酒店管理专业从本质上来说是管理专业的一种。美国的酒店管理专业Hotel Management和Hospitality Management基本相同，但具体方向略有区别。hospitality更广义些，统指旅游接待业，其中包括hotel，travel agency，airline，casino等等，甚至一个快餐店，咖啡吧也可以叫hospitality。我们习惯上把所有有关hotel, tourism, restaurant, travel and hospitality industries 的专业归为一类，但从每个program不同的名称就可以看出其课程设置和研究方向的重点。hospitality大体上可以分为旅游休闲方向和酒店方向。我们这里主要讨论酒店管理方向。
美国酒店管理院校概况和分类
做为全球最大的酒店市场，和诸如万豪、希尔顿、洲际等顶尖酒店集团的发源地，美国拥有全球最优秀的酒店教育。在本科阶段，美国的酒店管理院校主要分为两类：一类是非常注重实践经验，同时辅以全面系统的管理知识，以毕业生毕业后能迅速成为初中级管理者为教育目标的学校，例如著名的强生威尔士大学(Johnson and Wales University)、佛罗里达国际大学(Florida International University)、内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校(UNLV)等。另一类是以康奈尔大学(Cornell University)为代表的，偏重理论，以培养未来的战略决策者和行业研究者为己任的大学，这类学校还包括乔治华盛顿大学(George Washington University)、普渡大学(Purdue University)等。而在研究生阶段，各大院校开设的基本上都是以理论为主，培养高层职业经理人的课程。
申请守则
对所有学校来说，理想的申请者“has string academic ability, relevant work experience, leadership potential, and career drive”。此专业申请与商科热门专业的申请相比难度稍低一些，没有硬性的规定指出那些专业可以申请旅游管理，哪些不能。从硬件条件来说，旅游管理对GMAT/gre 或 toefl,GPA的要求低于金融会计等专业的要求。但是这个专业队相关领域的实习或者工作经验十分看重。这一点可以看出，美国高校开设这个专业是为了培养旅游，酒店等领域的高级管理人才，因此强烈建议申请者有相关的工作或者实习经历。
关于工作经验
美国所有酒店管理学校当中，Cornell和UNLV对工作经验要求最高。下面的这段话摘自Cornell网站，我觉得是对工作经验问题的最好诠释。
We look for candidates with strong supervisory or managerial skills and leadership potential, and we prefer those with a year or more of full-time hospitality-related work experience. Three years of work experience has been the average for students admitted in the past few years.
Work experience is beneficial for several reasons. It will help you grasp concepts more easily and retain them more fully. And it enhances class discussions. Our classes are small and interactive. Prior work experience enables you to participate more actively.
Work experience demonstrates commitment to the industry. We are the best at what we do, and we are highly specialized.
Work experience demonstrates that you know what you are undertaking. If you have worked for years in finance, information technology, real estate, or some other field and wish to switch to hospitality, that is fine. We will encourage you to build on your previous experience, which can be adApted to an aspect of hospitality. During the application process, we expect you to articulate your commitment to the industry.
Finally, work experience makes you more marketable. It enables you to offer experience combined with an advanced degree, and if you choose a career track that meshes with previous work experience, we can help you position yourself for management-track positions, if that is what you want.
之所以强调实习或者工作经历实际上与申请人的文书写作有直接关系，如果申请人根据一定程度的实习或者工作经历所写成的PS的专业性和趣味性要为其申请增色不少，在另一方面申请人在工作上的领导如果能够给与其客观积极的评价，我们有理由相信他通过酒店管理项目的学习之后能够在此领域有所建树。
美国酒店管理院校概况和分类
做为全球最大的酒店市场，和诸如万豪、希尔顿、洲际等顶尖酒店集团的发源地，美国拥有全球最优秀的酒店教育。在本科阶段，美国的酒店管理院校主要分为两类：一类是非常注重实践经验，同时辅以全面系统的管理知识，以毕业生毕业后能迅速成为初中级管理者为教育目标的学校，例如著名的强生威尔士大学(Johnson and Wales University)、佛罗里达国际大学(Florida International University)、内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校(UNLV)等。另一类是以康奈尔大学(Cornell University)为代表的，偏重理论，以培养未来的战略决策者和行业研究者为己任的大学，这类学校还包括乔治华盛顿大学(George Washington University)、普渡大学(Purdue University)等。而在研究生阶段，各大院校开设的基本上都是以理论为主，培养高层职业经理人的课程。
申请守则
对所有学校来说，理想的申请者“has string academic ability, relevant work experience, leadership potential, and career drive”。此专业申请与商科热门专业的申请相比难度稍低一些，没有硬性的规定指出那些专业可以申请旅游管理，哪些不能。从硬件条件来说，旅游管理对GMAT/gre 或 toefl,GPA的要求低于金融会计等专业的要求。但是这个专业队相关领域的实习或者工作经验十分看重。这一点可以看出，美国高校开设这个专业是为了培养旅游，酒店等领域的高级管理人才，因此强烈建议申请者有相关的工作或者实习经历。
关于工作经验
美国所有酒店管理学校当中，Cornell和UNLV对工作经验要求最高。下面的这段话摘自Cornell网站，我觉得是对工作经验问题的最好诠释。
We look for candidates with strong supervisory or managerial skills and leadership potential, and we prefer those with a year or more of full-time hospitality-related work experience. Three years of work experience has been the average for students admitted in the past few years.
Work experience is beneficial for several reasons. It will help you grasp concepts more easily and retain them more fully. And it enhances class discussions. Our classes are small and interactive. Prior work experience enables you to participate more actively.
Work experience demonstrates commitment to the industry. We are the best at what we do, and we are highly specialized.
Work experience demonstrates that you know what you are undertaking. If you have worked for years in finance, information technology, real estate, or some other field and wish to switch to hospitality, that is fine. We will encourage you to build on your previous experience, which can be adApted to an aspect of hospitality. During the application process, we expect you to articulate your commitment to the industry.
Finally, work experience makes you more marketable. It enables you to offer experience combined with an advanced degree, and if you choose a career track that meshes with previous work experience, we can help you position yourself for management-track positions, if that is what you want.
之所以强调实习或者工作经历实际上与申请人的文书写作有直接关系，如果申请人根据一定程度的实习或者工作经历所写成的PS的专业性和趣味性要为其申请增色不少，在另一方面申请人在工作上的领导如果能够给与其客观积极的评价，我们有理由相信他通过酒店管理项目的学习之后能够在此领域有所建树。
