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Travel and tourism is an exciting sector in which to work. You can often explore different countries and cultures as part of your job, plus you can inspire others to see the world, widen their perspectives on life and embrace the spirit of adventure. This course will prepare you for a career in any branch of the travel and tourism industry. You can mould your course out of our flexible options, gearing it toward your particular interests within the industry.
You will gain insights into tourism and knowledge of the underlying business and management disciplines required to be a successful manager. We encourage you to explore different segments of the tourism industry to build a strong understanding of the whole sector. Then, in your final year, you will have the chance to specialise in a range of areas relevant to the strategic management of travel and tourism businesses. This could be a focus on marketing, selling, trip planning and more. You will even have the option of taking field trips to see your work and studies materialise.
All of your learning will be underpinned by the work of world-class researchers based at the University. The course is taught by a dynamic team of highly qualified staff who have extensive experience in the industry. We also have strong links with prospective employers, which could help you make the transition from a student to an employee upon graduation.
This course opens several opportunities to graduates, including roles as tour operators and ground handling agents. Careers are also available in transport companies, the hospitality industry, and business and conference organisations. The course is designed to help you become self-directed, independent and reflective learners with excellent critical evaluation skills. These are characteristics that will make you highly employable in most professional roles, and will only serve to further impress prospective employers within the travel and tourism industry.
During this course you will:
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
Students will be required to undertake a variety of group and individual based assessments throughout the programme. The assessments are designed to assess knowledge and understanding, but also to demonstrate the range of transferable skills.
The great majority of units include elements of individual and group work as this reflects the type of work undertaken in the tourism industry. Assessment of these activities will be based on tasks which develop vocational skills, underpinned by subject knowledge, requiring higher levels of cognition in the upper levels of the course.
Formative assessment will be used to provide feedback to students to support their progress and diagnostic assessment will be used to assess students knowledge, understanding and skills. Summative assessments for the majority of units include a combination of coursework and end of year examinations.
All coursework will have an assignment specification, with grading criteria. The specification will be issued to the students normally at the beginning of the unit, but at least three weeks prior to the deadline for the assignment. All marked work will be returned to students, following the university guidelines, with written feedback including advice on how student can improve their work in future. Should students fail group-based assignment, unit co-ordinators will ensure that referral briefs are congruent with units learning outcomes. Where possible special arrangements will be put in place in order for those failing assignments to get an opportunity to attempt similar group-based assessments.
All coursework submitted will be subject to University procedures for the detection of plagiarism. Plagiarism is one of the academic offences and below is what is found on the relevant University Website concerning plagiarism:
Annual monitoring of the outcomes of assessments for each unit will be completed and this will provide the opportunity for reflection on and evaluation of assessment approaches and methods.
Assessments are divided between two and three assessments per unit, in line with the University Cre8 process requirements. Assessment approaches vary depending upon the learning outcomes of the unit delivered. However students will undertake a wide range of assessment styles including: written reports, oral presentations and examinations, as well as group-based reports, case studies and computer-based assignments.
As Level 1, the assessment strategy involves the use of group oral presentations and individual written reports, particularly at the early stages of the year so that students are able to receive feedback on their progress. To ensure a level of rigour and to enable students to experience a different assessment format, there will be examinations in three of the units at the end of the first year.
At Level 2 students will continue to be assessed via individual written reports, group presentations and examinations. In addition, as students are expected to be developing the skills required of independent learners, these skills will be assessed in the unit Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism. Also students will be exposed to assessment via the use of a case study and a practical activity.
At Level 3, once again a variety of assessment approaches will be used, including individual reports, group presentations, and examinations, but also a computer based assignment will be employed. At this level, the strategy is also designed to assess the students ability as self-directed, independent critical learners and this will take place in the unit the Final Year Project.
The scale of the tourism industry warrants the attention it has increasingly been given. Its complexity, as well as distinctive demand and supply characteristics and its interplay with a variety of academic disciplines other than economics make it a rewarding subject of study. It has a sufficient framework of theoretical concepts to justify its study as an academic discipline in its own right.
The industry is increasingly recognising the need for better management, career structures and staff retention and therefore moving towards a graduate management labour force.
