People from industry, respected CEOs, directors and managers have joined the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management to share their unique experiences and views alongside the best academics.
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 per cent of global GDP. This includes activities such as hotels, airlines, tour operators, resort development, casinos, cruise ships, contract and event catering and visitor attractions.
This degree programme is the starting point for your management career in the international hospitality and tourism industry. It has been designed to meet the needs of a dynamic international industry, equipping you with practical and relevant skills.
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.
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.
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 that you will face in the future.
Therefore, this programme will give you an in-depth knowledge of the hospitality and tourism industry and also a range of generic and transferable skills. You will be taught by an outstanding international faculty who create an educational environment that encourages you to grow both personally and as a future industry professional.
Our approach links theory to hospitality and tourism practice, management courses and hands-on hospitality and tourism skills. You will develop skills and awareness of the role of the various management functions. In teaching, we use 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 that you are always kept up to date with industry developments. Also, by developing close links with industry professionals, we significantly improve the employability of our students.
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.
Compulsory modules:
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.
Compulsory modules:
Two optional modules
The Professional Training placement year is an integral part of the programme, and an academic supervisor will maintain regular contact with you while you are out on placement. You will gain valuable experience in a professional business environment, increasing your confidence and making yourself more employable. Placements can take place in the UK, across Europe or further afield, such as New Zealand or Florida.
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).
Compulsory modules:
Four optional modules
Optional modules in Years 2 and 3 include:
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. You will gain valuable experience of 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.
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.
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.
Graduates over the last few years entered roles in companies such as:
Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
Offers are normally made in terms of grades. Suitable candidates will be invited to an Applicant Day. During the visit to the University the candidate can find out more about the programme and meet staff and students.
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill (or equivalent).
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
| Award | Course Length | Professional Training | UCAS code | KIS code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Hons) | 3 years | N230 | View KIS data set | |
| BSc (Hons) | 4 years | N230 | View KIS data set |
We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.
See course information for students applying to start in September 2013.
Phone: +44 (0)1483 681 681
