About
Professional Education Tailored to Your Needs
As the professional education arm of the top-ranked Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV, the Sands Center for Professional Development enjoys access to cutting-edge industry research and content grounded in real academic scholarship. When you embark on a certificate program, you will have confidence knowing that you’re gaining insights from renowned experts in the world’s most vibrant hospitality and gaming laboratory—Las Vegas. Plus, we deliver programs in a variety of formats, making our education accessible, engaging, and user-friendly.
Our Mission
To elevate individuals and organizations through impactful, accessible, and affordable professional education that blends academic theory and industry expertise.
Our Facilities
Located just blocks away from the famous Las Vegas Strip, our in-classroom program facilities at the Stan Fulton Building are convenient and spacious, accommodating groups of up to 100. In addition to classroom facilities, we offer flexible banquet space for conferences and speaker sessions as well as in-house catering services. Can’t come to us? The Sands Center can deliver programs at your organization’s location.
Our Clients
Major hospitality brands from China, Australia, Korea, Japan, Argentina, Austria, and other nations have taken part in Sands Center custom in-classroom programs. Participants range from global professional casino associations to international hospitality graduate students. Our online certificate programs are utilized by organizations both inside and outside the traditional hospitality space. Clients include a well-known sports association, a major waterpark resort company, and a U.S. Marine Corps. military installation.
Our Instructors
The Sands Center for Professional Development is privileged to have the support of faculty members who are renowned scholars in the field of hospitality and gaming. Students benefit from our instructors’ real-world experience, which spans a wide array of hospitality industry segments, as well as their expertise in the theory behind the art, science, and business of hospitality.
Our Name
The Sands Center for Professional Development was named in recognition of the $4.5 million gift donated by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation to help launch the center. The goal was to create a resource that helps advance the careers of non-degree-seeking hospitality professionals around the world. Now in its fifth year, the Sands Center has stayed true to this goal by delivering quality education programs to an international portfolio of hospitality and gaming companies while continuing to expand its range of services.