International Hospitality and Tourism Management Degree 2013
Our International Hospitality and Tourism Management degree prepares you to work in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries; an industry which supports more than 258 million jobs worldwide and generates 9.1% of global GDP. This includes activities such as hotels, airlines, tour operators, resort development, casinos, cruise ships, contract and event catering and visitor attractions.
Degree programme
Entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements
- A level grades ABB
We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers.
Conditional offers from Surrey will be made in grades or marks, and not listed in points from the UCAS tariff.
Required subjects
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Other suitable qualifications
Cambridge Pre-U
M1, M1, M2
European Baccalaureate
74%
International Baccalaureate
34 points
BTEC (QCF Level 3) Extended Diploma
DDM
In addition, we accept a wide range of qualifications, including other Level 3 QCF Level 3 qualifications, Scottish qualifications, the Irish Leaving Certificate, Access Diplomas and foundation courses. Other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis.
It is important to check whether the qualifications you are taking are suitable for your chosen degree. If you are uncertain whether your qualification meets our entry requirements, please contact us.
If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements to this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year.
Selection process
Offers are usually made in terms of grades. We invite suitable candidates to visit the University to find out more about the programme and meet staff and students.
Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Tuition fees are currently set at £9,000 per year for UK/EU undergraduates starting in 2012.
The tuition charge will be accompanied by a generous financial support package, underlining our continued commitment to widening access for those students who come from low income households.
Overseas students
The fee for students classed as overseas for fees purposes is £14,440.
The University will assess your fee status. If you are unsure whether you are likely to be considered a home, EU or overseas student for fees purposes, the UKCISA website offers more information.
Professional Training Year Fees
Programmes marked with an asterisk (*) in the table above include a professional training year.
Currently fees of £1,050 (based on an inflation assumption of 2.5%) are charged for the Professional Training Year. Fees will not have to be paid up front for those students who decide to take up the Government’s loan for higher education fees. The Professional Training year is a key factor in the high employability rates achieved by students with Surrey degrees.
Our Degree
This programme will equip you with the skills, knowledge and understanding you need in order to become a successful manager or entrepreneur in this challenging and exciting field.
This degree is the starting point for your management career in the international hospitality and tourism industry. It draws on our extensive experience in specialised teaching and research within the discipline, and is based around specific industry studies and a core of business and management subjects.
Business management modules will enable you to develop an understanding of the key approaches and techniques that you will need to manage or run any international business. Specific hospitality and tourism modules such as Sustainable Tourism or Hotel Revenue Management will give you a detailed understanding of the specific features of the hospitality and tourism industries and the challenges you will face in the future.
Our approach links theory to hospitality and tourism practice, management courses and hands-on hospitality and tourism skills. In teaching we use a lot of business case studies, business simulations and industry visits. We are very proud of our industry links and there are regular opportunities to interact with senior industry figures, meaning you are always kept up to date with industry developments.
Programme content
Programme overview
The programme consists of compulsory and optional modules which you study to earn credits towards your final degree.
In year 1 all modules are compulsory. The modules will enable you to develop fundamental and international hospitality and tourism-specific management skills and knowledge. All managers in service industries need to be able to understand, analyse and improve the processes for which they are responsible. The hospitality-specific module, Understanding Service Delivery, provides you with a strong knowledge of the nature and purpose of the service concept and the ways in which processes and people deliver this. The tourism-specific module, Business of Tourism, examines the development, operation, structure, organisation and trends associated with individual sectors of the tourism industry, such as transport and visitor attractions. The module analyses and discusses each sector’s economic and operational characteristics and the ways in which they interact in the production of tourism products and services.
In year 2 you will study a combination of compulsory modules based on fundamental management topics such as Business Finance and Business Delivery Skills, and international hospitality and tourism-specific management topics such as Tourism Policy and Development, and Contemporary Issues in Hospitality Management. You will be able to choose from a wide selection of optional modules based on a variety of management topics including business, entrepreneurship, retail, and hospitality and tourism. Tourism Policy and Development examines the development, formulation and role of policies for tourism that can meet the needs of the stakeholders and establish planning goals and instruments. During the Sustainable Tourism module you will consider the way in which the tourism industry impacts on people and places, but also the way in which resource depletion, bio-diversity, climate change and ageing societies impact on the tourism industry.
In year 3 you will study a combination of compulsory modules based on fundamental management topics, such as Business Strategy, and hospitality and tourism-specific management topics, such as Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry and International Tourism Destinations. You will be able to choose four optional modules. The International Tourism Destinations module looks at the development of different destinations and considers a key element of this development, whether this is recovering from a crisis (in the case of Sri Lanka), taking advantage of a sports event (in the case of Australia) or using tourism to assist those in poverty (in the case of Kenya).