This programme orients itself on practical issues, but it does not neglect to provide some grounding in theory and discussion of theoretical issues. It is designed to develop students intellect and stimulate their imagination, as well as to increase their transferable skills base and powers of understanding. Students are to build on their skills of communication, problem solving and analysis, research and evaluation. They are encouraged to develop a creative and enquiring approach to work and arising issues, as well as honing their powers of judgement. They are to become aware of their abilities and developmental needs. Last, but not least they are intended to establish a sound knowledge base of aspects of the industries involved, as well as develop an attitude of enthusiasm for working in a tourism environment.
In addition to the general support supplied by the University in relation to e.g. disability advice, international student support, financial support etc., specific support for the course can be divided under two headings:
Academic / Programme Support:
In terms of academic issues in the programme, and specifically `day to day issues the Tourism Field Chair will be the first point of contact. The Field Chair will provide advice on the following important areas:
handbooks for each of the units
This type of advice will be available throughout the year, and the Field Chair, alongside the Academic Advice Team in the Faculty Office would be the first point of contact as soon as any of the above becomes a problem.
However, if students have issues to do with a particular unit of the course, then the coordinator of that unit is likely to be the first point of contact, rather than the Field Chair. However, the Field Chair may need to be involved if the unit coordinator cannot answer a student query.
Student Services:
If a student has a more serious problem than can be dealt with by the Field Manager and certainly in the case of the issues below, then students will need to see a member of the Student Services team.
Student Services will provide independent and confidential advice if there are circumstances affecting handing in of assignments on time, sitting exams, attending University. Depending on the nature of the query, Student Services can advise a student or refer them to people who can help.
Student Services will see students if:
Student Services also will make decisions on what are deemed extenuating or mitigating circumstances. If students have genuine extenuating circumstances that are likely to prevent them handing in an assignment, Student Services will authorise short-term extensions of an extra few days with a maximum of 2 weeks extension. If this option is not feasible and the problem is longer term, then Student Services can grant the right for a student to take the assessment at the next available opportunity. Students must have valid reasons supported by clear and appropriate evidence for any claims submitted. Decisions will be based on: the severity of the problem, disruptiveness; unexpectedness; timing and length; and whether the circumstances are not wholly or largely of the students own choosing or making.
Professional and Academic Development (P.A.D.)
It is not unusual for students to need some extra advice and guidance on developing their academic skills at some point during their studies. If you feel that you would benefit from some additional help with your studies why not contact P.A.D.
P.A.D. is available to all University of Bedfordshire students. If you are experiencing difficulties or if you simply want to develop particular skills and raise your grades, we are here to help and advise you how to do that.
P.A.D. can help you in a number of ways. They can advise and help you to improve
Team working is fundamental to leisure and tourism field. Throughout the course, students will be asked to work in groups of varying sizes and to consider the skills needed in order to operate effectively in this context. One of the most important elements of team work is an understanding of the level of dependency involved and the attendant responsibilities this implies for each individual member of the team. From very early in the course, students will be working in collaboration with others and issues of responsibility, trust and flexibility will be addressed as central to their academic and professional development.
At each level of the degree, students will be required to work with others either in the preparation of a seminar, a group presentation or a reflection upon the work of others. At Level 1 group tasks will be structured by the tutors; as the course progresses through Levels 2 and 3 students will be given more independence in the development of structures which suit the particular requirements of the task.
Students will be assessed, on occasions, as a member of a group, and at other times for their individual input to the group. Students will also be asked to comment critically upon their own contribution to the group as a whole. Should students fail group-based assignments, unit co-ordinators will ensure that referral briefs are congruent with units learning outcomes. Where possible special arrangements will be put in place in order for those failing assignments to get an opportunity to attempt similar group based assessments.
This takes place both in specific units which embed elements of personal development planning (PDP) strand (Academic Culture and Values, Business of Events, Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism, and Final Year Project) with involvement of the careers service and in a work experience based option module. However, approximately 60% of students independently develop their careers through part-time work. This occasionally feeds into the academic programme.
An initial session on career options will be offered by the team from the Centre for Personal and Career Development within the unit The Business of Events at Level 1, to enable students to explore all the options available at the University to support their career choices right from the start.
At Level 2 students will be expected to enhance their career-related and employability skills through interactive exercises, group activities and individual reflection. These processes are often problematic and unnatural to students, differing to experiences in more traditional subject based units. The focus falls on students to reflect on their own approaches, learning styles and skills; no textbook shows what works best for them, thus a degree of self discovery is required and students should be in charge of the process. Students will be encouraged to ask appropriate questions and increase the use of feedback.
