The Sierra Nevada College Ski Business & Resort Management (SBRM) program is the nation’s only four-year bachelor’s degree focused on the mountain-resort industry, taking advantage of a strong curriculum, faculty with decades of resort management experience, and opportunities to gain hands-on training with a handful of America’s leading ski resort companies, all located a short distance from the spectacular Sierra Nevada College campus. Students graduating with this degree will have a complete understanding of all facets of resort operations, finance, marketing & planning, and will be well-equipped to move to the head of the line when it comes to securing full-time employment in this competitive, challenging, and fascinating industry.
Many of today’s leading resort industry executives and managers began their careers in the 1970s and 80s after graduating from college, and are now in their 50s and 60s, heading towards well earned retirement (and more time skiing!). Largely due to the gap between the baby and echo boom generations, as well as the lack of resort curriculum at any other four year university, there will be tremendous opportunity for graduates to earn entry level management positions in record numbers over the coming decade.
However, Sierra Nevada College’s Ski Business & Resort Management program prepares students for much more than snow-specific careers. Many hospitality or tourism related businesses seek career minded ski managers that have the necessary skills required to work under pressure and in difficult conditions, understand the nature of a seasonal business, develop a passion for guest service, and maximize the short revenue window.
SBRM Upper Division Courses
Introduction to Ski Business is designed to give the student a complete overview of the ski industry, from outside operations to marketing, finance and strategic planning. Over 50 distinct departments will be covered during the semester, with a bird's eye view of the inner workings of both local and destination resorts, from California to Maine. This course is an ideal start to the Ski Business and Resort Management upper division curriculum.
Resort Marketing & Sales Management:All facets of the exciting marketing & sales operation are covered in this course, including marketing strategy & planning, budgeting, advertising, public relations, promotions, special events, Web sites, corporate & group sales, and staffing.
Resort General Management:This course provides a thorough study of every department in a mountain resort, including operations, finance, human resources, risk management, planning, budgeting, profit centers, food & beverage. Mountain Operations:This senior course will cover all elements of mountain operations, including lift operations & maintenance, ski patrol, snowmaking, grooming, vehicle maintenance, and snow removal.
Profit Center Management:All areas where money is exchanged will be the focus of this course, including restaurants & bars, lodging, tickets & season passes, rentals, demos, repair, adult & children’s ski school, and racing.
Real Estate Development: With real estate development a major component of today’s developing resort, this course will study all types of mountain development, including master planning, subdivisions, layout & design, single-family homes and home sites, duplexes, town homes, condominiums, and fractional ownership.
Resort Master Planning: This is a capstone course, the highlight of the program, and for several years the No.1 rated course at Sierra Nevada College. Students will work in groups of 2-3 and build their own resort, based on a fixed budget, daily capacity, and a semester’s worth of knowledge gained in every element of resort design, including lift & trail layout, ingress/egress, base-area layout, snowmaking & grooming, exposures, building capacities, and more. Independent Study Description:A key component of Sierra Nevada’s Ski Business & Resort Management curriculum is the Independent Study Program, where junior and senior level students can take advantage of numerous opportunities to work in a number of resort departments, including operations, marketing, finance, real estate, development, retail, tickets, rentals and more. Partnerships have been created with a number of the region’s leading resorts to accommodate students in most every area of the resort product mix.
Program Director for Ski Business and Resort Management. Tim Cohee began his ski management career in 1979, when he was named Snow Summit Ski Resort's first marketing director. After six years of tremendous growth and innovative marketing, Cohee was recruited to become the first Vice President of Marketing for Heavenly Ski Resort, a position he held until 1988. The largest ski resort company in the nation, S-K-I, asked Cohee to return to Southern California to become Vice President and Director of Marketing for Bear Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, where over the next three years Bear recorded the largest growth in skier attendance of any resort in the nation. In 1991 he joined forces with Les Otten, who owned the industry's fastest growing resort, Sunday River in Maine. In 1993, Cohee was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Kirkwood Mountain Resort near Lake Tahoe, where over the next 15 years he led them out of financial trouble and through a period of tremendous growth.
The Sierra Nevada College Ski Business & Resort Management (SBRM) program is the nation’s only four-year bachelor’s degree focused on the mountain-resort industry, taking advantage of a strong curriculum, faculty with decades of resort management experience, and opportunities to gain hands-on training with a handful of America’s leading ski resort companies, all located a short distance from the spectacular Sierra Nevada College campus. Students graduating with this degree will have a complete understanding of all facets of resort operations, finance, marketing & planning, and will be well-equipped to move to the head of the line when it comes to securing full-time employment in this competitive, challenging, and fascinating industry.
SBRM Upper Division Courses
Profit Center Management: All areas where money is exchanged will be the focus of this course, including restaurants & bars, lodging, tickets & season passes, rentals, demos, repair, adult & children’s ski school, and racing.
