INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT

BA (Hons) / FdA

Accredited by the University of Warwick

Choose Award
Duration

3 years FT (4 years with placement)

UCAS Code

N920

Placement

48-week placement (optional)

Entry

September, February

Fees

View Fees

Department of Hospitality and Tourism
Choose Award
Duration

2 years FT (3 years with placement)

UCAS Code

N921

Placement

48-week placement (optional)

Entry

September, February

Fees

View Fees

Department of Hospitality and Tourism
Discover more at our next open day

Saturday 09 November 2024

Join an open day

Take an optional placement with opportunities available around the world

Global reputation within the industry for hospitality-related degrees

Do you dream of managing tourist attractions, hotels and resorts, or want to work in events management? Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality, our International Hospitality and Tourism Management degree will set you on course to enter a variety of sought-after careers in these dynamic sectors.

With the hospitality, tourism and events industries increasingly focusing on international visitors and technological developments, there is huge demand for managers who understand these sectors and how to tailor services for global visitors. Our hospitality and tourism course will give you a strong foundation of knowledge and skills across these areas. As you progress, you will be able to start forging your career in your preferred sector by studying an extensive range of specialist subjects, covering everything from gastronomy or bar management to strategic management or creating event experiences.

To help you put your learning into practice in the real world, you will have the chance to spend a year on a paid work placement, with exciting opportunities in the UK and around the globe. Studying at a recognised Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) Centre of Excellence, you will also have further opportunities to network and liaise with industry, as well as the chance to hone your hospitality management skills right on campus in our award-winning restaurant facilities.

Why should I choose this course?

  • WORK PLACEMENT – Arm yourself with invaluable work experience on a 48-week paid placement – past students have worked in the UK, USA, Canada, Hong Kong and beyond
  • SPECIALISE YOUR STUDIES – Develop specialist knowledge through your own research project and a wide range of optional modules related to your chosen career pathway in hospitality, tourism or events management
  • INDUSTRY APPROVED – Gain professional recognition with a degree accredited by the Institute of Hospitality
  • NO EXAMS - If you are not keen on exams, this course is for you. Unlike many degrees in this field, you will have no written exams during or at the end of the course and will be assessed through practical assessments and coursework only
  • AWARD-WINNING UNIVERSITY – Study at the highest-ranking university in the region according to student choice (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023)

Our facilities

University College Birmingham is renowned for its outstanding food and hospitality training facilities. Our award-winning restaurant on campus provides the perfect environment for students on our hospitality courses to boost their skills across different service styles.

Course breakdown

Students on the FdA have the option of progressing onto the final year upon completion of the foundation degree.

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 2/3
  • Year 3/4

Core Modules

Hospitality Principles and Practice

It is essential that service providers understand the needs and wants of their customers. In order to be successful we need to identify who our customer is and what their characteristics are. This module will provide practical training in our award-winning restaurant and bar as well as examining the customer journey and developing trends.

Digital Hotel and Resort Management

Hotels and resorts are a very important, challenging and one of the largest sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry. This module aims to develop your understanding and skills for how to efficiently manage rooms operations through each stage of the guest journey. The module explores contemporary digital technologies to enhance guest experience and includes practical sessions where you will gain proficiency in one of the world’s leading property management systems.

International Organisational Management Skills

This module introduces you to the competencies required by managers in the international business environment, while developing your skills in critical areas of personal effectiveness and relationship management. Through the use of international case studies and contemporary management theory, you will reflect on organisational structures, individual and group behaviour, responsiveness in changing business situations and the influence global trends have on the increasing ‘connectedness’ of organisations and people in a cross-cultural environment.

Dynamic Tourism Environment

This module will examine the dynamic nature of the global tourism environment and the response strategies of tourism businesses. Critical themes include the changing nature of the tourism industry and consumers, safety and security, digital technology, the ability to travel ‘freely’ (or not) around the world and how businesses are striving to implement more effective sustainable tourism policies. This module will enhance your employability skills with a focus on data trend analyses, industry audits and the identification of critical challenges and best practice across the sector.

Work Placement

Work Placement (optional)

You will gain valuable work experience on a 48-week work placement. This is an exciting opportunity to put what you have learned into practice, broaden your experience and demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.

Core Modules

Revenue and Profitability Management

In this module, you will develop skills in the interpretation and analysis of financial and management data to positively influence profitability and cash flows. You will build your understanding of the critical aspects of delivering profitable hospitality and tourism businesses. You will also have the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of these principles in an innovative hospitality and tourism management simulation. The simulation will support learning, and you will critically evaluate the impact of your decisions on the creation of revenues, efficient use of costs controls, maximisation of profits and viability of cash flows.

Marketing and Social Media Management

The hospitality and tourism industry faces a huge challenge in terms of adapting and promoting services in an interconnected world. Marketing is essential for any business to remain competitive and successful, so you will examine the use of marketing tools. You will examine the tactics, strategies and ways that marketing managers use social media communications to secure business.