By Level 3 students will also be encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills, coinciding with the transition to less tutor led and greater peer and self feedback and management of tutor strategies (Lawrence 2007).
Students will also be encouraged to contact / join associations and organisations with a view to developing events management experience on a voluntary basis, such as:
Career:
Options range from tour operator, ground handling agent, transport companies including airlines, hospitality industry to business and conference organisers.
Further study:
In terms of further study a number of possibilities exist, both within the University and beyond:
Additional:
UK Students:
All entrants to the BA (Hons) Travel and Tourism must meet the entrance requirements of the University of Bedfordshire. This means that students will normally need one of the following:
Students from the European Union:
- IELTS 6.0
- TOEFL 580 [paper]
- TOEFL 235 [computer]
- Cambridge CPE C
- Cambridge CAE C
- Bedfordshire test (TELAS) grade 2
International Students:
Undergraduate applications can be made direct to the University or via representatives in the students home country. Applicants to more than one UK university should apply via UCAS. Applicants to the University of Bedfordshire only should apply directly using the International application form or via representatives in the student home country.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The course will follow the general guidelines set out by the University policy on disability.
During the application process disabled students will be able to discuss their needs with individual members of the academic staff, as well as staff from the Disability Advice Team. In relation to other courses in the Division, it has normally been the case that disability has not provided an obstacle to students participating Hence no major issues are envisaged concerning disability and the course. The only possible concern is in relation to field visits. However there is no proposed residential aspect to these visits they will be on a day visit basis only.
The University of Bedfordshire has adopted the governments Quality and Curriculum Authority (QCA) skills descriptors for all levels of studies, but the skills listed in the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) subject benchmarks and the student employability profile template created by the Higher Education Academy Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Subject Centre, listing generic employability competencies are also referred to.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Practice this set of skills in each unit, but especially as part of a dedicated personal development planning (PDP) strand. It permeates all seminar work and is formally practised and assessed in presentations.
Participate in a range of activities requiring you to communicate orally and in written forms. Part of this process will involve students in a range of written tasks that will form the foundation of their personal portfolio and which will generate material in traditional and electronic forms. Students will learn the communication skills necessary to articulate and present themselves in appropriate forms (e.g. stating their individual aims, their skills and experience). At all levels students will work collaboratively with a number of different groups of people in a range of contexts, and will be required to use the written word in order to communicate ideas for a variety of different purposes. At all levels students will have opportunities to examine the `language that is specific to the leisure / tourism / events field.
At Level 1, in line with University and QCA Key Skills Descriptors and employability profiles, and in all four modules, there will be opportunities for students to take part in one-to-one discussions about different subjects, read and obtain information from a range of sources and contribute to discussions about relatively straightforward subjects. In the The Business of Events students will `read and summarise information from two extended documents about a straightforward subject and make a presentation about a straightforward subject, using at least one image to illustrate straightforward points (University of Bedfordshire/QCA Key Skills Descriptors).
At Level 2, in line with QCA Key Skills Descriptors and employability profiles, students will develop their skills as academic researchers in order to enable them to articulate ideas and theoretical perspectives in written and practical form (Research Methods in Tourism and Leisure). Following the University / QCA Key Skills Descriptors for Level 2 work, students will initiate, develop and maintain a relationship with a group they are working with in a group activity, work towards a negotiated goal with them, using their skills as potential practitioners, and evaluate this process in written form (Hospitality and Event Operations). In addition students will write two different types of documents about straightforward subjects and one piece of writing will be an extended document (University of Bedfordshire/QCA Key Skills Descriptors).
At Level 3 students will read and synthesise information from a variety of sources about complex topics in the unit Tourism Marketing and Heritage, Culture and Society and make a presentation about a complex subject, using at least one image to illustrate complex points, (University of Bedfordshire/QCA Key Skills Descriptors) Also in Issues in Event Management students will have the opportunity to develop and communicate their own ideas as a potential practitioner and use their communication skills in a range of written and presentational forms. At this third level, in line with University and QCA Key Skills Descriptors, students will undertake an independent research project which will involve a lengthy written submission on a topic of their own choice (Final Year Project).
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Participate in workshops, tutorials and developmental research projects in order to familiarize themselves with a wide range of resources which can support their studies.
