BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management (Top-up)

Core units:

• Dissertation: A piece of independent work that involves collecting, interpreting and analysing data. You’ll share your key findings through a sustained and balanced argument. The dissertation will develop your analytical and problem solving skills. You’ll develop a critical attitude to research methods, and the ethical issues associated with researching.
• Strategy for Tourism & Hospitality: Develop an understanding of the principles and practice of strategy and leadership, and learn how to recognise and respond to changes in the external (macro and micro) environment.
• Tourism Issues & Futures: We will examine a range of critical and contemporary issues that you may not have encountered previously, with the aim of broadening your horizons and understanding of tourism. You will be challenged to think critically about issues that you may have previously taken for granted, and be encouraged to reflect critically on your own experiences and practices as a tourist.

As well as studying the above core units, you’ll choose two option units from the following:

• Digital Marketing: This unit will equip you with technical skills and the conceptual understanding of how to engage effectively in digital marketing, which has evolved to the extent that it has become the dominant form of marketing in the majority of organisation.
• Small Business Management: You will learn an understanding of the role of small businesses in the economy, to appreciate how small businesses are different through their problems, advantages, aims, objectives. You will also build knowledge in enterprise awareness and how to foster an entrepreneurial mindset with the practical capability to assess business opportunity.
• Financial Management: This builds on your earlier studies in finance and accounting. You’ll develop an appreciation for how organisations make financial decisions within the context of corporate strategy, and an understanding of the role(s) of financial management in organisations.
• Food, Culture & Travel: You will explore the complex relationships between food, culture and travel within an international context, and from commercial and social perspectives, reflecting on aspects of critical food studies and debating a wide range of relevant topics.
• International Human Resource Management in Hospitality & Tourism: This unit addresses current human resource management opportunities and challenges such as talent management, mobility and staff retention, which shape the international hospitality and tourism industries and organisations. It provides a forum in which you can critically analyse and reflect on relevant issues and their impact on business and your own management career.
• Tourism & Hospitality Design: This unit addresses the role and significance of design in and for the Tourism and Hospitality Industries. You will develop the skills necessary to appraise design in relevant real-world contexts, with an emphasis on creative thinking and practice.
• Visitor Attractions Management: This unit will explore the factors and issues that influence the development and management of visitor attractions in the UK and other countries. It aims to develop your awareness, understanding and appreciation of the principles and practices relating to the development and management of visitor attractions.

You’ll be assessed through coursework assignments and end of year examinations.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website. 

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. We may ask you to provide a portfolio and/or take part in an online interview. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

Our graduates are highly sought after, thanks to our excellent reputation in the tourism and hospitality sector. You’ll be equipped to take on a variety of roles once you graduate, including:

• Customer Service Assistant
• Health and Safety Advisor
• Marketing Co-ordinator
• Project Manager
• Duty Manager.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master's degrees.

Research degrees 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong Touirsm & Hospitality research foundation within our Department of ​Marketing, Strategy & Innovation through a number of research centres, which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Bournemouth University Business School and the funding options available. 

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:.

For September 2024 entry:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

For September 2024 entry:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to students who are beginning their studies at BU. Our website also provides details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

Duncan joined Bournemouth University in September 2014. He is a human geographer by background, and all his teaching and research highlights the relationships between tourism, places and spaces. Much of Duncan’s research focuses on Romania, a country he has visited regularly since 1995. 

Tim joined Bournemouth University in June 2015 as Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, having moved from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) where he was the academic lead for the University’s tourism and events degree programmes.

He completed a PhD at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), successfully defending his thesis on the decline and restructuring of British seaside resorts in 2002. His research interests have since expanded to include new tourism spaces, places and experiences (such as urban beaches, virtual worlds and immersive events and performances), and tourism education/ pedagogy. These interests are underpinned by ideas associated with the ‘new mobilities paradigm’ and critical realism as a philosophy of/ for the social sciences.

He has written a number of refereed journal articles, book chapters and other works, from positioning papers and literature reviews to multi-method empirical studies incorporating questionnaire surveys and interviews, document analyses and visual methods, and has co-edited three books to date. Tim’s involvement with the design, data capture and analysis for surveys of visitors to Bristol Urban Beach and the 2010 Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Races illustrates the potential in much of his work for industry engagement and impact. Tim teaches/ has taught a range of units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on tourism geographies, event management, marketing and research methods. He has supervised two PhD students to completion, and examined several others.

Simon's first career was as a hotel manager having worked his way up from a junior management role, gaining experience of both branded and individual owner lead hotels. He came to Bournemouth University as an operations manager and quickly became interested in teaching and student development and after five years became a lecturer, whilst studying for an MBA in Hospitality Administration at Oxford Brookes University. Now a senior lecturer Simon teaches Talent Management and Hospitality Resources and Revenue Management to second years, Strategy & Leadership and Consultancy Projects as well as supporting Dissertations to final year students. Additional duties include being level tutor for the placement year and the final year for tourism and hospitality programmes. Simon is passionate about employability and industry engagement and spends a lot of time networking with industry partners and associations both within tourism and hospitality.   

Dr Anya Chapman joined Bournemouth University in 2013 and has worked as an academic in UK universities since 2003, specialising in tourism, hospitality, and leisure management. Prior to joining academia, Anya worked as a manager for a number of tourism organisations in the UK, including Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the Trafford Centre, and Namco Operations. Anya gained her PhD from the Management School at the University of Liverpool in 2012, with a thesis entitled ‘The Arcade Fire and Other Misdemeanours: Organisational Subcultures and Employee Misbehaviour in Amusement Arcades’. Her current research interests and publications include work on the regeneration of coastal resorts; tourism development in Malta; tourism employment; and traditional attractions at British seaside resorts such as fairgrounds, piers, and amusement arcades. Anya has served on the Executive Committee of the National Piers Society and is a founding member of the Seaside Heritage Network.