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The hospitality, tourism and events sector has experienced significant growth in recent decades, emerging as a significant contributor to both the Scottish and global economy, accounting for 1 in 10 jobs worldwide and supporting a substantial number of enterprises. The events sector in particular has undergone remarkable expansion over the last 20 years, encompassing everything from pop-up food fairs to high profile corporate events, trade shows and our own world-famous Edinburgh festivals. While hospitality, tourism and events can be viewed as separate industries in some ways, they are also deeply interlinked in others, and throughout your course you will deepen your understanding of this through experiential learning, enabling you to put theory into practice. This involves the creative planning, delivery, and execution of live events, participating in a group walking tour, leading live business consultancy among other activities. Moreover, your 20-week paid industry internship will equip you with real-life experience that is sure to boost your employability.

Our location in Edinburgh is sure to enrich your learning experience: Known as “the festival city” and one of the world’s top tourist destinations, you have an abundance of hospitality and events venues right at your doorstep, which provide numerous opportunities for internships, field trips to distilleries and a wide range of other attractions, as well as part-time work and graduate career opportunities. You will also benefit from guest lectures from some of Scotland’s major tourism, hospitality, and events players.

On this course you will:

• gain a thorough theoretical understanding of the political, economic and social factors at work in the industry, and what they will mean for you as a manager of the future;
• learn hands-on how to manage money, resources and talent in the fast-moving hospitality, tourism and events environment;
• plan and deliver live events;
• go on a 20-week paid internship that will boost your employability; and
• acquire the skills to work in exciting and vibrant sectors of increasing importance and relevance to a modern and socially just society.

Structure

All students enrol onto the honours degree, but you can choose to exit with an ordinary degree after three years.

Teaching, learning and assessment

You will be taught in lectures, seminars and practical workshops. You will engage in practical, hands-on experience at every level of your studies. Outside these timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a variety of methods during each semester.

Placement (Internship)

You will complete a 20-week internship in Year Two, in the UK or overseas. Academic staff will help you prepare for this invaluable real-world experience, and we will set up interviews on campus to make finding the perfect host organisation as straightforward as possible.

In the past, our students have undertaken internships in a diverse range of roles and with a multitude of businesses. Examples include acting as front of house at the Balmoral Hotel's One restaurant, contributing to the events departments of the Renaissance private member's golf club in Archerfield, adopting the role of an events planner for the tourism, events, and cultural department of the city of Vannes in France, and engaging in various responsibilities within HR departments across the UK, Europe, and the USA. These internships can be transformative experiences for our students, as exemplified in these testimonials:

��“I'm very grateful for this experience, I have learnt so much, met some amazing people and gained connections within the industry I want to work in, which opens up a lot of opportunities for me for the future.”

“I'm very happy with my internship and what I've learned and I'm still in contact with them. It also confirmed my career choice and that I'd really like to work in events/tourism and marketing.”

Several bursaries and scholarships are available to help with costs, such as the Moffat Trust, the Santander Universities Mobility Fund, the Vice-Chancellor’s & Student Development Fund or the Susan Smith IHTEM Student Development Fund.

Exchange opportunities

Studying abroad through our exchange programme can be one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges for a student to experience. The opportunity to travel and live in another country, learn different customs and traditions, meet new people and future career draws many students into the exchange programme. In Year Three, you will have the opportunity to study overseas (subject to availability) for one semester. For more information, visit��Exchanges and Study Abroad.

Teaching staff, class sizes and timetables

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

For more information, please also visit ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’.

Year One

You will:

• explore the key concepts that are the foundation of hospitality, tourism and events. Additionally, you will undertake a range of introductory modules around business management, for example, marketing and finance. The combination of theoretical concepts and the inclusion of practical and vocational skills prepares students for real-life situations;
• visit sites and venues that will enhance your experience and understanding, and guest lectures by leading industry figures will bring your learning to life; and
• engage with practical and vocational skills including food service and preparation and group leadership to prepare for the planning and delivery of a live event: culminating in a live event with our partner Edinburgh New Town Cookery School.

