Niagara Falls
Host to twelve million visitors annually, Niagara Falls is an excellent place to study tourism, sport, recreation, hotel, and restaurant management. The community is situated on the U.S. – Canadian border. Numerous lodging establishments, restaurants, country and social clubs, attractions, and recreation sites lend themselves to hands-on training and work experiences. Prominent regional, national, and international industry leaders serve on the College's Advisory Council. For more information on the Buffalo Niagara area, check out these two websites: www.wrightnowinbuffalo.com and www.niagara-usa.com.

The University
Niagara University sits atop the Niagara Gorge. The 160 acre campus is located in Lewiston in the northern outskirts of the city of Niagara Falls, 20 miles from Buffalo, and 80 miles from Toronto. Niagara University is a private, liberal arts institution founded by the Vincentian Catholic community. The University enrolls 2,800 undergraduate students with 450 students in our College students in the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Program Distinctions
Niagara University offered the world’s first bachelor’s degree in tourism; is a founding member of The Leading Hotel Schools of the World; was the 7^th program in the country to be accredited; is only one of four hospitality and tourism programs to achieve college status (there are 175 four year programs in the country); is a national leader in international programs with its acclaimed Lake Como, Italy work abroad program in luxury hotels; was awarded the prestigious Institutional Achievement Award (award given only every two years) by the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) in October  2002; and is ranked in the top 20 programs in the country.  The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management has received two major private foundation grants to make it a leading national and international program in hospitality and tourism.  The $1.525m grant from the Statler Foundation helped provide outstanding facilities for the program; and a $1.5m grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation provided funding to expand the College’s curricular offerings and to ensure that its students receive unparalleled practical industry applications.

Accreditation
The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration established by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE). The College was initially accredited in February 1993, the seventh program accredited in the country, and received re-accreditation in July 2000 and March 2007 .  Only 15% of all four year programs are accredited today.

Majors/Concentrations
The focus of our curriculum is on practical industry applications.  More than 20 national and international industry leaders speak to our students each year. The curriculum is regularly evaluated by industry leaders to ensure that the College educates students with the skills required by industry.  The two other curricular emphases are a strong technology component and a focus on internationalization as this is the world’s largest industry, employing 10% of the world-wide labor force.  Students selecting a major in Hotel and Restaurant Management may choose from concentrations in: Foodservice Management; Hotel and Restaurant Planning and Control; and Restaurant Entrepreneurship for people who want to own their own business. Concentrations available to Tourism and Recreation Management majors are: Tourism Destination Management and Special Event and Conference Management. Concentration available to Sport Management major is Sport Operations.

Co-ops (paid internships) and Career opportunities
Our career-oriented management programs serving the largest industry in the world emphasize practical industry experiences. The College requires all students to accumulate 800 hours of approved industry experience to graduate. Our students also gain practical experiences through co-ops, classroom projects with industry executives, and extracurricular activities. Our 2,400 alumni are employed in all 50 states and 24 countries in such diverse areas as cruise lines, convention centers, sports arenas, travel companies, international hotel management companies, food and beverage management in all kinds of settings, events and meeting planning, accounting, human resource management, car rental management, leisure and recreation management, club and resort management, convention and visitors bureaus, restaurant  and hotel development/ownership, and casino management.  The College has its own alumni association which provides job, co-op, career guidance, and mentoring opportunities for the students.

Placement
Surveys of our graduates indicate an approximate 100% placement rate with 90% employment in the major. The hospitality and tourism industry employs 10% of the world-wide labor force and is the first, second, or third largest employer in 30 states.  Given the shortage of qualified managers across the hotel, restaurant, tourism and recreation industries, career advancement opportunities are excellent. Our service-oriented programs provide the skills necessary for employment across the service industry which accounts for 85% of the jobs in the economy.  Government employment projections for the next 10 years forecast that management jobs in the hospitality and tourism industry will grow at approximately twice the rate of job growth in the rest of the economy.

Facilities
The College is housed on the 4^th floor of St. Vincent’s Hall which recently received an $11m renovation.  Upon entering the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management a five-star atrium welcomes you with an amphitheater, dining/meeting rooms, and teaching kitchen off of it providing a high quality conference and dining facility.  The College also has its own computer lab located on the 4^th floor of St. Vincent’s Hall and a video-conferencing room located in Dunleavy Hall.  A $1.525m grant from the Statler Foundation provided the impetus to the renovation of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Student Activities
Many campus, professional, and community-focused activities involve our students either through classes or the Niagara University Hospitality and Tourism Student Association. For example, 30 students typically attend the International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show in New York City that includes a tour/reception of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, a tour/reception at the exclusive University Club, and other New York City experiential opportunities. Students shadow managers at the five-star Park Hyatt Hotel in Toronto; attend the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago; attend the New York State Governor’s Tourism Conference; participate in country club tours; visit sports and recreational facilities in places like Toronto and Cleveland; attend national sport marketing conferences and participate in spring training events with major league baseball teams; and participate in winery tours in southern Ontario.

Honor Society
The Eta Sigma Delta chapter at Niagara University, of the national Hospitality Student Honor Society, inducts high-achieving Juniors and Seniors each fall into this organization emphasizing scholarship and service.

Disney World Internship
The Walt Disney World Internship is a credit earning learning experience allowing students to spend an entire semester in Orlando, Florida plus a summer if desired. In addition to a work assignment in a particular aspect of the hospitality, tourism, and recreation industry, students complete two courses during the regular semester. Similar opportunities exist with national parks, resorts, attractions, and theme parks through organizations like the American Hospitality Association or directly through the property/attraction/theme park. Niagara sends the 8th largest number of students to Disney.

Study Abroad
The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management was recognized in 1999 at an international conference in Glasgow, Scotland for offering a model study abroad program.  Our College started offering customized study abroad pragram in 1987. The Lake Como, Italy work abroad program has earned the respect of industry. Students work and live in Lake Como, including some of the most exclusive hotels in the world. An international experience adds to a student’s marketability as the hospitality and tourism industry is the world’s largest industry. 

In summer 2004 ten students from the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management worked in luxury hotels in Lake Como, Italy.  This was a revolutionary program as work abroad is very exceptional due to the unusual challenges faced by students working abroad and the paperwork involved.  We know of no other organized work abroad program offered by a hospitality and tourism program in the country. Similarly ten students from the University of Insubria in Como, Italy studied in fall 2004 at Niagara University.  The Lake Como work abroad/exchange program is an on-going annual program in our College.  The College also offers a similar work abroad/exchange program in Cusco, Peru.

Scholarships
Various scholarship opportunities are available to tourism and hospitality students. They are based on need, academic achievement, and career aspirations. Some of these include: University sponsored scholarships, Statler Foundation, National Tour Foundation, American Society of Travel Agents, National Restaurant Association, New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, and the American Hotel and Lodging Foundation.