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Is Penn State World Campus part of the real Penn State?
Yes! Penn State World Campus is one of Penn State's 25 campus locations. Our students are Penn State students and are held to the same rigorous standards as Penn State students attending courses on campus. Your transcript will look the same as any other Penn State student's transcript, and your diploma will look the same as any other Penn State student's diploma. There will be no differentiation that you studied through distance education. You can learn more about our history or mission by visiting the about us section of our Web site.
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Is Penn State World Campus accredited?
Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Association Colleges and Schools and has an outstanding reputation as a research and teaching university. Our courses are also accepted by most other colleges and universities in fulfillment of their requirements.
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Is financial aid available to World Campus students?
Yes. Detailed information about financial aid, scholarships, and other forms of aid can be found on our paying for your education page.
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How do I transfer credits from another university to Penn State?
First and foremost, if you are planning to transfer college credits to Penn State, the college must be accredited by one of the following accrediting agencies:
| Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools |
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges |
| New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
Southern Association of Schools and Colleges |
| North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
Western Association of Schools and Colleges |
Specific information can be found in the transfer students section.
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Does Penn State accept professional experience for credit?
Penn State only accepts certain types of professional experience for credit toward fulfilling degree requirements—a process called Credit by Portfolio Evaluation, which is typically restricted to students with particular types of formal professional training, such as nurses or police officers. Some aspects of military training will also result in transfer credits if officially documented. Other types of professional training are considered on a case-by-case basis, but the review is costly and rarely results in credit conferral. Contact one of our academic advisers for further information.
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How do I apply to a World Campus program?
Application instructions and admissions requirements vary by program. Visit the Web page for your World Campus program of interest and click on the "Apply Now" button for specific instructions.
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How do I get my textbooks and other course materials?
Software for World Campus courses can be purchased at academic prices through education software vendor JourneyEd.com.
All textbooks for World Campus courses should be ordered through our contracted partner, MBS Direct. Should your World Campus course be cancelled, MBS Direct will refund the cost according to their return policy. If you purchase materials from a provider other than MBS Direct, you are responsible for verifying that the edition of the text is exactly the one required for your course; you are also responsible for knowing that vendor's return policy in the event your course is cancelled. World Campus is not responsible for refunding the cost of your course materials (purchased through MBS Direct or any other vendor) under any circumstances.
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How do I know if distance learning is right for me?
Learning through distance education requires a significant amount of self-motivation and commitment. Having the flexibility to study at the time that is most convenient for you means you won't have a firm schedule as you would in many on-campus courses. You will need to establish and hold to a fixed study schedule in order to successfully complete your course work. Because most of our students are juggling numerous life commitments at the same time they're taking courses, it’s essential that you find a balance between your life responsibilities and course work to remain motivated.
Remember—we're here for you! With our amazing team of academic advisers, technical support experts, customer service representatives, and Penn State instructors, we'll help you get where you want to go—successfully—through distance education.
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Do I need to be currently employed in the hotel, restaurant, or institutional management field in order to apply?
No, you do not. However, you must be able to find a suitable practice site in order to complete 4 core courses in the program. This is much easier to accomplish if you are an employee at the facility that you are using for this purpose.
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What kind of facility would make a good practice site?
This question can be interpreted in several ways; it depends on the HRIM course for which you are seeking a practice facility.
D S M 101: The best type of practice site is a kitchen in a full-service hotel (with a restaurant and banquet facilities), a full-service restaurant, or an on-site food service in a noncommercial setting, such as a college, hospital, or business dining setting. Limited-service hotels that offer only a continental breakfast for their guests, and restaurants that offer a limited fast food menu, dos not offer a varied enough menu for completing the lesson assignment in D S M 101.
HRIM 250: The best type of practice site is a kitchen in a full-service hotel (with a restaurant and banquet facilities), a full-service restaurant, or an on-site food service. Limited-service hotels that offer only a continental breakfast for their guests, and restaurants that offer a limited fast food menu, do not offer a varied enough menu for completing the lesson assignment in HRIM 250.
HRIM 295: This course is the last one you will be taking in the 2HRIM program, and you will reflect on the academic work that you accomplished in the program, as well as the 500 hours of work experience that you will obtain or have obtained. The best type of practice site is one that allows you entry-level, hands-on, operational work experience as well as access to a supervisor who will answer your questions as outlined in the course.
HRIM 380: Either a full-service hotel or a limited-service hotel is acceptable. However, it is imperative that the hotel uses a property management system to process reservations, registrations, guest charges, and checkouts.
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Whom should I contact at the facility to arrange access?
It is always best to start at the top! Make a phone call to the restaurant, hotel, or on-site food service and ask for the name of the manager/owner. You might also ask for the e-mail address. If you call the manager/owner, do so at a time when it is not so busy, such as midweek. More than likely, the manager/owner will forward your request to an assistant, but that is okay; your foot will be in the door. Be patient.
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How should I ask about access to the facility? What should I say? What exactly would I be doing there?
When you do talk to someone on the phone, you might start out by identifying yourself as a Penn State student who is seeking to do some on-the-job learning in the food service or hotel management business (be sure to say that no pay is requested), and then ask whether if would be possible for you to do observing at this facility. For food service you can say that the experience would involve observing how the chef organizes his work and how the cooks make their salads, broil their steaks, make their soups, sanitize their dishes, etc. For the hotel course you can say that you will be observing the processing of reservations and registrations, the processing of guest charges, and checkouts.
Note: In the practicum course (HRIM 295) you will need to be employed. Since you are seeking entry-level skills, such as those of a cook, server, or front desk clerk, you might find a job by looking through the want ads in the local newspaper. When you inquire about the job, make it known that you are a Penn State student who has to accumulate at least 500 hours of work in that position or a similar position in the organization.
What should I do if they have questions I can't answer?
The manager/owner can always call Dr. James Bardi at 610-396-6123 or e-mail him at jxb21@psu.edu for clarification.
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What kind of jobs can students expect to get when they complete the degree?
The associate degree program in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management prepares graduates for positions as assistant managers in hotels and restaurants; food service managers in nursing homes, hospitals, and school food service; college housing and food service; country club management; equipment dealerships; etc. These entry-level jobs are dependent on the student's interest and willingness to work his or her way into the respective organization. For numerous students a career goal is entrepreneurship in restaurants; the capstone course—HRIM 270 Hospitality Administration Seminar, which focuses on the establishment of a freestanding restaurant—can help them achieve this goal.
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I've been working in the hospitality/food service management field for many years. Will my work experience count for anything toward the degree?
You may be able to earn credit by exam for several of the courses. Consult an academic adviser to discuss your options.
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If I complete this program, will the courses count toward a bachelor's degree?
When you have completed the associate degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management, you can transfer most of your 66 credits into Penn State's bachelor of science degree program in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management at University Park, assuming you have been admitted to that program. Those wishing to obtain a bachelor's degree online should be able to transfer all 66 of their credits into the University of Delaware's online bachelor's degree program in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management. For more details, contact program director James Bardi at Penn State Berks by e-mail at jxb21@psu.edu or by phone at 610-396-6123.
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