BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management

Highly skilled hospitality managers are in demand across the world right now. Our BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management will help you seize all the opportunities on offer in this exciting and fast-moving industry.

• Choose to complete your degree in three years or take a placement year in industry between your second and final years.
• Prepare for a career at the highest levels of hospitality, a sector which offers rapid career progression.
• Study at the Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, ideally located on the edge of the Peak District National Park.
• You’ll benefit from regular opportunities to work on real-life projects in our inspirational Grade II* listed Devonshire Dome which has a fine dining restaurant and bistro, state-of-the-art training kitchen and is a major hospitality venue in its own right.
• Draw on our links with some of the leading names in hospitality – such as Claridge’s, Marriott and Gleneagles – for placement opportunities, practical consultancy projects and networking.
• Boost your professional credibility on a course accredited by the Institute of Hospitality.
• Become a member of HOSCO, the world’s leading hospitality careers network for students and graduates.
• January start is available for Stage 3 entry only.

Our hospitality, events and tourism courses have been ranked in the Top 10 in The Guardian University Guide 2019.

Serving up excellence

With its powerful mix of real-world learning, industry insights, theoretical understanding, academic rigour and a truly international curriculum, our BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management gives you a competitive edge.

As the role of the hospitality manager becomes ever more complex and demanding, we cover all the crucial topics to help you hit the ground running in your career. You will gain skills in leadership, finance, IT and human resources to go with your in-depth knowledge of hospitality operations.

Our course captures the major trends which are transforming the industry today – from a greater emphasis on sustainability to technological advances, from changing customer expectations to new concepts of luxury.

We have an international reputation for excellence. It is little surprise that world-leading hospitality educators like the Swiss Hotel Management School have adopted our degrees.

Study in a real-life hospitality venue

Our hospitality students are thrilled to study at our Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, which offers some of the UK’s best university facilities. You will hone your skills by training and working in the spectacular grade II* listed Devonshire Dome, a lively events venue with catering facilities for up to 900 people.

The campus features a highly rated fine dining restaurant; a popular cafe; seven state-of-the-art training kitchens; and an award-winning commercial spa. We ensure you are fully equipped for your studies in this ideal setting: at the outset of the course, all new students receive a full set of kitchen whites, knives and safety shoes, plus a complete front-of-house uniform.

With its abundance of visitor and cultural attractions, Buxton has much to offer aspiring hospitality professionals. This elegant spa town on the edge of the Peak District National Park boasts not only a fascinating heritage but also a bright future, with new initiatives such as the restoration of the town’s historic Crescent as the area’s first five-star thermal spa and wellness hotel.

Employer partnerships to inspire you

You will engage with leading employers at every stage of the BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management. Our strong industry partnerships put you in prime position to secure internship and placement opportunities during your studies and full-time jobs when you graduate.

Our networks include Marriott Hotels, Gleneagles Hotel, The Lancaster London, Red Carnation Hotels, Compass Group, Loews Hotels and Resorts in Florida, GlenArbor Country Club in New York, Jurys Inn, Zuma Restaurants and smaller businesses located in and around the Peak District.

Prominent industry figures have significant input into the course, ensuring what you learn in the classroom mirrors the world of work.

Enviable placement opportunities

Nothing adds more kudos to your CV than work-related experience with hospitality employers. Placements and summer internships offer a high-quality practical experience where you can advance your skills in customer handling, problem-solving, team working, communication, leadership and management.

Our students have boosted their employability with the likes of Claridge’s, Skibo Castle, the Mandarin Hotel Group and Michelin-starred restaurants. Underlining the industry’s global reach, there are increasing opportunities for overseas placements too, including with Disney and Loews Hotels in America.

If you are taking the four-year course, a formal industry placement lasting nine to 12 months is compulsory between your second and final year. You normally work as a paid employee. While placements are not compulsory on the three-year course, we support you to gain invaluable experience during your summer vacation, either in paid or voluntary roles.

Unrivalled practical experience

No day is the same on this course. Your learning will be varied, vibrant and meaningful, with plenty of hands-on projects grounded in industry practice.

Our students have delivered successful events at the Dome, including parties for 700 staff from Chatsworth and our own graduation ceremonies. They have also run corporate events in locations like London’s National History Museum.

Build your global perspectives

We encourage you to take full advantage of our Go Places, Go Further scheme where you can spend part of your course studying abroad. Our thriving international partnerships, such as with Stenden University in the Netherlands, allow you to explore hospitality management from different cultural viewpoints. In the past, our students have been as far afield as Germany, Holland, Cyprus and South Korea.