At Level 1 students will be introduced to the library resources in workshops embedded within the PDP elements of the course (The Business of Events). A series of project-based tasks will ensure that students feel confident using the library catalogue, BREO, databases, search engines and reference resources available through the internet. Students will also be introduced to the assessment of source material as an integral component of their research. All units will make use of BREO in the posting of resources, and are likely to make use of discussion boards, blogs, group pages, wikis and course announcements.
At Level 2, in addition to formal input on methods of data gathering (Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism) students will be required to work more independently and confidently with the library and technical resources at their disposal. Students will be expected to source materials above and beyond the unit reading lists, and to undertake methodical literature searches as a part of this research process. Students will provide bibliographies and reference sources for essays and be familiar with a range of research resources appropriate to the study being undertaken. Students will develop confidence in the use of digital technology as a resource.
At Level 3 students will plan and submit a project based on a topic of their choice (Final Year Project). Alongside their academic research students will be using skills to explore possible employment options within the events/tourism/leisure industries, and familiarizing themselves with networks, funding opportunities and organizations which will be central to their success as a practitioner.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Undertake a range of research tasks either within the context of developing their academic or their practical knowledge. The research tasks will vary according to the type of work being undertaking and students will need, therefore, to be adept at understanding the skills involved in sourcing, selecting and utilizing appropriate material. In every practical process they embark upon, students will be expected to plan and execute a methodical research process in order to develop their practical skills, but also their skills to critically evaluate. Students will be introduced to a range of research skills including literature searches and critical reading, practical field based activities including questionnaire and interview design and conduct, as well as the analysis of findings from the use of such techniques in the field.
At Level 1 students will be introduced to the importance of research material that underpins their studies in all four units. Students will make use of practical research skills in the PDP elements of the course (The Business of Events) where they will use the library catalogue, access reference resources and databases in hard copy form and also electronically. In addition to actually using the practical research skills, this process will be designed to develop students skills to critically evaluate a variety of source materials.
At Level 2 students will receive formal input on research methods appropriate to the tourism/leisure/events fields (Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism). This unit will provide students with information concerning a range of research approaches and techniques relevant to the fields of events. It will also develop the individual students ability to work more independently as a researcher, and begin to formulate questions and fields of enquiry. These skills will not only be necessary as preparation for students to undertake their independent research at Level 3 (Final Year Project), but should equip them with the skills to critically evaluate their work as potential practitioners.
At Level 3 students will undertake an independent research project on a topic of their own choice (Final Year Project). Students research will be ongoing throughout the year and they will be expected to be able to source relevant material quickly, assess and synthesize findings, link to theory where relevant and consider practical applications of their research. It is likely that the field of research enquiry will be diverse, given the interdisciplinary nature of events, and will therefore require different processes of enquiry and methodologies. The skills of critical evaluation acquired in the unit Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism at Level 2 will be employed in the design, conduct and evaluation of an event in the Level 3 Unit Issues in Events Management.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this students will:
Be introduced to ideas on creativity early in the course. The course will present a range of concepts and theories relating to creative processes in the leisure/tourism/events industry. Students will be encouraged to develop critical thinking abilities and apply these through critical responses via comparative analysis, both orally and in written form.
At Level 1, emphasis will be upon the creative challenges presented during the process of designing, planning and delivery of tourism products and services (The Business of Events). Students will be introduced the idea of being critical, specifically in relation to theories in the leisure/tourism and events field (Introduction to Travel and Tourism Industry and UnderstandingTourism). Using creative abilities and developing critical thinking skills will be a feature of Understanding Tourism, where students will have opportunities to offer creative solutions to a number of case study-related issues and critically reflect on how managers and tourism academic react to key issues.
At Level 2 students will be required to identify a problem and creatively come up with options for solving it, plan and try out at least one option for solving the problem, making changes to the plan where necessary and using their critical abilities, negotiate their idea with other members in a group they are working with in an attempt to reach consensus (Hospitality and Event Operations). Students will make use of the Universitys CETL C-Space to critically evaluate conceptual frameworks of research and will be encouraged to challenge the status quo and explore new ways of `doing things based on informed research (Research Methods in Tourism and Leisure).
At Level 3, the major unit where students will be required to be both creative and demonstrate their critical thinking skills is the Final Year Project. Students will need to be able to critically assess a range of research approaches and techniques and select an appropriate methodology for their individual project. They will need to be able to, not only defend this approach and the techniques employed, but also demonstrate critical awareness of the limitations of their project. Within the unit Issues in Event Management students will be asked to use their creative abilities in the design and running of an event, as well as their critical abilities through an evaluation of it.
