Ph.D. in Hotel Administration
Share your passion for service science and hospitality business with the next generation of hospitality scholars, students and leaders. Earning a doctoral degree gives you the research experience—and the academic credentials—you need to pursue faculty positions where you can shape the future of the global hospitality industry.
Why Cornell
As the first school of its kind in the United States—and the only one in the Ivy League—the Nolan School has set the standard for hospitality education. Here, faculty and graduate students integrate basic science and industry context to help solve problems in service management and real estate that matter to hospitality business practice.
Innovation
Our premier hospitality centers and institutes—the Center for Hospitality Research and the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Leadership—provide groundbreaking industry insights.
Collaboration
As a part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the Nolan School give students the opportunity to collaborate on research with peers and faculty across the college’s schools, programs and centers.
Connection
Our worldwide Hotel School alumni base is 16,000+ strong and Cornell’s alumni network is a global force of more than 360,000. Strong industry partnerships expand our international reach.
Ph.D. degree requirements
Foundational coursework
Hone your quantitative and qualitative research skills with a variety of modeling, statistical, and econometrics courses. PhD students align their methods classes with their area of interest—HR, marketing, real estate, finance, operations, or technology.
Specialization areas
Customize your curriculum by choosing elective credits from across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and throughout Cornell University. Students focus on areas such as financial management, marketing, operations, and real estate.
Thesis & dissertation
Receive close faculty mentorship as you embark on deep graduate-level research. The program culminates with a dissertation defense for PhD candidates. You will have the opportunity to publish or present your work.
- Complete all course requirements outlined by the student’s special committee.
- Pass the Examination for Admission to Candidacy. Known at Cornell as the “A Exam,” the content and form of this exam are determined solely by the student’s special committee. It can be taken any time after completing two semesters in residence, but before the beginning of the seventh semester. Passing this exam means the graduate faculty believe the student is prepared to continue with a dissertation
- Be in residence at Cornell for a minimum of six semesters.
- Prepare a doctoral dissertation according to the guidelines set forth by the Cornell Graduate School.
- Complete an oral dissertation defense. This exam, known at Cornell as the “B Exam,” is taken after all other degree requirements have been met. The candidate must be in residence at Cornell for a minimum of two semesters between the A Exam and the scheduling of the B Exam.