Industry

Applying Online  The application will be reviewed by the Office of Executive Education and we will contact you, usually within 24 hours, to advise you of your status.

Apply by Mail or Fax:

Download Application
Using the link above, you may download an application form and submit the completed application by mail or fax to:

Office of Executive Education
School of Hotel Administration
Cornell University
Room 149, Statler Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-6902 U.S.A.
Fax: 607.255.8749

PDP participants must have been employed full-time in the hospitality industry, or a related field, for a minimum of two continuous years prior to applying to the program. There are no employment requirements for online courses, but knowledge of the hospitality industry is helpful.

While many cultures enrich the Cornell experience, English is the language of instruction in PDP. We do not require a TOEFL score; however, to participate in and benefit from the courses, participants must have well-developed English-language communication and reading comprehension skills. If a participant's English language skills preclude active and full involvement in the classroom sessions, he/she may be removed from the program.

Although you can apply to PDP up to seven days prior to the class, it is best to apply as soon as possible to expedite the processing of your visa, if necessary, and to secure your first choices in courses. You must also be sure to complete your pre-course assignment before the start of class.

There is no deadline for online courses. They are available year-round.

PDP course materials are not for sale. They are only available to those who attend the specific class.

By registering for PDP, you agree to pay a minimum deposit of $200 per course no later than 10 days after your application has been accepted to secure your place in the program. Please be aware that your registration is not complete and your place in the program will not be held until the Office of Executive Education at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration receives the minimum deposit. Full payment for Ithaca courses must be made by June 7, 2010. You must pay the balance by December 17, 2009 for the January Singapore program. Dates for the July/August Singapore program will be determined.

You may cancel up to 30 days prior to the start of the program and receive reimbursement for all costs. The minimum deposit of $200 per course will be held by the Office of Executive Education at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration if cancellation takes place within 30 days of the start of your first class. You will receive no reimbursements if cancellation takes place within seven days of the start of your first class.

Although not mandatory for participation in the program, we ask for your permission to use candid photos of yourself to promote programs offered by the Office of Executive Education at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. We also ask for your permission to use your organization's name to promote programs offered by the Office of Executive Education at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

You may cancel up to 30 days prior to the start of your first class and receive reimbursement for all costs paid. The minimum deposit of US$200 per course will be forfeited if cancellation takes place within 30 days of the start of your first class. No reimbursements will be made if cancellation takes place within seven days of the start of your first class.

Each PDP course has a required pre-course assignment. Completion of this assignment is critical to your full participation in the program. The pre-course assignment will be an assigned reading, project, or problem set requiring approximately two and one-half hours of study time.

To access your assignment(s) in Ithaca, go to the Pre-Course Preparation web site and follow the prompts. Your username and password will be provided to you after the course deposit has been paid. Please note that both the username and password are case-sensitive, so be sure to type them in just as they appear. Although your pre-course assignment(s) will be posted no later than two weeks prior to the start of each course, you may check the site frequently in the event that the assignment(s) is/are posted sooner.

For courses in Singapore, go to http://edventure.ntu.edu.sg. One month prior to the start of class and after your deposit has been paid, we will advise you of your username and password.

No. Each course is three intensive days: a pre-course assignment must be completed before class begins, and homework or group work will be assigned each of the first two evenings.

Refreshment breaks and lunch are included in the cost of the course.

You are expected to attend all sessions. Certificates are presented only upon completion of each course, and you must be present to receive your completion and Certification documents. We reserve the right to withhold certificates from participants who do not attend all sessions.

Prior to your arrival, we will provide you with information regarding your stay and getting the most out of your PDP experience.

Registration and continental breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. on the first day of class in the atrium at Statler Hall. There you will receive your welcome bag containing PDP information. Classes will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Classes begin at 8:30am (08.30 hr) on the first day and end on the third day at 3:30pm (15.30 hr). You should also plan to be available the first two evenings for homework or group work. Because of the intensive nature of these courses, those who arrive late or leave early will not earn a Certificate of Completion for the course.