Resource and Talent Management

Within this ever-changing and dynamic business environment, now more than ever before, organisations must be able to assemble teams of people with the necessary skills, attitudes and behaviours to meet their business objectives. To this end, our managers will need to be actively involved in recruiting, engaging, developing and retaining the right talent. Taking an inclusive perspective, all employees have the potential to make a real contribution to the achievement of the business, and therefore talent management of all staff must be a key management focus.

Plus one option from:

Gastronomy and Sustainable Food Management

Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between culture and food. As a module developed for food lovers it will provide you with an appreciation of food within various cultures. Also, current trends and food issues such as sustainable practices and how they impact the industry today and into the future will be studied.

Dynamic Events and Experience Management

You will explore the dynamic nature of the events industry and experience economy, the importance of effective stakeholder management, policy-related issues, contemporary event trends and the overall role of events for tourism and destination development. Event impacts will be analysed and event typologies will also be reviewed. Based upon well-established models, you will gain a sound understanding of planning and designing event experiences within the contemporary environment, as well as the effective implementation and evaluation of event projects.

Managing Bars and the Night-time Economy

The bar sector and night-time economy offer some of the hospitality industry’s most dynamic and challenging operating environments. This module evaluates a range of both the more traditional aspects of bar-retailing, such as ensuring profitability through inspirational management while operating within the scope of current licensing regulations, and exciting opportunities now being presented by digital technologies in enhancing both the customer experience and operational efficiency.

Tourism Operations and Innovation

Providing a competitive visitor experience, while generating profits, is the ultimate performance goal for tourism operators. This becomes increasingly challenging in a very competitive and dynamic environment. Accordingly, tourism operators must seek innovative solutions to performance gaps to ensure long-term success. This module will examine the current practices of tourism operators in terms of revenue management, capacity management and offering an outstanding visitor experience. The above will develop essential professional and employability skills.

Core Modules

Independent Research Project

This module provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities in researching, planning and delivering an industry-related macro or micro-based project independently. You can either self-select your own topic or choose from a list of contemporary industry projects. This project focuses on cultivating the desired graduate attributes of professionalism, critical enquiry, problem solving, enterprise, creativity and innovation and in enhancing your professional profile to enrich and facilitate independent learning and development for graduate career opportunities.

Strategic Financial Management

In this module, you will build upon both practical and theoretical financial concepts developed through earlier modules. You will gain commercial awareness and understanding of strategic organisational finance and will learn how to synthesise and evaluate business performance and strategy.

Plus two options from:

Strategic Change Management

In an increasingly fast-paced and changing global environment, it is more important than ever that a business can navigate its way to a successful future. This module will evaluate different strategic change management tools in supporting businesses to seize new opportunities and treat risks/threats.

Business Process Improvement

This module provides you with the ability to identify how a process within the business can be improved. A process is a sequence of activities that takes an input and transforms it into an output. Activities consume time and other resources. One way to improve performance is to redesign processes so that they consume less time and resources.

Tourism Trends and Futures

This module will review tourism trends and strategic challenges facing destinations as they strive for sustainable competitive advantage and future-proofing their offer. Various macro forces continue to influence the strategic direction of destinations with new risks and opportunities arising. Destinations are implementing more inclusive and sustainable strategies to navigate their way through a more turbulent environment. But the question remains, can they successfully future-proof themselves? You will develop your professional skills and knowledge in destination management, trend/data analysis and strategic management of destinations.

Global Expansion Strategies

This module complements the international dimension of the programme and aims to promote the complexities and issues hospitality and tourism organisations face when attempting to enter overseas markets to seek growth globally. Hospitality and tourism organisations increasingly seek to operate outside of their own boundaries in diverse and less understood market environments. Management skills are required to successfully exploit new overseas market opportunities through the use of both traditional channels and new media opportunities to deliver integrated marketing strategies offered by the latest innovative technological developments.

The modules listed above for this course are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date and informed by industry as well as the latest teaching methods. On occasion, we may need to make unexpected changes to modules – if this occurs, we will contact all offer holders as soon as possible.

Entry requirements

International Hospitality and Tourism Management BA (Hons)

A-levels: An A-level grade profile of CDD.

T-levels: A T-level graded Pass with a core component of grade C.

BTEC: A BTEC grade profile of MMP. This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.

Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 80 UCAS Tariff points will be required.

Access to Higher Education Diploma: 80 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction.

International Hospitality and Tourism Management FdA

A-levels: An A-level grade profile of DD.

T-levels: A T-level graded Pass with a core component profile less than C.

BTEC: A BTEC grade profile of PP. This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.

Apprenticeship: Achieve an advanced apprenticeship (Level 3).

Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points will be required.

Access to Higher Education Diploma: 32 UCAS Tariff points.

Non-tariff: Non-UCAS Tariff-based Level 3 qualifications are also considered for entry. Please complete our enquiry form here to check your eligibility.

