Degree Requirements
Bachelor's degree candidates at the School of Hotel Administration study all aspects of hospitality management, gaining the necessary knowledge and cultivating the skills for leadership in the world's largest global industry.
To graduate with the B.S. in Hotel Administration, students will complete the following requirements:
- Hotel Administration Core Courses
The core courses are required for all students and cover areas such as communications, economics, financial management, food and beverage management, human-resource management, law, management operations, marketing and tourism, operations management and information technology, and property-asset management.
- Hotel Administration Electives
The electives in the School of Hotel Administration give students the opportunity to delve deeper into specific aspects of the hospitality industry.
- Distributive Electives
These courses, distributed among the biological and physical sciences, fine arts, humanities, languages, mathematics, and the social sciences, ensure that each student graduates with a well-rounded, Ivy-League education.
- Free Electives
These courses allow students to follow their interests and passions wherever they choose - from playing a musical instrument to studying Sanskrit.
- First-year Writing Seminar (FWS)
Students can choose from more than 100 courses taught in more than 30 departments and programs in the expressive arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Through introductory work in the particular field of study that each seminar covers, students learn to write in a range of genres and in ways that emphasize clarity, coherence, intellectual force, and stylistic control. The First-year Writing Seminar is administered by the Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines.
- Foreign Language
All students must qualify as proficient in a language other than English.
- Physical Education
Students will complete 2 credits of physical education during their first year, and must pass a swim test.
- Practice Credit
All students are required to work 800 hours in the hospitality field before graduation. Typically, this is done in two summers; but part-time employment is also possible.
Students must also:
- Complete eight terms in residence, or the requirement designated for transfer students. To satisfy a term of resident study, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours. Under certain circumstances, a student may petition for early graduation.
- Earn a minimum of 120 credits, exclusive of physical education credits.
- Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the prescribed course curriculum.
- Earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 in a full-time schedule of courses, in residence, in the final semester. Note: students must be on campus during the last semester. Exceptions for extraordinary circumstances may be petitioned, if all other graduation requirements - including Practice Credit, physical education, and language - have been met, and the student has a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Receive a final grade in any course for which an "Incomplete" was issued.
There are also many optional programs for students:
- Optional Hotel School Concentration
Students may choose to have an official concentration (similar to a minor) in a particular area of the Hotel School curriculum.
- Management Intern Program (MIP)
A six- to eight-month work-study program for third- and fourth-year students who have completed required coursework, the MIP is a unique opportunity for students to gain valuable industry experience.
- Study Abroad
Students have the opportunity to spend a semester or year studying in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, or Latin America.
- Statler Hotel Work Experience
The School of Hotel Administration has the distinction of having the Statler Hotel, a true "teaching hotel," right next door. There are numerous opportunities for students to apply here what they have learned in the classroom. Students who are interested in supervisory and managerial positions can apply to the Statler Leadership Development Program (SLDP).
- Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Immersion Program
Students have the opportunity to take specific courses from the CIA over the winter intersession or during the summer.
- Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Collaborative Degree Program
Students who complete this program will earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell and an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) degree in Culinary Arts from the CIA.