The Personal Development Planning strand embedded in various units throughout all levels concentrates on the development of academic, personal and professional skills and establishes the PDP process, introducing students to the concept of transferable skills and demonstrating their value within events. Students will also be given the opportunity to develop personal approaches to study, building on strengths and eliminating weaknesses, and developing ability to transfer learning from one context to another, following the SOAR (self-awareness, opportunities, aspirations and results) process model (Kumar 2007) at a number of points during the course. This approach requires that students become aware of:
Embedded within specific units students will find what is known as Personal Development Planning. It is a structured and supported process, which will help students think about their own learning and achievement and plan for their education and career development. The Personal Development Planning (PDP) initiative and Progress Files are intended to prepare students better for the world of work, providing them with greater self-reliance, self-awareness and the ability to adapt to future changes in the labour market, to reflect upon and monitor performance, and identify skills and training needs. The UK Government has been increasingly concerned that many students leave university without being properly prepared to enter the graduate jobs to which they aspire. All universities are now required to offer students opportunities for PDP at each stage of their programme and provide them with Progress Files to plan and monitor their personal and academic development.
In their first year of study students will be introduced to the use of Progress Files within the PDP strand of the unit Business of Events. The Progress File is a document charting students development and is made up of the following parts:
A formal transcript of individual students academic achievements, provided and accredited by the University of Bedfordshire.
A personal record of learning and achievement which is likely to include extracts from written feedback, extracts from personal evaluative reports, or plans detailing the self-management of study.
Students will be encouraged to use a number of portfolios, in different units on the course, and they will need to set up a habit of reflecting on feedback from tutors and consider ways in which they might improve specific skills and/or build on the strengths demonstrated, preferably after each set of assessments. Much of the material for Progress File will be generated through digital records (on-line blogs, discussion boards on BREO, and e-portfolios) as well as paper ones.
It will be the individual students responsibility to maintain their Progress File but they will be supported in this by the generation of appropriate materials in units throughout the degree course.
In the progress file, students will be expected to keep:
At the end of the studies, each students progress files will contain the information needed to draw on in making job applications and having successful interviews, because it made them consider the wider relevance of the knowledge they have learnt and the skills they have acquired in the course of their studies.
Employers are often assessing not only knowledge of the subject area and experience, but also value the set of attitudes and values which would support development of their company. Students need to develop and demonstrate these attitudes throughout their studies.
Lecturers expect that students will:
The development of professional attitudes and values is fundamental in the course, and it is embedded in all the units. The success of an individual in the industry will be largely dependent upon the degree of professionalism they are able to bring to relationships with collaborators both within and outside the university during the years of their study.
In recognition of the importance attached to the development of professional standards, students will be presenting debates on a number of topics and in various formats ( for example in the unit Issues of Event Management) in which they will work collaboratively with their peers and tutors towards a successful outcome. This will require of them an understanding of discipline (preparation and planning process, punctuality), respect for collaborators (reliability, commitment, negotiation), and clear focus upon the work as a whole (respecting deadlines, completion of research tasks set, contribution beyond the required minimum).
Good study habits will be enforced by monitoring attendance. Attendance data will be collected by the faculty and is used to identify students who have failed to attend two consecutive sessions in any one unit. An intervention by letter, email or SMS text message will be used to let the student know that they have been missed and to request an explanation.
The language of `competencies which is meaningful to employers and is required for employment will be explained to students and used as assessment criteria in a number of assessments. Students will be given opportunities to self-assess and to develop strategies to improve these skills. Students underperforming in team assessments will be motivated to do better or penalized using a peer assessment mechanism.
To ensure that student work, particularly written reports does not contain plagiarized material (see section on Assessment Strategy for regulations on plagiarism), the online `Turnitin plagiarism detection tool will be used in assessments, and will be demonstrated to students to help them understand the issue of plagiarism. Turnitin software will be introduced to students on level one Academic Culture and Values, and utilised at least in Research Methods and Final Year Project on the higher levels.
Relevant ethical and legal issues will be explored in a number of units and students will be required to consider the ethical aspects of their own project proposal in the final year unit.
In this way, students should be able to develop a professional identity and set their own standards of professionalism which will prove the benchmark for all their future work.
