Under a new streamlined approach, participants will focus their learning around a given discipline. They will complete four to six related courses to earn certification, choosing from a mix of required and optional courses. Each PDP course is three days in length, making it convenient to earn a certification in a single year.

�To earn certification, each participant will complete an integrated set of courses,� said Tom Kline, director of Executive Education at the school. �We believe this approach will help participants build the knowledge and skill sets they need to advance their careers. A Cornell PDP certification is already recognized worldwide as a distinctive educational achievement. Now we�re making it an even more valuable tool in driving professional growth.�

Participants may pursue certification in these seven disciplines: 

1. Financial Management; 
2. Food, Beverage, and Restaurant Management; 
3. General and Strategic Management; 
4. Human-Resource Management; 
5. Marketing; 
6. Operations Management; 
7. and Property-Asset Management and Real Estate. 

PDP courses are offered on three continents -- on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York; in Brussels, Belgium; and in Singapore, and participants are able to apply courses from multiple locations to earn certification. Each year more than 1,000 professionals from nearly 100 countries attend these programs. In addition to learning from Cornell faculty members who are experts in the hospitality industry, participants interact with colleagues from around the globe. They gain new perspectives, build friendships and extend their professional networks.

Since the certification program began in 1994, the school has awarded over 1,700 certifications. Following industry trends, the school has seen a recent surge in participants completing the Certification in Real Estate, Development, and Hotel Investment, as well as the Certification in Revenue Management.

About The Office of Executive Education

A unit of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, the Office of Executive Education provides educational seminars, courses, certifications, and other learning opportunities for professionals in the hospitality industry. These opportunities are presented by renowned Cornell faculty in face-to-face classroom based learning on the Cornell campus or at sites anywhere in the world. Online courses and certifications are also available. The office works with hospitality companies to support the development of management and leadership talent and to enhance the profitability of these companies. To learn more about the Office of Executive Education and the learning opportunities available, please visit: www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/execed, or contact Tom Kline, Director, Office of Executive Education, Cornell School of Hotel Administration by email at [email protected] or by phone at +1 607 255 4919.