International Hospitality Management BSc (Hons) – 2019 entry

Why choose this course

Surrey is one of the UK’s top universities for hospitality, events, tourism and transport, ranked number one in the UK by both the Guardian University Guide 2018 and the Complete University Guide 2018, and top 10 in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. We are also ranked 4th for hospitality and leisure management in the QS World University Rankings 2018.

The perfect foundation for senior managerial roles in this dynamic, thriving sector, our renowned BSc International Hospitality Management course is one of the most prestigious qualifications in hospitality management and will open up a variety of exciting career opportunities for you, both in the UK and overseas.

What you will study

Drawing on extensive experience of teaching, researching and working in hospitality management, this course combines specific industry-focused modules, a core foundation in business and management and, with our Professional Training placement programme, hands-on experience in real hospitality organisations.

Establishments run on campus by the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management will give you the opportunity to learn how to plan, organise, evaluate and manage successful hospitality businesses, including the School's Lakeside restaurant, private dining room and coffee shop.

This combination of academic theory, up-to-date industry knowledge and practical experience will kick-start your hospitality management career, allowing you to leave us as a professional ready to make an immediate impact in the field.

Professional Training placements

As part of this course you have the option to complete a Professional Training placement. These will give you the opportunity to develop your professional, academic and personal potential, equipping you to be adaptable, resilient, globally minded, confident, entrepreneurial and digitally savvy in the workplace. These qualities are widely recognised by employers and a significant proportion of placement students at Surrey are offered graduate-level jobs or go onto postgraduate study.

Find out more about Professional Training placements and discover how these have transformed our students’ lives and career choices.

International Hospitality Management placements

The Professional Training placement is an integral part of our courses. Our prestigious placement partner organisations will provide opportunities for you to gain valuable experience in a professional working environment, increasing your confidence, skills and employability when you graduate.

Our placement partner organisations include:

• Hilton Paris la Défense
• Langham Hotel
• Four Seasons Hotel
• Hilton Worldwide
• TUI UK & Ireland
• The Club at Admirals Cove, Florida
• Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Golden Bay.

Applying for placements

Professional Training placements are usually applied for and secured via an open and free-to-all process, within which students can select and apply for numerous opportunities. Placement providers use their own recruitment and selection procedures and the majority of students will secure their placement in this way. However, support is also provided to students wishing to source their own placement, subject to university requirements being met.

Students are generally not placed by the University, however they are given thorough support and guidance alongside access to a vacancy portal representing thousands of placement opportunities each year. Please be aware there may be travel costs incurred when attending interviews and assessment centres at the placement provider’s premises.

Professional recognition

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Careers and graduate prospects

We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.

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.

Recent BSc International Hospitality Management graduates have entered employment in roles such as:

• Graduate Management Trainee, Hilton Worldwide
• Management Trainee, Grosvenor House JW Marriott Hotel
• Front Desk Management Trainee, Hilton Hotels
• Vita Futura Graduate Management Programme, Marriott International
• Graduate Trainee, Lexington Catering
• Manager in Training, Four Seasons
• Conference and Banqueting Assistant, South Lodge Hotel.

Study and work abroad

We give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities or by completing a Professional Training placement abroad. In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV. Visit our global exchanges pages to check where you can go.

We encourage you to add an international experience to your degree by studying overseas for one semester during your second year (typically the autumn semester).

Our international partners include:

• La Trobe University
• University of Queensland
• MODUL University Vienna
• Ryerson University
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Victoria University of Wellington
• Nanyang Technological University
• University of Central Florida.

Our partners complement our commitment to excellence in teaching and research and enable students to enhance their international outlook. If you choose to study at one of our European partners, you may be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant.

This is an excellent opportunity not only to acquire valuable work experience but also to improve or learn another language.