Work-based: We also give equal consideration to applicants who are currently in work and wish to apply to University College Birmingham. To apply, you must have a minimum of 3 years’ relevant work experience, demonstrating management or supervisory duties. Your application must also include a reference from your line manager supporting your entry to higher education. For further details, please contact Admissions.

International students

For academic and English entry requirements for EU and international students, please visit the Country Specific Information page.

Please note: As an International Student, when choosing optional placement, a visa extension may be required.

Key information

Teaching and assessment

Note: Indicative information only – actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued at your induction.

Teaching

Example of a typical teaching week (up to 19 contact hours):

  • Large group teaching – 4 hours
  • Smaller group teaching – 5 hours
  • Practical classes (Year 1) – 6 hours
  • Tutorials – 2 hours
  • Industrial placement tutorial – 1 hour
  • Field trips and visits

You will also need to commit around 20 hours per week for individual study time.

Assessment

Estimated breakdown of assessment for this degree course:

  • Coursework – 65%
  • Practical assessment – 35%

Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024.

Tuition fees

Home students

If you are a home student enrolling on a bachelor's or foundation degree course at University College Birmingham, the 2024/2025 or 2025/2026 academic year tuition fee for full-time study will be £9,250. For part-time study, the fee will be £4,625.

View tuition fees for home students


International students

If you are an international student (or have been fee assessed as an international fee payer) and are enrolling on a full-time bachelor's degree course in 2024/2025, the fee for the academic year will be £14,000. In 2025/26, the tuition fee for the academic year will be £19,750 [Band 3] per year. If you complete a placement year, there will be an administration fee of £500 for a full year or £250 for a half-year placement.

View fees for international students

Uniform and kit costs

This course requires a uniform and kit costing approximately £250-300, depending on the items you purchase. (Prices are subject to change each year – exact costs and information on how to order required items will be provided to you prior to enrolment).

Kick-Start Scheme

As a new student studying this course full-time, you will receive £300 per year through our Kick-Start Scheme (UK students only, eligibility criteria applies). This scheme will support your studies and future career by contributing to course-related materials, uniform or selected items on campus. You may also qualify for an additional £500 per year.

Find out more about the Kick-Start Scheme here.

Unibuddy Community - meet other students on your course

Starting university is an exciting time, but we understand that it can sometimes feel a little daunting. To support you, you will be invited to join our Unibuddy Community, where you can meet other students who have applied for the same course at University College Birmingham, before you start studying here.

As soon as you have been made an offer, you will be sent an invitation email to complete your registration and join the Unibuddy Community. For more information, check out our Unibuddy Community page.

Latest updates

Join the conversation and check out the latest updates from our Department of Hospitality and Tourism.



UCB Hospitality
UCB Tourism

 

Percentage
70%

of graduate employers say relevant experience is essential to getting a job with them

Work placements

Work placements are vital for gaining real-life experience and for building your confidence and skills before you finish your course – and they may even lead to a job when you graduate. Our Hired team can help find the ideal placement for you.

Our FdA and BA International Hospitality and Tourism Management courses both feature an optional 48-week paid work placement, during which you will not incur any tuition fees.

Work alongside experts in your sector

A snapshot of some of the employers we have worked with:

  • Wequassett (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)
  • The Savoy (London)
  • The Peninsula (Hong Kong)
  • The Sea Pines Resort (South Carolina)
  • Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa (South Carolina)
  • Ritz Carlton (Naples, Florida and Colorado)
  • Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa (Ireland)
  • Ashford Castle (Ireland)
  • The Greenwich Country Club (Connecticut)
  • Andrew Brownsword Hotels (whole collection)
  • Fairmont St Andrews (Scotland)

University College Birmingham has a great reputation and offered a course with a work placement option, which enables students to get lots of experience. Not only did my placement help with my development, both personally and professionally, but it also helped me decide that I wanted to work in hospitality.

Hannah Carsted Hospitality and Tourism Management BA (Hons) [now International Hospitality and Tourism Management]

Career opportunities

The example roles and salaries below are intended as a guide only.

Conference centre manager

Average Salary: £36,000

Theme park manager

Average Salary: £31,000

Event manager

Average Salary: £33,000

Marketing executive (graduate)

Average Salary: £37,500

Tourist information centre manager

Average Salary: £30,000

Hotel manager (small hotel or deputy of larger hotel)

£27,500 - £31,000

Want to take your studies to the next level? Completing the BA (Hons) degree will enable you to move onto our postgraduate courses such as Hospitality with Tourism Management MSc/PGDip (Pathway A), International Hospitality Management MSc/PGDip or International Tourism Management MSc/PGDip.

Hired

We are here to support your career goals every step of the way. 

 

Find out more

Andrea’s Story

Andrea is making her mark and is now a senior supervisor with the leading hotel chain she did her course placement with.

Read Story

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