MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management with Extended Professional Practice

Why choose Herts?

Industry accreditations: The University is a member of the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), and the Association for Event Management Education (AEME)pl.
Employment prospects: Graduates work as hotel customer relations managers, travel agents, and airline staff for organisations including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Expedia Group, and TUI.
Real world experience: Gain real world experience by taking on a 30-week minimum work placement.

In addition, all students for whom English is not their first language must produce evidence of their English Language proficiency. The standard required is an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each band), or an equivalent score on a test recognised by the University of Hertfordshire.

This requirement will be waived if the student has completed an undergraduate degree at a university in the United Kingdom, or another.

All students from non-majority English-speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency. The following qualifications and grades will be considered:

GCSE English language grade A-C
IELTS 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any band)

Other English language tests are accepted. Please contact the International Office for details.


Institution code	H36
School of study	Hertfordshire Business School
Course length	Sandwich, 2 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability

Careers

We are preparing graduates for successful careers in the hospitality, recreation, or tourism industries or in an associated government agency with an international, national, or local focus. Graduates from the programme are employed by international hotel chains (Four Seasons Hotel, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, The Ritz Carlton, Starwood Hotel Group) in China, India Macau, Thailand, and Great Britain, as well as working for independent hotels and Event Management companies in Great Britain. Other careers pursued by our Graduates include Recruitment Agents, Lecturers, and entrepreneurs (travel companies, import and export trading companies).

What job can I get?

Graduates will be prepared to follow a career in events planning, hospitality, and tourism management as well as marketing, often working for event management organisations, large travel companies, hospitality businesses and airlines. Graduates will be equipped for this type of job thanks to the analytical skills and required industry and managerial knowledge that they will have acquired through their studies with us. These will support in decision-making, essential when working as managers of the tourism, hospitality, and event industries.

Work placement

The programme incorporates a one-year work placement, with a minimum of 30 weeks of full-time work experience. Students must normally achieve a Semester A grade average of 60% to proceed to the placement.   For students with visa restrictions, the placement would need to take place within the UK.  Students will typically need to secure a placement by the end of April in their first academic year of study, to process the necessary paperwork required.

Professional Accreditations

The University is a member of the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and the Association for Event Management Education (AEME).

About the course

MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management with Extended Professional Practice has been designed to provide you with the enhanced skills and knowledge which are necessary to support key decision-making within the international tourism, hospitality, and event industries. The programme is underpinned by a strong theoretical base across several contexts relevant to tourism, hospitality and event management in contemporary international environments. A distinctive feature of this program is that it offers you opportunities to interact with current industry practitioners and therefore enables a hands-on approach.

The programme requires you to complete a minimum of 30 weeks of full-time work placement. This is a very valuable experience which allows you to familiarise yourself with the day-to-day activities of Tourism, Hospitality and Event businesses, and to use your initiative in dealing with issues of the work environment.

Why choose this course?

Our Postgraduate studies are sector-leading amongst over 100 Higher Education Institutions in the UK as evidenced by our extraordinary achievement:

1st out of 85 universities for business and management in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023).
1st for Skills Development, 2nd for Support, Resources, Community and Assessment (Advance HE, 2023)
The course offers comprehensive knowledge of the Tourism, Hospitality and Event industries. 
It is delivered by a very successful and internationally renowned team of experts, both in terms of their managerial experience and academic knowledge.  
It offers a balance of practical input and academic knowledge to support graduates' future careers within these industries. 
It provides opportunities to interact with current industry practitioners.
It presents flexibility to study full-time, and part-time and it offers the possibility to undertake a work placement. 
Excellent academic and personal support and guidance from our very experienced Careers and Placements Service.

What will I study?

We offer a varied programme of teaching that includes facilitated seminars, practical workshops, projects for companies, web-based learning, case study analysis and traditional lectures. We also provide sessions by visiting staff, practitioners, and consultants to give a varied perspective on the topics covered. You will be assessed through various coursework including presentations, reports, and projects. You will also be required to complete a Management Research Report and will be supported by a Management Research Report supervisor.

