Academic Focus

Combining essential classroom instruction with practical hands-on experience, our bachelor’s degree is designed to uniquely prepare you for career success. We combine a firm foundation of business knowledge with a focus on the global, diverse, and thriving hospitality industry — and add the flexibility to shape your learning around your interests and career goals. The core courses at the Nolan School immerse you in the business of hospitality, giving you essential exposure to organizational behavior, accounting, microeconomics, food service management, strategic management, human resources, technology, real estate, and business communications. Our 18 core courses are all centered around service excellence in hospitality, are designed to help you gain crucial knowledge and valuable skills.

Experiential Learning

At the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, we offer a wide range of opportunities for hands-on experiential learning to help develop your strategic thinking and big-picture vision, gain poise and confidence, and exercise your passion for delighting customers and clients. Enhance your Nolan School experience even further with extended academic opportunities, which let you pursue your passions in even greater depth. These complementary experiences are an optional way to support your Nolan School degree. 

• Hotel Leadership Development Program: Advance your leadership skills through this series of paid positions of increasing responsibility and certification levels as you learn to operate The Statler Hotel, Cornell's legendary teaching hotel hospitality establishment. 
• Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Alliance: Take advantage of the collaborative degree program that the Nolan School has with the CIA. Nolan School students can pursue an associate's degree at the world-renowned CIA in Hyde Park, New York, while completing their Nolan School bachelor's, and graduate with two degrees —  plus incredible culinary arts and business skills — in only four years. 
• Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC): Students develop their project management skills as they plan and operate a three-day industry conference with speakers, entertainment, and food and beverage service. Since 1925, students have handled all aspects of the event – including marketing, IT, and sales.

Community and Belonging

Each Hotelie plays a critical role in our prominent network of hospitality leaders who serve humanity, embrace diversity, and foster community. The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is leading the world in teaching the business of hospitality. Our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni embodies the core values of hospitality each and every day. We embrace diversity of all kinds and strive to create and support inclusivity for all. The capacity to partake in difficult dialogues and to push boundaries set Hotelies apart and enables them to make powerful, positive contributions to our school, industry, and society, on both an individual and collective basis. 

Career Exploration 

Start by receiving a premier bachelor’s degree from the acknowledged leader in hospitality and guest experience education, proven industry knowledge and skills, and the confidence to lead in business. Add expert career guidance and resources, a far-reaching network of industry influencers, and the powerful Cornellian alumni community. Together, the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration provides the comprehensive preparation you need to explore careers within the hospitality industry, find the best career path for your passions, and launch your career in the largest, most exciting industry in the world. Students can make a career advising session by using the online scheduling tool linked on the Hotelie Launchpad.