Overview

Gain the most comprehensive, real-world training to seek top management positions in the hospitality and tourism industry. Whether you are new to the field or an experienced professional needing refreshed skills, our courses give you the knowledge and preparation needed to earn those coveted positions in high-end hotels, top restaurants, full-service resorts, luxury cruise lines, tourism offices, and other hospitality organizations.

Benefits

  • Examine the current issues impacting global hospitality management
  • Use proven marketing and branding techniques to capture and retain the hospitality- and tourism-focused client
  • Build and adapt event management and project management skills necessary in the changing hospitality and tourism industries
  • Understand how to develop an integrated service culture that supports employee retention
  • Learn about the role of sustainability and greening within current hospitality and tourism practices
  • Develop accounting and budgeting systems that serve as tools in the hospitality and tourism industries
  • Gain a competitive edge in the global job market through an internship in a U.S. company

Who Should Attend

This program is designed both for people entering the field and for those who already work in the hospitality and tourism industry but wish to enhance their careers. Examples include:

  • Business professionals seeking to enter the hospitality industry
  • Hospitality workers who wish to gain management skills for upward mobility
  • Developers in the timeshare, vacation ownership, and condominium/hotel industries
  • Key personnel working for chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, tourism boards, and hotel/motel associations
  • Other professionals involved in the development of infrastructure for the hospitality industry

Certificate Requirements

To earn a certificate at UCI Division of Continuing Education, students must complete all required courses with a grade of “C” or better.

Curriculum

Hospitality and TourismExpand

Preparing for this exciting and increasingly competitive industry requires a strong understanding of tourism development, the structure of the hospitality industry and its many segments. Topics explored include the socio-cultural, environmentally sustainable practices, and the economic aspects of the tourism industry as well as the role of government and tourism organizations.  This course also provides an overview of the inter-relationships of tourism and hospitality industries, especially in regard to their importance as major economic drivers for economies around the world. Students engage in active discussions on the current trends and future growth of this industry.

Human Resources & Leadership for the Hospitality ProfessionalExpand

Examine the difference between a manager and a leader and learn what effective leadership means. The importance and benefits of appropriate human resource management techniques in the hospitality industry such as employee selection, progressive counseling / progressive discipline, termination, employee motivation, and employee training are explained. Learn the skills you will need to recruit, hire, and retain qualified individuals who can meet the growing and changing needs of your organization. Explore the hiring process including the administrative preparation, direct hiring activities, retention practices, and related employment laws. Understand the ins and outs of applicant sourcing, effective interviewing, accurate assessment and evaluation, while gaining a clear understanding of your role as a human resources professional in interfacing with management and other staffing decision makers. Discussion topics will include importance of staffing metrics, tips and tools for recruiting on the web, and a review of creative recruiting methods.

Accounting and BudgetingExpand

This course is an introduction to accounting and budgeting for the hospitality industry. Emphasis is on developing a realistic and comprehensive accounting and budgeting system that serves as a tool for department managers and general management. Topics include: the development of an accounting and budget system focusing on revenue and expense estimating, calculation of break-even point and return on investment. In addition, students identify the key components of a budget, fixed versus variable costs, financial statement analysis and the need for capital as well as operational budgeting including PIPs (property improvement plans).

Customer Service ManagementExpand

Customer service management is a vital business issue as organizations integrate customer relationship management (or CRM) for providing effective customer service and support. This course addresses the importance of how you handle your customers and how that can directly affect your individual goals as well as your team's and company's performance.  Topics include: delivering better, faster service and increasing customer satisfaction; learning how to gain repeat business; finding workable solutions to customer problems and motivating your employees to provide seamless service.

Event ManagementExpand

Events are an important revenue source for hotels, resorts, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, and other hospitality venues. Successful event project management requires excellent communication skills and coordination of many individuals and departments, and frequently, outside vendors. Making certain that event projects achieve their objectives, meet their deadlines and come in within budget can be a daunting but rewarding challenge. While this course is useful for anyone who needs an overview of how events can be planned, executed and controlled successfully, it is especially designed for those who are relatively new to event management. Discover proven tools, concepts and ways of thinking about events that will considerably enhance the positive outcome of a hospitality and/or special event project. Instruction clarifies concepts and illustrates them with practical, real-life examples that are applicable to the hospitality industry, event planning, audiovisual and to related special events. Planning events begins with client communications, venue selection and continues to the culmination of the actual production and delivery of the event. This course is an excellent introduction to those who may be interested in a career in events or who will be working with event planners.

Strategic Marketing and Branding for the Hospitality IndustryExpand

Hospitality, dining, lodging, travel, leisure, and entertainment habits are changing rapidly as the information age and globalization revolutionize the world economy. More than ever, businesses must focus their marketing efforts on specific segments within the market. Success in the hospitality industry demands cutting-edge decision-making skills necessary for effective strategic marketing initiatives designed to reach specific markets and establish brand identity for new markets to be cultivated. This course examines effective strategic marketing and branding practices in the hospitality industry.  These practices include ways to manage double branding opportunities, electronic sales, distribution channels, and brand dominance.  Students will review the strategic marketing plan elements through sample detailed case studies and examples of various hospitality models.  Additional topics include electronic resources, international competitive analyses, and metrics for evaluation.

Internships

As an optional last course and for an additional fee of $2,900, you have the opportunity to apply academic theory and gain practical experience in a variety of businesses and industries for 10 weeks. Also included in the internship is the Résumé Writing and Interviewing Skills workshop.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What time are ACPs offered?Expand
Classes are scheduled variously between 09:00 and 17:00 (California time).  Students will learn their specific class times when they enroll.

Is part-time study available?Expand
All ACP students must study full-time only.

What are the visa requirements of the program?Expand
An F-1 student visa is required for full-time, on-campus study.

Are there internship opportunities available after ACP study? Expand
Yes.  ACP programs offer internship opportunities at Southern California companies for on-campus students.

Can ACP students apply for an OPT after their program?Expand
F-1 students who maintained their F-1 status for one full academic year (3 consecutive quarters) may apply for an OPT. Contact an international student advisor at immigrationofficials@ce.uci.edu for more information.

 

Program Cost

Certificate Tuition: $7,900

Approximate Total Cost: $14,100 USD

Amount shown above is an approximation for tuition plus living expenses (housing, transportation, meals, books, etc.) This amount is before any discounts applied and excludes airfare.

You can view all the tuition and fees rates on our Tuition and Fees page

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Admissions Requirements

PROGRAM DATES

 

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