Level 7

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Research Methods for Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module explores key tourism, hospitality and event management theory through an examination of research in practice. Students will critically analyse the research design of authors in the field as they learn the benefits and drawbacks of various primary and secondary research philosophies and methods. As an integral component of the dissertation, this module expects students to undertake effective research drawing upon a range of secondary data sources in preparation of coursework. As well as delivering an underpinning framework for the study of tourism, hospitality and event management, this module is geared towards successful preparation and completion of high quality, rigorous and systematic social and/or management research required for a dissertation and is relevant to the successful completion of coursework.
Preparation for the Workplace	0 Credits	Compulsory
The module is designed to support postgraduate students in their search for work placements and their applications. Students are given an overview of the employment market, and information on what employers will be looking for when selecting. During their study, students will analyse current recruitment and selection methods used, and the module provides students with support to prepare for these.
Work Placement Portfolio	0 Credits	Compulsory
Undertaking a sandwich placement provides students with the opportunity to set their academic studies in a broader context. It also provides an opportunity to gain practical experience of the professional workplace, and to strengthen key employability skills. The Work Placement Portfolio module requires students to reflect on the learning gained throughout their placement, both in relation to their personal development, and their learning from their programme of study.
Crisis, Risk and Recovery for Tourism, Hospitality and Events	15 Credits	Compulsory
The literature surrounding crisis and risk management is diverse and varies from theoretical to more practical knowledge. Some of the key areas of study on this module will be specific to the sector (Tourism, Hospitality or Events Industries) or will be more generalizable across sectors. The indicative module content will be taken from the following areas of study; major incident management, disaster management, Risk identification, mitigation, and management, Concepts and Theories of Tourism Crisis and Disaster Management, Concepts and Theories of International Disaster Management: The Five Realms, Crowd safety at major events, Evacuation – types, techniques, and causes, Non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO's), Casualty handling and victim identification, Managing tourism operations during and after a disaster, CONOPS – Concept of Operation – National – Local government, Understanding Vulnerability from Geological and Meteorological Hazards, Hospitality / Hotel resilience to disasters, Air accidents, Sea – Maritime emergencies – The cruise industry, Rail accidents, Disaster Management and the Media, Destination Resilience, and finally future of disaster planning and management.
Management Research Report	60 Credits	Compulsory
The Management Research Report is an independent piece of work incorporating research, study and evaluation. It is the culmination of a successful Masters programme. It is underpinned by a taught module on research methods, by support material available online through the Centre for Academic Skills Enhancement (CASE), by introductory workshops, and by other taught modules on the programme. Each student is allocated a report supervisor. The Management Research Report may focus on any aspect of international business justified as relevant for research, and to the student's programme of study. It will adopt a similar structure to that of a dissertation, but with a more applied orientation relevant to business practice.
Professional Work Placement	60 Credits	Compulsory
Undertaking a placement year provides students with the opportunity to set their academic studies in a broader context, to gain practical experience of the workplace, and to strengthen key employability skills. The Professional Work Placement module provides opportunities for students to reflect on the learning gained throughout their placement, and to prepare themselves for articulating their experiences and enhanced skills when applying for future employment.
Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality and Events	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module will provide a critical understanding of the strategic applications of marketing and how this can be used to transform the business models of tourism, hospitality and event management firms. Indicative content includes market segmentation, targeting and positioning, The Marketing Mix, Integrated Marketing Communications, Customer Relationship Management, consumer behaviour and their link to digital marketing.
International Strategic Leadership in Tourism, Hospitality and Events	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module considers the theories, models, and practices for strategic leadership implementation, including the leadership of businesses and personnel in the tourism, hospitality, and event management industry. Indicative content on the business side will include focus on different partnerships and business models, such as mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurship, and small-medium sized enterprises. Indicative content on the personnel side will discuss different leadership style and its influence on other business aspects, such as promoting opportunities and developing organisational culture. Discussions around sustainable management practices and respecting diversity within the workplace will also be considered, using a variety of international case studies to support students' learning.
Digital Transformation and Innovation in Tourism, Hospitality and Events	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module will provide a balanced blend of theories covering the topics of business transformation & innovation and THEM digital technologies. Furthermore, it will explore the transformational and innovation potential of THEM digital technologies paying particularly close attention to their strategic value and potential challenges . Indicative content includes the following, within the context of tourism, hospitality and events: ICT supported-distribution; social media induced democratisation of information; the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence; service design through virtual reality and augmented reality; value creation through ICT and technology adoption and evaluation theories and practices.
Financial Decision Making for Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module is designed to enable you to become more confident in the use and limitations of financial information. You will evaluate financial information that help inform decision-making within the tourism and events management industry. The module also explores the financial risks (both domestically and internationally) of certain decisions. Indicative content includes: sources of finance, core numeracy skills, management accounting information & Budgeting, KPI's and basic ratio analysis linked to creating value for shareholders, Corporate Governance, risk, ethics and presenting financial information.
Contemporary Themes & Professional Development in THEM	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides students with the opportunity to explore the nature and structure of the tourism, hospitality and event (THE) industries whilst developing postgraduate research and employability skills. It is designed to provide students with an insight and understanding into the tourism, hospitality and/or event products within destinations. By considering how THE industries operate, students will analyse current trends within a variety of contexts, including geographical, economic, socio-cultural and global outlook.

Key staff

Dr Sofia Reino
Programme Leader
Find out more about Dr Sofia Reino

Further course information

Course fact sheets
MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Mgmt - Extended (Revised 2024)	Download

Programme specifications
MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Mgmt - Extended (Revised 2024)	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Mandatory
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes

Studying the tourism course at the University of Hertfordshire was a priceless experience for me. The knowledge and experience acquired during my study enabled me to confidently explore my entrepreneurial capabilities and start my own travel company.
In addition to managing my tourism business, I am also a consultant to the government in tourism planning and development on a national level, and acting as the Secretary of the MICE Industry Cluster Group of the World Bank GEMS Project on Tourism for Cross River State in Nigeria.

John Atsu

Owner and Managing Director, Alvasta Travel & Leisure Company Ltd, Nigeria

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Find out about how we support our students

You can also read our student blogs to find out about life at Herts.

Funding and fees
Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Fees 2024
UK Students
Full time
- £14805 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
EU Students
Full time
- £17950 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
International Students
Full time
- £17950 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet
How to apply

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
23/09/2024 31/05/2025 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
2025
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
23/09/2025 31/05/2026 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

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MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management with Extended Professional Practice

Why choose Herts?

Careers

What job can I get?

Work placement

Professional Accreditations

About the course

Why choose this course?

What will I study?

Key staff

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

2025