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.
Hospitality is a dynamic and growing industry that covers a wide range of career opportunities, both at home and overseas. Our International Hospitality Management degree is your starting point for a career in hospitality management.
Your studies will draw on our extensive experience in the teaching and research of hospitality management. The programme is based around specific industry studies, a core of business and management subjects and hands-on experience in real hospitality organisations. It is this combination of academic theory, cutting-edge knowledge and practical experience that will give you a head start in your career.
This degree provides an excellent basis for a career managing hotels, restaurants, events companies and cruise ships, or working for consultancy companies. It can also provide a gateway into other areas such as estate management and corporate entertaining, where hospitality is an essential activity.
To ensure that the programme always reflects the current state of the hospitality industry, we make extensive use of case studies, simulations, site visits and the latest industry data. Our own Lakeside teaching restaurant provides you with the opportunity to learn how to manage a real restaurant, and to develop the skills necessary to plan, organise and evaluate a successful food and beverage establishment.
Our degree is one of the most prestigious qualifications in hospitality management and our alumni now occupy some of the most senior positions in the industry. We have graduates throughout the world who are always pleased to come back to Surrey to speak to students, to offer placement and internship opportunities, to mentor and to recruit.
The programme consists of compulsory and optional modules which you study to earn credits towards your final degree.
In Year 1, you will be given an introduction to the diverse nature of the hospitality industry and the wide range of products and services that the industry encompasses. This will include an overview of the characteristics that differentiate each sector of the industry, its variety of markets, the needs of its customers and an understanding of staffing dimensions required to meet these.
Modules in Restaurant Management and Restaurant Operations are based in the Lakeside Restaurant and ensure that you develop the attitudes and abilities necessary to thrive in a restaurant environment.
Compulsory modules:
In Year 2, this practical theme is available again as an optional module, Hospitality Events Management, where students working in groups conceive, plan and execute an event, with all profits going to a charity of their choice. This has proved a very popular and successful module that develops a wide range of skills and provides an insight into an exciting career in event management.
The Contemporary Issues in Hospitality Management module examines the key trends and developments in, and benefits from our close connections with, the hospitality industry.
Compulsory modules:
Two optional modules
Our Professional Training placement year provides you with a unique opportunity to put your developing knowledge and abilities into practice and work in salaried employment 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.
In Year 3, you have more choice available through your optional modules as you decide what areas of the industry you want to concentrate on. You will have core modules in Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry and Strategic Analysis of Hospitality Companies. In addition, you can choose to take modules in Entrepreneurship or Information Systems amongst many others, according to your interests.
Compulsory modules:
Four optional modules
Optional modules in Years 2 and 3 include:
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.
Placements can take place in the UK, across Europe or further afield, such as New Zealand or the USA. 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.
Each 15-credit module is designed to involve 150 hours of work, including lectures, laboratories, tutorials and individual study time. Students enjoy the practical application of running our Lakeside Restaurant, which is open to the public. You will be part of a team, devising menus, preparing advertising and managing finances, alongside cooking and serving food.
Our staff members are innovative in delivering engaging learning sessions that bring together theory and practice for your intellectual and professional development.
Our graduates have proven to be highly employable across a wide range of industries, not just within hospitality. Their specialist skills make them ideal for service sector companies’ fast-track graduate recruitment schemes. Customer-oriented skills make them attractive to any service-based industry.
Some graduates choose to go into operational management roles, running hotels and restaurants around the world. Others specialise in marketing, human resources, IT and other head-office positions in large hospitality-based corporations. Some set up their own successful hospitality 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 | N220 | View KIS data set | |
| BSc (Hons) | 4 years | N220 | 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
