If you want to be the best, learn with the best. At the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, we’ve been pioneering, reimagining, and perfecting hospitality education for a century. We push boundaries in the pursuit of excellence and define the future of our industry. Our AACSB-accredited degree immerses you in a business education infused with the foundational knowledge of hospitality, services, and real estate. The Cornell Nolan School experience combines world-class classroom instruction with hands-on experiential learning and is the only Ivy League program of its kind. You’ll join the ranks of our proud Hotelie community, which includes foremost leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in one of the most exciting industries around the globe.
Check here for new announcements from the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.
16th Annual Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator AwardsThe awards will be on June 3, 2025, in New York City. The Icon winner is Mark Hoplamazian, CEO of Hyatt Hotels and the Innovator winner is Cindy Estis Green ’79, CEO of Kalibri Labs.
$13 Million Family Gift Supports ScholarshipsThe Dimond family endowment will fund scholarships at the Nolan School through Cornell’s Undergraduate Affordability Initiative, part of the “To Do the Greatest Good” campaign.
$30 Million Gift Names Rubacha Department of Real EstatePaul Rubacha ’72, MBA ’73, co-founder of one of the largest privately held industrial real estate investment companies in the U.S., established the Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate.
Simply put, our school provides a world-class student experience — the most advanced and innovative of its kind. If you have intellectual curiosity, creativity, and a passion for service, we’ll help you develop the knowledge and skills to thrive and succeed in your career of choice. All powered by an unmatched alumni and industry-leader network. Ours is a special and close community. As our alumni like to say, once a Hotelie, always a Hotelie!
Service Excellence in All They Do
Nolan School alumni are a powerful, global network of more than 15,000 Hotelies in every imaginable hospitality industry, united by their dedication to making a difference in others’ lives through service excellence. Whether they work in technology, real estate, food and beverage management, hotel management, or other fields in the business of hospitality, they are leading with innovation, emotional intelligence, and a passion for service.
The Nolan School offers hospitality degrees and programs to fit any stage of your career, whether you’re an undergraduate or graduate student, or an executive professional seeking to sharpen your knowledge of a certain field or industry. Access Bachelor of Science, Master’s, PhD, and executive education custom and online program offerings below.
Our signature Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration undergraduate AACSB-accredited degree offers a variety of hospitality management courses, including real estate, marketing, finance, operations, and more.
Your entrée into a fulfilling career in the world’s most exciting industry, our hotel administration degree is a rewarding, fully rounded student experience that melds classroom instruction with relevant hands-on experience to put your learning into practice. The full-time, residential program is conducted on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.
Our unique, Ivy League master’s programs seamlessly tie a rigorous business education into the context of hospitality, accelerating your career in hospitality, and preparing you to become a leading force in the industry. The Nolan School’s master’s programs include residential Master of Management in Hospitality, Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate in partnership with the Rubacha Department of Real Estate, and Master of Science in Hotel Administration programs and an online Executive Master of Management Hospitality for experienced professionals. Or, take your MS degree in Hotel Administration one step further with the PhD in Hotel Administration. The time requirements of these individual graduate degrees vary.
Experience Cornell excellence, with carefully focused content designed specifically for the global hospitality professional. Whether you want to study as an individual or sign up a team from your organization, we guide you through the process and ensure you find the perfect program for your unique needs.
To provide you with the highest level of convenience, we offer three modes of instruction. Choose classroom programs on Cornell’s campus, where you can network with industry peers and world-class Cornell faculty. Select online learning to study and network with peers from around the world. Or opt for custom programs to tailor content to your organization’s specific needs — you can study on the Cornell campus, or have our faculty teach at your facility.
“At the Nolan School, Hotelies find like-minded students who lift each other up, caring faculty who guide our students to discover their passions, and dedicated alumni who stand ready to open their doors. It’s a powerful close-knit community—unlike any other—and it’s why our students go on to become leaders shaping the future of global hospitality.” —Kate Walsh, Dimond Family Dean of the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Nolan School faculty are distinguished industry specialists and thought leaders who focus on research that benefits the hospitality industry, whether it’s real estate, finance, services management, human resources, food and beverage management, or organizational behavior. Expert and caring instructors, they prepare students to be emotionally intelligent, culturally aware, skilled, and technologically proficient professionals dedicated to delivering service excellence.
Designed to promote industry growth and enrich the educational curriculum, the Nolan School’s six centers and institutes provide exceptional opportunities for students to work directly with our corporate members via research and internships, putting their learning into practice: Center for Hospitality Research, Center for Real Estate and Finance, Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Cornell Institute for Food and Beverage Management, Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures, Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Leadership.
Tech pioneer Cindy Estis Green ’79 and Hyatt Hotels CEO Mark Hoplamazian redefine hospitality through innovation, strategy, and human-centered leadership.
Rose Jou ’25, a student in the Nolan School, graduated as Navy ROTC's battalion commander.
SC Johnson students have created business ventures ranging from AI nutrition tracking to new exotic dried fruit products.
Visit us or explore photos online to see how our school of hospitality can transform your life and set you on course to an exciting, rewarding career. Experience the culture of an Ivy League university and see how the Nolan School has pioneered education and innovation in hospitality, the world’s largest industry. Situated in the heart of the beautiful Cornell campus, the Nolan School is located among the hills and gorges of Ithaca, consistently named one of the best college towns in the US.
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Take the first step toward a rewarding, fulfilling career in the world’s largest and most versatile industry. Experience the Nolan School’s expert instruction, hands-on learning, outstanding student experience, challenging but caring faculty, and loyal Hotelie community. Add Cornell credentials and our century of shaping hospitality education, and you have the best start to your adventure in hospitality management.