Modules

• Introduction to Hospitality, Tourism and Events��
• Introduction to Management and Leadership��������
• Marketing and Consumer Behaviour������������
• Global Impacts and Trends in Hospitality, Tourism and Events
• Introduction to Finance and Accounting
• Producing a Live Food Event

Year Two

You will:

• prepare for a challenging and rewarding paid 20-week internship of your choice, in the UK or overseas, during which time you will be supported by the University;
• develop skills to think critically about hospitality, tourism and events and the consumer experience; and
• focus on management skills, by studying, for example, human resource management.

Modules

• Managing Consumer Experiences in Hospitality, Tourism and Events
• Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Management
• Operations Management����������������������
• Internship for Hospitality, Tourism and Events������
• Human Resource Management�� �� �� �� �� ��

Year Three

You will:

• deepen your understanding of a range of management techniques to assist in your chosen profession;
• study specialist modules about the hospitality, tourism and events sector and their contributions to the economy and society in the pursuit of social justice, for example, the subject of sustainability and climate change, and will choose an elective on a subject in this year to support your learning; and
• create and project manage a live event of your choice, with the guidance of your lecturer;
• have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas. For more information, visit��Exchanges and Study Abroad.

Modules

• Hospitality, Tourism and Events for Economic and Social Change������������������
• People Planet Purpose
• Special Interest Hospitality, Tourism and Events or Business Management Electives
• Project Managing a Live Event��������
• Research Methods��
• New Enterprise Startup

Year Four

You will:

• complete a dissertation in an area of your choice and engage with current topics in hospitality, tourism and events;
• critically evaluate a range of contemporary issues such as crisis management within a hospitality, tourism and events context. There will also be an emphasis on the strategic issues and challenges within business management; and
• keep on developing practical skills by engaging in a live consultancy project with a hospitality, tourism or events business.��

Modules

• Creative Solutions for Live Industry Problems in HTE
• Contemporary Issues in HTE
• ���ٰ����ٱ𲵲���������������
• Leading and Managing Change������
• Dissertation

NB The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2024) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2025. Please check back here for any updates.

This degree can provide an excellent stepping stone to the management training schemes of multi-national hotel groups, and towards junior management roles in areas such as food and beverage management, sales and marketing, HR, accommodation services etc.

Other graduates may choose to pursue careers in tourism management, either with tour operators, in national or local tourism bodies or at a variety of attractions.

Those most interested in events will find roles in festival and events management, arts management, event logistics, conference production, sponsorship management and charity fundraising, as well as with hotel groups.

Our students are in demand, with many securing employment directly through their internships, campus networking opportunities, and independently with the excellent support of our on-campus career services. Our previous graduates have achieved remarkable success, now holding positions with global brands, which include:

• Team Leader, Walt Disney World, Florida
• Assistant Manager, Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong
• HR Director, Dakota Hotels
• Various roles at Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
• Event Sales Manager, The Dome, Edinburgh
• Research Assistant, VisitScotland
• Three Chimneys, Skye
• Assistant Manager, Camera Obscura
• Mercat Tours, Edinburgh

Additionally, some have pursued postgraduate studies at ������Ƶ and other universities.

As hospitality, tourism and events are global industries, there are great opportunities for international travel at all career stages.

Entry requirements

Scottish Higher: Standard - BBBC, Minimum - BCCC

A Level: BCC

Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H3 H3 H3

International Baccalaureate: 28 points

International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5

Required subjects: Maths and English at Nat 5/GCSE level are preferred. We can also accept National 5 Application of Maths or Lifeskills at the same grade.

Am I a Widening Access student?: We apply the minimum entry criteria to applicants who meet one or more contextual factor. To see if this would apply to you, please refer to the access and application page.

Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with relevant qualifications or experience. Visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page for more information. 

Direct Entry:

Year Two

• HNC: HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit
• Scottish Higher: BC at Advanced Higher in relevant subjects plus BB at Higher
• A Level: BBB in relevant subject

Year Three

• HND in a related subject with CB in the graded unit

For details of related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at ������Ƶ. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

Other costs

The additional costs associated with placement travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the student. Students who receive SAAS funding may be able to claim for some of these expenses to be reimbursed.

How to apply

Application for this course should be made through . More application information is available in the 'Start your Application' box at the top right of this page.

Terms and Conditions

• The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2025/26 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).
• The course information on this page is correct at the time of posting (Feb 2024) but may differ slightly for 2025 entry. Please check back here for updates.

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