Prospective Students

Student's may choose to have an official concentration in a particular area of curriculum while applying the courses to an Associate of Science Degree.  Our students are constantly being sought after.  In addition, they are individually scrutinized for leadership potential and a commitment to service excellence.  Once identified, personal and career development strategies are identified and implemented.

International Students

Travel is an international industry and attracts a large number of students from around the world.  We welcome students from a variety of national backgrounds and languages to our program. However, please note that all classes are conducted in English and proficiency in English is required for all School of Hospitality Programs. Please consult with a counselor to evaluate your English proficiency.
 
Please refer to the International Student application process within the OCC web-site.

Practical Work Experience

All programs require students to gain practical experience (internship) within their area of educational focus prior to certification or degree.  Each area of certification requires  its own internship.  Internships can be either paid or non-paid. Hours are established based on a paid and non-paid status.

Students are encouraged to apply for summer employment and internships during the classroom break period's beginning the end of May until the end of August for summer and mid-December until the end of January for inter-session.

Why High School Seniors Choose the School of Hospitality

During the past decade the Orange Coast College Hotel Management Program has ranked among the best in California with respect to the students who enroll.  Recently we surveyed incoming freshmen and asked them what were the key reasons they chose The School of Hospitality. This is what they said:

  • Drawn by the quality of the faculty as the top academic experts in the world within their fields of study…and their day-to-day involvement with industry executives
  • Pleased with the balanced educational experience-a world-class management school with an expertise in hospitality and the liberal arts courses available at Orange Coast College
  • Convinced that a management education with a specific focus in the world's largest industry will be more hands-on than a generic business degree…and, as a result, the course work and overall atmosphere is more dynamic-they believe that they are developing a higher degree of expertise than other majors at other colleges
  • Inspired by the ambition of the Hotel faculty, students and alumni. Everyone at the school is thinking about how to change the future and shape the industry. Students work together on teams all the time and believe many of their future business partners are in class with them. It is a personal and friendly place. You leave with a lot of confidence and a great love for the school
  • Attracted to and reassured by the small school environment, where students are in small classes and professional faculty members teach all classes
  • Impressed with the faculty's commitment to their personal development. Students realize that the faculty will remain close to them for their entire career
  • Stimulated by the international nature of the industry and the schoolAppreciative of the heavy involvement of the industry's leaders who visit the Orange Coast College School of Hospitality - many companies participate each year offering internships, summer employment and full-time graduate jobs
  • Comfortable in pursuing a professional business degree in hospitality because they are impressed with the variety of options available after graduation
  • Excited about the orientation of the school where theory and practical application are blended together-students can work and take classes which actually teach how to run a business, work in summer jobs with large corporations or with entrepreneurs to learn more about the hospitality industry and how to be a strategic thinker and leader