer credits to CIA students (44.5 credits for Culinary Arts graduates; 38.5 credits for Baking & Pastry Arts graduates.)

Cornell University is an Ivy League institution and requires all applicants to meet its standards for admission.  You must apply to and be accepted by the School of Hotel Administration as a transfer student, at which point you will be eligible for the pre-approved transfer credit, based on your CIA grades.

As a transfer student, you have had the chance to build additional credentials to strengthen your application to Cornell.  You have had work experience, a history of college-level coursework, leadership opportunities, and the chance to show a passion for your chosen field.  You are also more focused on your short- and long-term goals than you may have been when you graduated high school.  You have the opportunity to show these factors on your application—in your essays, references, responses to interview questions—to demonstrate why you would be a good candidate for the School of Hotel Administration.

Additional credits may be accepted, depending on what areas they are in.  Review the Hotel School undergraduate curriculum and focus your additional studies in areas not covered by the collaborative degree program, such as economics, accounting, and finance.  There is no guarantee that additional transfer credit will be granted, and you will need to submit class syllabi for transfer credit evaluation.

The intent is for students graduating from the Cornell BS program to have added depth to their culinary knowledge and skills, and have gained a broader perspective on the operations and impact of food service across the hospitality spectrum.  At the Cornell Hotel School, students have the opportunity to learn about restaurant design and development, study foodservice in hotels, resorts, spas, stadiums, institutions, and other hospitality settings, and take classes specifically focused on restaurant entrepreneurship. 

Depending on how long ago you graduated, you may be eligible for the majority of the transfer credit awarded to participants in the Collaborative Degree Program.  Requests will be handled on an individual basis.

While the MMH program at Cornell does not require applicants to have a hospitality background, it is always of added value, as most applicants have long-term goals that are hospitality related.  The average age of the applicant is 28, with 4-5 years of work experience.  The average GMAT score is 610.  The more diverse experience you have had, the more that you will be able to contribute to the program and, consequently, the more you tend to get out of the program.  You will be working very closely with your classmates in discussion groups and case studies.

Sometimes it helps in your decision-making to visit the campus.  The Admissions team recommends requesting information online, as it adds you to their database so that you receive news and updates, even if you decide not to apply right away.

The MMH program is a one-year, three-semester program that costs approximately $16,000 per semester.

• Cornell University
• Visiting Cornell University
• Getting to Ithaca, New York
• Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions
• Cornell University Transfer Application
• School of Hotel Administration Admissions
• Information for Transfer Students
• Master of Management in Hospitality Admissions
• Financial Aid
• School of Hotel Administration Multicultural Programs

The School of Hotel Administration offers tours during the academic year, Monday-Thursday at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Friday at 12 p.m. only.  Admissions Information Sessions are held Monday and Friday at 11 a.m. You can reach the Admissions team at 607.255.6376 or hotelschool_admissions@cornell.edu for more information and tour availability.

Guided walking tours of the Cornell University campus are also available.  Offered by the Information and Referral Center, these tours are available throughout the year, except late December through early January. The tours are an enjoyable and informative introduction to Cornell and its history, student life, and Cornell's combined roles as an undergraduate teaching institution, an international research university, and New York State's land-grant institution. Can't visit?  Try one of the virtual tours.

Tours begin at the Information and Referral Center in the Day Hall lobby and appointments are not required. The tours are mostly outdoors; each lasts about one hour and 15 minutes and includes information about Cornell's undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and colleges. The Information and Referral Center can be reached at 607.254.INFO, Monday- Friday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. for more information.

• Maps of the Cornell campus
• Information for visitors and guests with disabilities

You can contact Emily Franco, Statler Hall, Room 241, 607.255.4611.