Field trips near and far

Field trips are another important way of broadening your outlook. We regularly visit local hotels, restaurants, conference centres and other venues to see their behind-the-scenes operations at first hand.

A UK-based residential trip is covered by your course fees in both the first and second year of your studies. Our students have headed to London and Scotland to visit luxury hotels, spa and golf resorts. They have also attended premier events such as the Food Show in Birmingham.

Reach high professional standards

Our BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management is mapped against the latest occupational standards for the industry. It is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality, which means your learning is up to date and relevant. You will have access to the Institute’s Educational Membership Scheme.

When you join us, you will also automatically become a member of HOSCO, with access to around 30,000 graduate roles, internships and work experience opportunities from over 1,500 employers.

What you will study

To complete the BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management, you’ll study modules such as:

Stage one

• Marketing and Communication
• Hospitality Concepts
• Rooms Division Operations
• Introduction to Higher Education and Professional Development for Hospitality Managers
• Hospitality Operations
• Finance and Control in Hospitality Operations

Stage two

• Research Skills
• Business Development and Entrepreneurship
• Management and Leadership
• Hotel Revenue Management
• Supervising the Guest Experience
• Planning and Leading Hospitality Event Operations

Placement year

• If you are taking a four-year degree, you will complete your compulsory placement between stages two and three. You can choose to study an additional qualification – the Diploma in Professional Practice – to add an extra dimension to your CV.

Industry Placement Year (optional)

• If taking the four-year degree, you will complete your compulsory placement in your third year, between stages two and three.
• Giving you the opportunity to enhance your practical skills by putting theory into practice, network in the industry and stand-out in the graduate job market.

Stage three

• Independent Study (double module)
• Consumer Behaviour
• Strategic Management
• Managing the Guest Experience
• International Resort Management
• Event Tourism

How you will learn

The BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management equips you with a solid foundation of applied managerial skills in the context of this fast-moving industry.

You will deepen your subject knowledge through formal lectures, seminars, workshops, guided study, applied practice sessions, practical demonstrations and videos, small group exercises, and case study discussions.

Work-related learning

Your practical professional development will take place in a variety of hospitality operations at the University and beyond. This will encompass guest service to commercial standards, technical skills development, sales skills, health and safety, food safety, business processes, financial targets and budgeting, HRM practices, staff training, and maintenance and management of hospitality facilities.

Other work-related learning experiences on the course will include guest lectures, conferences, industry days, networking events, competitions, challenges and employer-led industry projects.

The industrial placement which forms part of the four-year course is structured, relevant and designed to improve your academic performance as well as boosting your employability. Our dedicated and well-connected placement team will help you find just the right position to match your career aspirations and professional interests.

Research-based enquiry

You will engage with industry, the local community and teaching staff to produce valuable findings for the benefit of the sector. Examples include a consultancy project with Derby Theatre to help it extend its food and beverage offer and an initiative with Warner Hotels focused on online HR systems.

In your final year, you will plan, design, deliver and communicate a sustained independent study on a theme of your choice.

A vibrant and supportive community

Based in the iconic setting of the Devonshire Dome, you will discover an exhilarating and dynamic learning environment. Because we also specialise in culinary arts, events management, spa management and tourism management, there are countless opportunities for you to see the way the different professions dovetail with one another.

You will study alongside students and teaching staff from across the world in a supportive and sociable community where you will build your confidence as you decide on your career direction. Final-year students often mentor our new students, sharing their experiences.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed in a number of ways including:

• Individual written assignments: essays and reports
• Practical assessments
• Group or individual oral presentations
• Posters
• Industry case studies
• Examinations
• A sustained piece of independent study

Entry requirements

September 2020 typical entry requirements

Careers

As a BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management graduate, you will stand out as a versatile, confident and forward-looking professional. Throughout the course, we introduce you to the many different strands of this hugely varied industry, helping you to explore career opportunities you might never have considered before.

The unique real-world learning we deliver means that you will be highly employable, ready to drive the future of the industry. You could progress to roles such as food and beverage or event supervisor, front office or housekeeping supervisor, assistant restaurant manager, graduate trainee hotel manager, sales executive, licensed retail manager or contract catering specialist.

Major hospitality employers regularly look to our students when recruiting to prestigious graduate training programmes. Often our students have secured jobs before they even graduate from the course.

Our graduates are now succeeding in management roles in settings such as international hotel chains, five-star luxury resorts, consultancy firms and the retail industry. Some have drawn on the entrepreneurial skills they gained during their studies to launch their own hospitality enterprises, including a gastropub and craft brewery, an off-site catering venture and a celebration cake making business.