Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts

Growth in the world tourism industry is changing the nature of tourism and hospitality programmes offered by universities around the world, while environmental engineering is evolving as industries seek new ways of dealing with natural resources.

Tourism and hospitality

There was a time when schools of tourism and hospitality management had to fight tooth and nail for respect and legitimacy in their drive for acceptance in academia. But powerful growth in world tourism has changed the landscape of the industry - now worth US$445 billion per year - and is galvanising the relevance of courses world-wide. John Fletcher who heads the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality and Research at Bournemouth University in the UK is adamant the subject has matured. "The emphasis has changed. The subject area has come of age and is now firmly accepted within academia, thus is less defensive in its stance".

Like many degree subjects, tourism and hospitality management has evolved to meet the requirements of an industry that is as varied as it is large. It was the Swiss who pioneered hotel management more than 100 years ago. Despite the size of the industry, in some countries there are few undergraduate programmes aimed at this area. In Canada there are only two: one in the University of Guel.. the other at Ryerson Polytechnic University. But the limited selection of programmes in Canada is disproportionate to the number of students they attract. Ryerson's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management claims its graduates compete favourably with graduates on related degree programmes positions at management levels. It says its graduates - who are awarded a Bachelor of Applied Arts upon completing four years of study - enjoy 90 per cent employment rates.

"Our programme today is less skills focused but there is more management and technology in the classroom and more applied research, confirms Catherine Penny, Director of the Toronto based school. Penny says the school has taken aggressive steps to offer students internships and exchange programmes in key tourist areas such as Mexico.

Tourism and hospitality programmes should also include business and management subjects. The stronger emphasis on management, the better the programme, say industry commentators. To build a solid foundation, the studies should include disciplines such as arts, hospitality and tourism. In addition to core studies in lodging, and food and beverage management, programmes should cover subjects such as accounting, finance, law, communications, human resources, market research and information technology. Quality schools offer internships.

Jeremy Huyton, Assistant Dean Academic Affairs at the Australian International Hotel School (AIHS) says its courses have a strong focus on administrative subjects. "The programme is first and foremost a business administration programme, therefore, approximately a third of the subjects are in the area", Huyton explains. "These include subjects such as financial management and quantitative mthods." An affiliate of RMIT University in Melbourne, AIHS offers its Bachelor of Business (hotel management) in a four-year or accelerated three year format.

Ensuring students are fully prepared for work upon completion of their courses is also important at the Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland. "There is an understanding now that managing a hospitality operation requires the same skills as managing a manufacturing operation or a bank for example," says Anna Cunningham, Course Director.

Competition for places on the course is stiff. Shannon College limits its intake to 60 students each September. Qualifications in pre-university courses such as calculus, algebra and geometry or finite mathematics are typical requirements for undergraduate degrees.

Example of degree award	Australia BA/BSc, MA/MSc,Bcomm, Btech/MBA, PhD	Canada BA, MA	NZ BCA/BSc, BTSM, BComm, MA	UK BA, BSc, MSc, PhD	USA BA, BSc, MBA, PhD
Length of courses (years)	3-4	4	4	3-4	4
Min. English requirements - Toefl	550	550	600	550	550
Min. English requirements - Ielts	5.5	5.5	6.0	5.5	5.5
App. Tuition fee per year (local currency)	11,000	11,600	11,000	5,000	12,000
Approx. tuition fee per year (US$)	7,260	7,888	5,720	8,300	12,000
Degrees: BA (Bachelor of Arts or Applied Arts); BCA (Bachelor of Commerce and Adminstration); Bcomm (Bachelor of Commerce); BSc (Bachelor of Science); MA, MSc (Master of Arts/Science); PhD (Doctorate); BTSM (Bachelor of Tourism and Services Management); MBA in Tourism. The information in the table above is meant as a guide only.  All facts must be confirmed by institutions in the relevant courses.

Consultant checklist

• Travel, tourism and hospitality is a diverse subject so it is crucial to determine the nature of the degree. Does it have a good balance of managerial and service industry content? Does the course open avenues to postgraduate specialisation?
• The quality of a tourism programme is reflected in its advisory board. Board members such as hoteliers, airline officials, tour operators, tourist board officials and members of chambers of commerce shape course content and are indicative of the level of quality.
• Some courses may place more emphasis on social and economic issues, such as the impact of ecotourism or the use of econometric analysis to forecast industry growth. It is crucial to understand clients' long-term career goals before choosing a course.
• In a subject which places strong emphasis on practical skills, work placements are crucial. Does the university have good links with relevant companies in the service sector? Will work permits become a contentious issue for overseas students? Who is responsible for organising a work placement?

Contributed by Education Travel

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