HEC Practice Credit

Serving as a function manager/board assistant, as a volunteer, or as a HEC team member for HEC entitles you to earn practice credit, which is required for graduation from the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Undergraduates need to complete 2 practice credit units or 800 hours of paid or unpaid work experience in the hospitality industry before your senior year at the Nolan School.

You can earn practice credit by serving as a function manager or board assistant on an HEC team, or by simply volunteering for an event such as the Gala Banquet during HEC weekend. Volunteering for events during the weekend is a fun, easy, and convenient way to get your practice credit hours completed.

The following regulations apply to the earning of practice credit hours:

  • Function managers and board assistants can earn a maximum of 80 hours (0.2 practice credits) worked for each HEC.
  • Volunteers and HEC team members (Culinary, F&B Service, Marketing, Design League and Personal Concierge) can earn a maximum of 40 hours (0.1 practice credits) worked for each HEC.

ALL volunteers, function managers, board assistants, and team members must complete the following steps to receive practice credit:

  1. Fill out a “Tracking Hours Sheet” with the dates, times, and activities that you performed in HEC.
  2. Have the Tracking Hours Sheet initialed by the director of the team you worked with (e.g., if you worked as a Culinary Team member, you should have the Executive Chef initial your Tracking Hours Sheet).
  3. Fill out an “Employment Verification Form.” (See link below)
  4. Turn both the Tracking Hours Sheet and the Employment Verification Form stapled together into the HEC Office.

Please contact the HEC Human Resources Director at hec@cornell.edu if you have any questions or comments about obtaining practice credit.