Course costs are designated by location. PDP courses on the Cornell campus in Ithaca are US$1,895 and in Singapore US$2,500.

The PDP classroom course fee includes everything required for the course, including notebooks, articles, note paper and pencils, and CDs for those courses that require them. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks are also included.

A minimum deposit of US $200 per course is due 10 days after your application has been accepted to secure your place in the program. Full payment for Ithaca courses must be made by June 7, 2010. Final payment of course fees is due by December 17, 2009 for the January Singapore program and will be determined for the July/August Singapore program.

The deposit is nonrefundable if cancellation takes place within 30 days of the start of your first course.

For Ithaca courses, make a secure online credit card payment.

For Singapore courses, make a secure online credit card payment.

For Singapore courses, get information on methods of payment.

For Ithaca courses, full payment of the program fee is due prior to the start date, and can be made by credit card, check or wire transfer.

By Credit Card

Make a secure online credit card payment using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

By Check

Mail a check (personal or corporate) drawn on a U.S. bank, and made payable to "Cornell University."

By International Wire Transfer

Contact the Office of Executive Education for details on sending a wire transfer within the United States.

Please note that it is very important that all of the information outlined above be included by your bank for the wire transfer to be completed in a timely fashion. If your wire transfer has not been credited to the proper account, you may be prohibited from attending classes.

A copy of your bank transfer paperwork MUST also be sent to us in order to ensure your money reaches our account. Please email or fax a copy of your payment paperwork to our office: exec_ed_hotel@cornell.edu or 607.255.8749.

When our office receives notification from Cornell University that your wire transfer was successful, an updated invoice will be sent to you and your PDP account will reflect the payment.

It may take as long as four weeks for our office to receive notification that your wire transfer was successful.

Banks often subtract a fee for processing a wire transfer. This means that the amount our office receives and the amount credited to your PDP account may differ from the amount of the wire transfer. In some cases, the wire transfer may be processed through more than one bank and be subject to more than one processing fee. You will be responsible for the difference.

See more about fees.

Early Payment Incentive: US$75 if full payment is received by the dates noted below. 

Corporate Hotel Pricing: The Office of Executive Education has also negotiated special corporate pricing with several corporate hotel brands. You may be entitled to this special pricing, which replaces the early full-payment incentive. Please contact us at exec_ed_hotel@cornell.edu to determine if your company is among those qualifying.

Sorry, this incentive does not apply to online courses.

Several regional organizations, such as the Caribbean Hotel Association and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA), offer scholarship opportunities to their members; but these are neither funded nor administered by Cornell University.

Alternatively, you may want to check with hospitality or business associations within your region to explore possible funding sources.

Yes, the Professional Development Program (PDP) is approved for the training of veterans and other eligible persons in accordance with the provisions of Section 3675, title 38, U.S. Code by the Division of Veterans' Affairs. Eligible persons who enroll in any of the following Certifications can obtain education benefits from the Department of Veterans' Affairs:

See Certifications for more information on available courses.

To receive VA benefits, you must first submit a Form 22-1990. Form 22-1990 is available as a PDF, or as an online form.

Once you have been accepted to PDP, the Office of Executive Education will complete a Form 22-1999 and submit it to the Department of Veterans' Affairs upon your request.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Robert Hurtle, New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs, Bureau of Veterans Education at 518.474.7606 or rhurtle@veterans.state.ny.us

More information about Veterans' Education Benefits can be found at http://www.gibill.va.gov.

We have negotiated special PDP rates with a number of hotels, as well as on-campus facilities.

Click on each location for information on a variety of lodging options:

Participants are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodations and paying for them at their own expense.

Ithaca and Cornell University are served by the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport. The university campus is about a 10-minute drive from the airport.

US Airways services Ithaca from Philadelphia and New York City-LaGuardia.

