

CORNELL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
AVAILABLE PROGRAMS
These world-renowned executive programs have welcomed hospitality professionals from around the globe for over 90 years. Choose the advanced certificate that best meets your development goals and experience the best of Cornell University:
- PDP participants must have been employed full time in the hospitality industry, or a related field, for a minimum of two continuous years prior to applying to the program.
- While many cultures enrich the Cornell experience, English is the language of instruction in PDP. We do not require a TOEFL score; however, participants must have well-developed English-language communication and reading comprehension skills to participate in and benefit from the courses. If a participant’s English language skills preclude active and full involvement in the classroom sessions, they may be removed from the program.
There is no deadline to register for a PDP advanced certificate. Monthly offerings of the online courses are available year-round. Prior to attending the in-person component, you must have completed the online courses that are part of the program. Please plan your online course schedule carefully to ensure your attendance at the in-person component is possible.
PDP course materials are not for sale. They are available only to those who attend the specific classes.
- By registering for PDP, you agree to pay the program fee. You have several payment options, including payment in full at time of registration via credit card. You may also request an invoice for payment via check or wire transfer. If you require the option of payment by check or wire transfer, please contact your Enrollment Counselor for details. Payment in full is required prior to the start of the program.
- You may transfer your online course start dates using the eCornell transfer instructions. Please remember that all online courses must be completed prior to attending the on-campus component.
- You may cancel your on-campus attendance at least 45 days before the first day of the on-campus session and receive reimbursement for any payment toward the on-campus session (on-campus session valued at US$5,980 of total program fee). You will forfeit US$750 if cancellation of the on-campus session takes place less than 45 days prior to the start date.
- You will receive no reimbursement if cancellation takes place within seven days of the start of the on-campus session. Alternatively, the balance less a transfer fee of US$500 can be applied to another eligible participant or to the next iteration of PDP.
- If on-campus participation is not possible due to COVID-19 restrictions, you will have the option to transfer to a future PDP on-campus session or receive a refund for the on-campus portion of your registration.
Pre-program assignments for your on-campus session will be posted online via Canvas, our learning management system. You will receive a username and password to access your Canvas account no later than 10 days prior to the start date of the on-campus session. All assignments related to the online courses will be contained within the online course experience.
- We will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and share updates as we approach the on-campus component.
- Please review your country’s guidelines regarding travel, and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information related to visiting the U.S. It is our sincere hope that travel to Cornell University will be possible for the in-person component of the Professional Development Program.
- Please remember to book refundable airline tickets to prevent cancellation fees in the event the on-campus session is not available for the dates you have chosen.
No. Each certificate consists of a specific set of online courses, followed by four in-person days. You may earn more than one advanced certificate if you complete the online requirements for the certificate and attend a different on-campus session (i.e., 2021 and 2022).
- 8:30 – 12:30: Class
- 12:30 – 13:30: Buffet networking lunch
- 13:30-17:00: Class
- 17:00-18:30: Reception (only on first day of class)
- Evening: Individual or group assignment
You are expected to attend all sessions. Certificates are presented only upon completion of all sessions, and you must be present to receive your advanced certificate. We reserve the right to withhold certificates from participants who do not attend all sessions.
- Prior to your arrival at Cornell, we will provide you with information regarding your stay and getting the most out of your PDP on-campus experience.
- Registration and continental breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. on the first day of class in the atrium at Statler Hall. There you will receive your welcome bag containing PDP information. Classes will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. (08.30 hr) and end at 5:00 p.m. (17.00 hr). You should also plan to be available in the evenings for homework or group work. Because of the intensive nature of these courses, those who arrive late or leave early will not earn an advanced certificate.
- Each Advanced Certificate costs US$8,500.
- If you have already completed the online courses required for the Advanced Certificate, you may register for the on-campus session as a separate purchase. Please contact your Enrollment Counselor for details on how to register.
- To take advantage of the Pay-As-You-Go registration option (approximately US$600/online course), you will sign up for the online courses separately and agree to have your credit card charged prior to the start date of each online course (a US$50 surcharge will be added to each course for this option). You will then register separately for the on-campus session and pay in full at the time of registration. Contact an Enrollment Counselor to learn more.
The PDP Advanced Certificate fee includes a series of online courses from eCornell and four days of on-campus classes at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Your program fee includes all course materials, articles, case studies, notepaper, pens, etc. A daily continental breakfast, buffet networking lunch, and refreshment breaks are also included. You are invited to attend an opening welcome reception on the first day of class.
- Payment is due upon registration. If you need to pay via check or wire transfer, please contact an Enrollment Counselor for details.
- If you choose a Pay-As-You-Go plan for the online component, your credit card will be charged automatically prior to the start of each online course, but you will need to register and pay for the on-campus session separately.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, check (made payable to “Cornell University” in U.S. funds), and wire transfer.
Not at this time, but we will be submitting for approval in 2022.
- We have negotiated special PDP rates with a number of hotels.
- Participants are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodations and paying for them at their own expense.
- Ithaca and Cornell University are served by the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. The university campus is about a ten-minute drive from the airport, serviced by various major airlines.
- See maps of the Cornell University campus and our brochure for more details.
Yes. See our brochure for more details.
- There are several ways for you to get to your hotel once you arrive in Ithaca. Please remember that you are responsible for making your own transportation arrangements at your own expense.
- From the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport.
- By taxi: Ithaca Dispatch (+1-607-277-7777)
- By courtesy car: Some local hotels provide complimentary transportation to and from the airport. Use the courtesy phones located at the airport in the baggage claim area to call your hotel and have them send a car to pick you up.
- If you are arriving by bus: Call a taxi from the bus station using the number above.
- Ithaca is also serviced by Lyft and Uber.
- Once you have been accepted to the program, we can fax you a Visa Certification Letter upon request, which you can then submit to the U.S. Embassy. This document is sufficient in most instances, but you should check with the U.S. Embassy in your country as early as possible to be sure.
- The Professional Development Program is a non-credit program; your attendance does not qualify you for a student visa. You will be a professional attending seminars at the university, not a matriculated student.
Attire for classes is strictly casual. Please note that all PDP classroom facilities are on a central air-conditioning/heating system. If you come from a warm climate, you may want a light jacket or sweater to wear in the classroom. If you are more comfortable in attire that is customary or traditional in your country, by all means dress accordingly.
Yes. You may also be interested in the Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program, accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB accreditation confirms a position among the top MBA programs in the United States for quality business management education. With their unique emphasis on hospitality and service, they offer their students a specialized graduate management experience of the highest caliber.
- Yes
- PDP participants are not considered Cornell alumni; this designation is reserved for individuals who have graduated from a Cornell University degree program (e.g., Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.). After you have completed a PDP Advanced Certificate, however, you are eligible to enroll as an Affiliate member of the Cornell Hotel Society.
Once you have completed an advanced certificate in the Professional Development Program (PDP), you may add it to your LinkedIn profile under Education. Select “Cornell University” as the school; and under “Degree,” list “Professional Development Program (PDP), School of Hotel Administration.” You may list “Advanced Certificate in [insert certificate name]” under “Field of Study.” Select the year of completion under “To Year (or expected).”
- Once you have completed your program, you may add it to your resume or CV by including the following information:
- Cornell University School of Hotel Administration
- Professional Development Program
- Certificate name
- Completion month and year