Overview
The course is the ideal springboard if you’re looking for a successful management career in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
Hospitality and tourism offer exciting career opportunities because, despite the broader economic outlook, these industries continue to thrive around the world – and employers are always looking for accomplished graduates. Our exciting, fast-paced and highly practical course will prepare you for a wide range of management and leadership positions, all with a global perspective and within a multi-cultural environment.
You’ll engage regularly with top employers and there are multiple opportunities to explore the industries in action. And where better to study than our London campus, surrounded by some of the world’s most iconic hotels and attractions, which are visited by over 32 million tourists a year?
Why Coventry University London?
We believe that there is no better place to learn about business than to study in the heart of one of the most successful business and financial centres in the world. Launched in 2010 and located in the City of London, we are minutes away from the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange, and are surrounded by several blue chip companies.
To ensure an optimised and continual student experience, the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityHeart of the City
Minutes from the Bank of England and Stock Exchange
Course information
This course is focused on career-building, so there’s a strong blend of practical content alongside your academic theory. We will connect you with industry and employers, bring the world of work into the classroom, and provide opportunities which will enrich your CV.
Your tutors on this course have close relationships with professional bodies, including the Chartered Management Institute and the major trade associations within hospitality and tourism. This means we’re always up to date with what employers are looking for in graduates.
You’ll enjoy many opportunities to mix with employers, such as The Ritz London and City Cruises. Guest speakers, such as travel or wine companies, will explain how their operations work, and you’ll hear career advice sessions led by employers. There are opportunities to get out and about within London, with visits to major employers, your own independent research, and trips to world-famous hotels. There are also opportunities to work on real-life projects for employers and to work or study overseas. And thanks to our lecturers’ personal connections worldwide, you might find yourself engaged in a live online debate with employers or students in other countries.
72%
of students were satisfied with the quality of the course
UniStats
Course Specification
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Modules
of students say staff are good at explaining things. UniStats
In more detail...
This is an excellent course which offers superb preparation for a career in international tourism and/or hospitality management. It builds on strong academic foundations by providing exciting opportunities to engage with employers and events in industry.
Reputation
The Guardian University Guide 2019 ranked Coventry University number 4 in the UK for tourism and hospitality studies. That’s why our course is widely recognised and highly valued by employers in these industries, and it’s why our graduates are in demand.
Real business
We work hard to deliver a real business experience. That means plenty of opportunities for practical exposure outside the classroom, such as work placements, field trips and visits to trade events. Within the classroom, it means real-world case studies, live projects with employers, and business simulations. Previous students have been recipients of the Ritz Endorsement Award following an internship opportunity.
Tutors
This course is designed and delivered by knowledgeable, helpful tutors who have worked for and with some of the biggest names in industry. Their careers span top international hotel groups, travel agencies and international tour-planning companies. They have worked in Europe, Asia and the USA, and undertaken consultancy work for international travel and hospitality businesses. Your tutors will continually draw on this broad experience to illustrate your learning.
Internationalisation
Every possible aspect of this course has been internationalised, so you’ll always embed your learning in the global context. We waim to provide opportunities to travel overseas for visits, work experience and/or study. There may also be projects which connect you with overseas employers and universities for group debates and discussions via Skype. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to study amongst an international cohort, who will be encouraged to share perspectives from their home countries.
Placements
Practical work experience is highly valued by employers in tourism and hospitality, so you’ll have opportunities for internships lasting a year and/or a term, as well as the chance to work on live client briefs. You will also be encouraged to work part-time in industry while studying, and to undertake relevant employment during university vacations.
- You’ll have opportunities for study visits to leading businesses, events and exhibitions in the UK and overseas.
- Internships, and the chance to network with employers during your course, could lead to employment offers when you graduate.
- We are ranked number 2 out of 57 universities in the UK who teach this subject, so our graduates have high ‘employer appeal’.
- Central London offers a fantastic place in which to study, with some of the world’s leading hotels, tour operators, airports and attractions right on your doorstep.
- Your tutors have all come from industry, where they gained extensive international management experience. This enables them to contextualise the theory they teach.
- You will benefit from a small student cohort, with lots of opportunities for individual contact and personalised learning. You and your tutors will get to know each other well.
- Career-oriented activities will help you learn to make effective job applications and to present yourself well in writing (on your CV) and in person (at interview or a networking event).
- Besides your industry-specific skills, this course will also develop your ‘softer’ skills – such as self-reliance; interpersonal, leadership and communication skills; logical approaches to work; creative problem-solving; and business acumen. These are highly transferable across all industries, and would be useful if you decide to branch out into other sectors.
Your main study themes are:
- Internationalisation – many businesses are multi-national; they employ globally diverse teams; and you might work anywhere in the world.
- Professionalism – everything you learn will be embedded in the latest management practice, and you’ll even learn consulting skills.