Northwest Airlines has daily service from Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport to their international and domestic hub in Detroit.

Continental Airlines offers flights through Newark Liberty Airport.

You may also fly into Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York, which is approximately a 90-minute drive from Ithaca. Ground transportation is available: you may rent a car or travel by shuttle bus. Ithaca Airline Limousine Service provides shuttle service several times each day. You should contact them directly for reservations at 800.273.9197 or 607.273.3030.

You may arrive in Ithaca via bus. For information on Shortline Bus Service, visit www.shortlinebus.com. For information on Greyhound Bus Lines, visit www.greyhound.com. Visit Campus-to-Campus for information on a direct trip from The Cornell Club to Cornell campus. For those arriving in New York City, please note that a bus from New York City takes about six hours.

Greyhound and ShortLine buses operate from the Port Authority Terminal in New York City, and area airports have shuttle/taxi services to take you there.  Visit the Port Authority of NY and NJ website for ground transportation options. (Select an airport on the left, and then click on "Ground Transportation” to see your shuttle options.)

See more about visitor information for maps of the Cornell University campus.

Amtrak offers service to Syracuse, and then you will need to take a taxi (approximately US$165/one way) or shuttle to Ithaca.

PDP staff members cannot arrange for your travel, but you can explore the possibility of getting lower airfare by making travel arrangements through a U.S. travel agency. Call Stone Travel in Ithaca, New York at 607.257.3557 or e-mail fly@stonetravel.com (enter"Attn: Corporate Department" in the subject field). Participants who choose to contact this travel agency are responsible for making their own arrangements and payments directly with Stone Travel. Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration assumes no responsibility for arrangements made through Stone Travel.

Yes, the following companies provide bus service between New York City and Ithaca (a 5-6 hour trip):

-Cornell Campus-to-Campus (phone 1-607-227-6307)

New York City stops: The Cornell Club (2 blocks from Grand Central Terminal), and Weill Medical College

Ithaca stop: Sage/Statler Hall at Cornell (1 block south of the Statler Hotel)

-Greyhound (phone 1-607-272-7930 or 1-800-231-2222)

New York City stop: Port Authority Terminal

Ithaca stop: Ithaca Bus Terminal

-ShortLine (phone 1-607-277-8800 or 1-800-631-8405)

New York City stop: Port Authority Terminal

Ithaca stops: Ithaca Bus Terminal, and Cornell Theater Arts Center (a 10 minute walk to the hotel, or call for the shuttle)

If you need to go from an area airport to a New York City stop location, you can take a taxi, bus or shuttle.  One shuttle option is New York Airport Service.

If you will be getting off at the Ithaca Bus Terminal, about 30 minutes before your bus arrives you can call your hotel to request a shuttle pick-up at the terminal.  Local taxi service is also available (phone 1-607-277-7777 or 1-888-321-1149).  Please note that the Ithaca Bus Terminal building is shut at night from 6:45 pm - 4:30 am, therefore if you arrive during that time, you will be let off in the parking lot.  You should plan to have the shuttle/taxi there when you arrive.

There are several ways for you to get to your hotel or on-campus residence hall room once you have arrived in Ithaca. Please remember that you are responsible for making your own transportation arrangements at your own expense.

From the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport (where PDP staff members in red shirts will be waiting to direct you):

By taxi: Ithaca Airline Limousine Service Desk is located at the airport across from the baggage claim area. They are available to take you to your lodging. See phone numbers for other taxi companies below.

By courtesy car: Some local hotels provide complimentary transportation to and from the airport. Use the courtesy phones located at the airport in the baggage claim area to call your hotel and have them send a car to pick you up.

If you are arriving by bus: Call a taxi from the pay phones at the bus station.

Ithaca Dispatch (888.321.1149) represents the following taxi companies:

• Yellow Cab (607.277.2227)
• Cayuga Taxi (607.277.8294)
• University Taxi (607.277.7777)

Complimentary shuttle-bus transportation will be available to and from class each of the three class days in Ithaca. PDP representatives will be on the bus to assist you. Shuttle buses will make stops at designated locations based on our list of suggested housing options.