Programme structure
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
Compulsory modules:
- Business Communication Skills
- Business of Tourism
- The Hospitality Business
- Business Environment
- Business Information Skills
- Understanding Service Delivery
- Marketing Principles
- Introduction to Accounting
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
Compulsory modules:
- Tourism Policy and Development
- Contemporary Issues in Hospitality Management
- Business Finance
- Business Delivery Skills
- Sustainable Tourism
- Managing Organisations and Human Resources
Two optional modules
Professional Training year
- Optional Professional Training placement year
Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)
Compulsory modules:
- Business Strategy
- International Tourism Destinations
- Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry
- Strategic Analysis of Hospitality Companies
Four optional modules
Optional modules
Optional modules in years 2 and 3 include:
- Aspects of Food
- Hospitality and Tourism Marketing
- Travel and Transport
- Hospitality Events Management
- Consumer Behaviour
- Tourism Theory in Practice
- Operations Analysis
- Small Businesses in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
- Hotel Revenue Management
- International Hospitality Operations Management
- Tourism Innovation
- Ethics, Responsibility and Citizenship
- Innovation and New Product Development
- Tourist Behaviour
- Issues in International Events Management
- Marketing Strategy
- Project Management
Professional training
If you want to put your developing knowledge and abilities into practice and work for some of the world’s most prestigious hospitality and tourism companies, such as The Ritz Hotel, Radisson Edwardian Hotels, JD Wetherspoon, Le Meridien, Intercontinental Hotels Group and the Fairmont Group, the optional Professional Training placement year provides a valuable opportunity to spend a year in salaried employment.
Placements can take place in the UK, across Europe or further afield, such as New Zealand or Florida. We have many years’ experience of helping students secure fulfilling placements and we have developed partnerships with a range of excellent companies across numerous sectors, from hospitality and tourism to retail and finance. Last year, for the first time, we had a student working at Buckingham Palace.
The placement year is an integral part of the academic programme and each student has an academic supervisor who maintains regular contact with the student. You will gain valuable experience working with people in a professional business environment and increase your confidence. In addition, potential employers are attracted to graduates who have undertaken a year’s professional training because of the relevant experience they have gained.
Career opportunities
Graduate prospects
Graduates over the last few years entered roles in companies such as:
- Four Seasons
- Ramada Jarvis
- HSBC
- Caledonian Club
- Abercrombie and Fitch
Career opportunities
Graduates of our degree have proven to be highly employable across a range of organisations, not just within hospitality and tourism.
Some of our graduates choose to go into operational management roles, running hotels, holiday companies and resorts around the world. Others specialise in marketing, human resources, IT and other head-office positions in large hospitality and tourism-based corporations. Many find excellent career opportunities in hospitality and tourism consultancy businesses.
Additional information
Teaching
Each 15-credit module is designed to involve 150 hours of student work. This is time spent in lectures, laboratories and tutorials, and includes private study on your own or in small study groups. You will also write essays and assignments drawing on your understanding of a subject.
Our staff members are innovative in delivering engaging learning sessions that bring together theory and practice for your intellectual and professional development.
Why Surrey?
International Hospitality and Tourism Management degree 2013 at Surrey
- Our hospitality and tourism programmes are ranked number 1 in the UK by every major league table
- We have over 40 years’ experience in hospitality and tourism education and research
- We organise regular visits from senior level alumni now working in tourism and hospitality companies
- We offer international student exchange opportunities with many global locations
- We offer invaluable professional placements with leading UK, European and international companies
- We are the only school in the world to hold simultaneous accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
- Vital language teaching (French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian) is included in our programmes via the Global Graduate Award scheme
- Our beautiful campus is a vibrant and multicultural environment in which to study International Hospitality and Tourism Management
You get to work with people from all over the world and have the opportunity to study at an overseas university, which meant I was able to live in Thailand for a semester.
Svenja Suchanek
BSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management
I chose the University of Surrey because of its long experience in tourism and hospitality research and education. You get to work with people from all over the world and have the opportunity to study at an overseas university, which meant I was able to live in Thailand for a semester.
My lecturers are from around the world and have not only academic prestige but also working experience from within the hospitality and tourism industries. They are very enthusiastic about their subjects. Furthermore they give a lot of feedback; the assigned tutor always offers good advice and assistance.
I was also very keen to take a degree that offered a professional placement year, as I thought it would be a great opportunity to put my learning into practice in real organisations.
During my placement, I worked alongside the manager of each department in my company to maximise my learning and to better my understanding of the different business activities. This gave me the opportunity to enhance my CV and give myself a real competitive edge. Although being part of a placement scheme has the obvious advantage of gaining work experience, I also see it as being about personal development and academic advancement.
I think being able to study in the UK, particularly at the University of Surrey, will really help me achieve my ambition of working in international tourism and realise my dreams of being able to work and travel around the world.
My course was fun and, at the same time, challenging. I enjoyed my modules and they were truly interesting.
Linda Sergel
BSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management
I applied to Surrey after recommendations from several of my previous colleagues who had gone to the University. I heard that the quality of teaching was superb; educational, challenging but fun.
The campus is safe to walk around and most things you might need, like a convenience store or bookshop, are all on campus. The social part was also very important to me. There’s always something going on and everyone is genuinely friendly. Everything is close and if you need help with anything, all staff here are very quick to help and are always smiling!
My course was fun and, at the same time, challenging. I enjoyed my modules and they were truly interesting. My lecturers were very knowledgeable; you could tell they were very dedicated to their subject, which made it more fun to study when you knew they actually cared.
I learnt a lot at Surrey, especially when it comes to knowledge that can be applied to your work environment. I had four years of previous work experience before I started and I thought I knew it all, but now when I go into a workplace I see things in a different way, and possible changes and improvements are so much clearer and more obvious. I am more confident and have a better insight into how a manager should think.