BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI –Casino employees and those who aspire to work in the industry have just over a week to enroll in the fall semester of casino courses to help them advance or secure a job.

Similar to employees in any large corporation, “A lot of managers are finding out to get to the next level they’ve got to have a college degree,” said Alan Silver, director of Casino Resort Studies at Tulane University. Casinos are recruiting the best and brightest people, he said, and many Coast casinos offer tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules to employees enrolled in college.

Professor Tony Hawthorne, chairman of Tourism Management at the University of Southern Mississippi, said the university makes it convenient for casino employees to take college courses. Three of their classes meet just once a week in the later afternoon or evening and the fourth is an online course that students complete at their convenience.

Scholarships are available in casino studies at both universities. Classes start at Southern Miss today and at Tulane on Feb. 29, but registration for both is open until Labor Day.

This month Tulane signed a 2+2 agreement with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College that allows students to transfer all their credits in the hotel and resort management program, up to a maximum of 60, directly to Tulane. There they will earn an additional 60 credits toward their bachelor’s degree, studying with instructors “who have years of experience in the industry and also advanced degrees,” said Silver.

“We think it’s certainly a very beneficial program for everyone,” said Assistant Dean Rosaria Guastella.

Seth Diamond is studying at Tulane’s Edgewater Mall Campus in Biloxi while working as director of food and beverage at Boomtown Casino Biloxi. Although he finds it challenging to schedule work and school, Diamond said his employer, Penn National Gaming, is pro-education and his professors at Tulane are reasonable with their requirements.

“The gaming industry has been very good to me and my family,” said Diamond, who started in the casino business 20 years ago. His college courses give him insight into casino operations beyond food and beverage, he said, and provide future opportunities.

This fall’s classes are the first to meet at the Long Beach campus of Southern Miss since it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The university received state permission to offer the program right before the storm, and Hawthorne said, “This is the first time we’re offering a full slate of courses.”

Students can transfer their credits from any of the state’s junior colleges. The program is part of the Business Administration Department and all students get a strong business background, taking core classes in computers and marketing. Among the instructors is David Paster, who for years was a consultant to the casino industry in Las Vegas.

The students can benefit from the partnerships and internships being formed between the Coast casino industry and the universities. Casino executives have gone into the classroom and online to share their knowledge and their enthusiasm for the industry.