If you have not done so, please advise us of your housing choice as soon as possible so that we may coordinate the shuttle schedule.

Once you have been accepted to the program, we can fax you a Visa Certification Letter, upon request, that you can submit to the U.S. Embassy. This document is sufficient in most instances, but you should check with the U.S. Embassy in your country as early as possible to be sure.

The Professional Development Program is a noncredit program; your attendance does not qualify you for a student visa. You will be a professional attending seminars at the university, not a matriculated student.

If you plan to take a trip into Canada during your stay, you will need a visa from the Canadian government, and may need a reentry visa to return to the United States.

Summer temperatures vary in this area during the day from 70° to 95° F (21° to 35° C), and 60° to 70° F (4° C) at night, and highs of 100° F (38° C) have been recorded, but are very unusual. Rain showers are not uncommon. The scenic walks from the on-campus apartments to the Hotel School take approx 25 minutes, and there is also a frequent, daily bus service for your use.

At the Hotel School: If you have an Internet-based e-mail address, you may access e-mail from computers in the student lounge, the Binenkorb Lab, and the Nestlé Library at the Hotel School. Wireless access is available in various locations throughout the new Beck Center.

In on-campus housing: Internet service including wireless access for your personal laptop is available. Detailed instructions on accessing this service will be available at check-in.

You should select your wardrobe in consideration of the weather. Attire for classes is strictly casual. Please note that all PDP classroom facilities are on a central air conditioning system. If you come from a warm climate, you may want a light jacket or sweater to wear in the classroom. There will be some photo opportunities and some participants like to plan weekend trips, so you may want to pack at least one business outfit (e.g., dress, suit, or jacket and slacks). If you are more comfortable in attire that is customary or traditional in your country, by all means dress accordingly.

PDP offers sequences of specially designed, sharply focused courses, most of which consist of four to six courses each. These course sequences earn you a certification recognized around the world, and may be completed in a single year, or spaced out over two, three, or four consecutive years.

Select a category of interest and learn the requirements for each certification.

No, you have up to four consecutive years from the completion of your first course in a certification sequence to apply that course toward a certification. That means, if you attended PDP in 2006 and completed the first course in the sequence on June 28, 2006, you must complete the certification no later than June 28, 2010. You do not have to attend PDP in consecutive years to earn a certification.

A maximum of one course that has been applied toward a completed certification may also be applied to a subsequent certification. For example, completion of "Marketing Management" is a requirement for both the Certification in Hospitality Management and the Certification in Hospitality Marketing. If you are interested in earning both of these certifications, this course may be applied to both sequences. This applies to certifications completed in 2007 and beyond.

Yes. You may elect to complete a certification at a single venue or by combining courses from any of our classroom locations or our online offerings. Certifications may be completed in a single year or spaced out over two, three or four years from the date you complete the first course of the certification.

Please note that two online courses are equivalent to one classroom course. Additional details are available here.

Yes, learn about our online offerings here.

Yes. You may also be interested in The Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program, that covers an intensive three-semester curriculum in one year, accredited by AACSB - The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB accreditation confirms their position among the top MBA programs in the country for quality business-management education. With their unique emphasis on hospitality and service industries, they can offer their students a specialized graduate management experience of the highest caliber.

To be eligible to become a member of the Cornell Hotel Society, you must either:

• a. Be a Hotel School graduate
• b. Attend AMP or GMP
• c. Attend six PDP classroom courses

Unfortunately, PDP participants are not considered Cornell alumni. This designation is reserved for individuals who have graduated from a Cornell University degree program (i.e., bachelor's, master's, PhD). However, after you have attended six PDP courses, you are eligible to enroll as an affiliate member of the Cornell Hotel Society. Find out more about the Cornell Hotel Society here.