BILOXI, Miss. (AP) _ Tulane University, a private institution based in New Orleans, says it will offer a casino resort management program at its Biloxi campus, something Mississippi universities are legally barred from doing.
Tulane began offering a casino resort management course this summer, which was expanded into the degree program.
Curt Follmer, president of the Mississippi Gaming Association, said he hopes the Legislature passes bills to let Mississippi community colleges and universities offer gaming-related classes.
The Legislature legalized gambling more than a decade ago, but Mississippi colleges and universities are barred from offering gaming-related courses. Bills to legalize casino classes for Mississippi schools have died five years in a row.
Tulane’s program will offer associate degrees, minors and certificates for students who already have bachelor’s degrees, Marksbury said.
People in the gaming industry need opportunities for education that could lead to raises and promotions, said Rick Marksbury, dean of Tulane’s University College at Edgewater Mall in Biloxi.
“There’s a very large, vibrant industry where the educational needs of people in it weren’t being met,” Marksbury said. “What we put together is a solid academic program that will adjust that.”
The curriculum for an associate’s degree is six core courses on topics including casino resort management, marketing, statistics and legal issues.
Elective courses include accounting, human resource management, economics of risk-taking, information systems and food-beverage management.