- Operations – learn to organise a huge range of complex resources (from people to places) while delivering a profit.
- Marketing – explore how to identify, service and communicate with a range of consumers at every level of the market.
30% of your time will be spent in the ‘classroom’; in other words, in lectures and seminar groups, being taught by our experienced tutors and learning by working with your peers. Class sizes are small, so you’ll get to know your tutors and fellow students well, and you’ll get plenty of individualised attention. The remainder of your time will be split between personal research/study and off-campus experiences.
Even in the classroom, the emphasis is on the practical and on real business exposure. The options for learning in this way include discussion and debate, giving presentations, writing reports, analysing case studies, and undertaking business simulations. You’ll also benefit from guest lectures delivered by leading industry experts.
Outside of the classroom, you’ll take advantage of all that London has to offer. You’ll be encouraged to make independent observations of hotels and attractions, and you could also expand your learning on short field trips within the UK and to European destinations. Your tutors will organise trips to visit leading employers and global industry events – such as World Travel Market London, which shapes the travel industry.
You’ll have opportunities to put your theory into practice by applying to take part in an internship. You could do an extended work placement (or a year studying at a university overseas) by adding in an extra year between Years Two and Three of your degree. You could also elect to do an internship as part of your final major project in Year Three.
Teaching methods may include: Lectures, seminars, textbooks, workshops, debates, case studies, consultancy projects, simulations, business plans and online collaborations.
Some of your assessments will involve assignments and exams, but the greater emphasis is on business skills. This will help you to develop confidence with the very practical skills you’ll need as a member of the workplace, including the ability to communicate, debate, analyse data, present and persuade.
Alongside exams and coursework, your tutors will set essays, reports, presentations, simulations, workshop activities and other tasks to ensure you’re on track with the required progress. Some assessments are individual, and some involve group work, and your work will be expected to be logical and compelling.
An estimated percentage breakdown of your final grade assessment is as follows:
- Formal examinations: 40%
- Coursework, tests and essays: 30%
- Practical or project work: 10%
- Group work and similar activities: 10%
- Presentations, posters and other activities: 10%
On successful completion, you should be able to:
- discuss the ethical, social, economic and historical contexts of tourism and hospitality
- demonstrate an ethical, sustainable approach to business, and conduct yourself as a global citizen with a strong sense of social responsibility
- understand the economics of the industry, and how to manage turnover and profitability
- describe the many operational roles which contribute to a successful tourism or hospitality business
- collaborate successfully with, and lead, teams from diverse cultures and backgrounds
- take a well-developed approach to critical thinking, situational analysis and problem-solving
- use what you’ve learned, in theory and practice, to solve operational problems and make business improvements
- understand strategic decision-making, including in the international arena
- identify and respond appropriately to diversity among consumers, employees, organisations, governments and external agencies
- identify and analyse business problems in both local and international arenas, and formulate potential solutions.
71%
of students graduate with a first or a 2:1
UniStats
In a typical week you will have up to 9 contact hours, with a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops.
As a part of this degree course, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a work placement (internship) in the UK or abroad, which could be for a term in your final year and/or a full year if you decide on a 4-year sandwich course. Alternatively, you could use the sandwich year to study at another university overseas. Your tutors will also arrange optional field trips overseas.
Throughout the course, all of your learning will be in a global context, and you’ll study alongside – and learn from – students from all over the world.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Hospitality and tourism have outperformed the global economy for 6 consecutive years, offering excellent career prospects for graduates.
Worldwide tourism grew by 6% in early 2017. In 2016, tourism alone provided employment for 109 million people, contributing $2.3 trillion to the world economy. In 2017, the hospitality industry was the UK’s 4th biggest employer. Despite economic and political challenges across the world, people are travelling more than ever, for both business and leisure purposes – which means more opportunities in management and leadership, too.
You’ll graduate with a sound understanding of the hospitality and tourism industries, including how to run an operation successfully and profitably. You’ll also have a wide set of skills which will transfer across to any other sector, including principles of management and softer skills such as communication and teamwork. You might even start your own business.
97%
of students in work or further study six months after they left university
DLHE 2015/16
Where our graduates work
When you graduate, you could choose a career pathway in tourism or hospitality, or work for a large organisation which spans both.
You might join an independent hotel or a chain (either in the UK or overseas), on a graduate programme or in a permanent named role. You could work for a tour operator, a travel agency, an airline or a cruise company, or work in incentive or corporate travel. Roles will also be open to you in publishing, PR, journalism, IT or consultancy, for example, where they relate to hospitality and tourism.
Alternaitvely, you will have a wide range of skills which will appeal to employers in other industries, so you would be free to branch out beyond hospitality and tourism.
of graduates are in professional/ managerial jobs within 6 months - UniStats
