College to pilot online tourism and hospitality degree
COVENTRY University College is one of the first higher education institutions in the UK to pilot an online degree course aimed at working professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector.
The degree in strategic tourism and hospitality management, starting from this month, is a management degree aimed primarily at people already working within the industry who want a relevant management qualification.
The course has had the backing from the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) one of the main professional bodies within the industry.
Dean Bennett, Coventry University College’s head of studies for tourism and hospitality, says that a great deal of interest has already been shown in the initiative by professional bodies.
He said: “We have been working with industry to tailor this course to the working professional. Many people working in this sector work in shifts or have unusual working patterns, so a classroom-based degree course is not an ideal option as it would not fit in with their working life.
“In developing this format we have been working alongside industry professionals to understand what they regard as important and relevant in this sector, creating a focused management degree and qualification.
“We have designed the content and process of the course to ensure it remains varied and interesting. This is critical as in an online study environment the majority of the study time relies on individual motivation, which in turn only comes if students are engaged.
“We are incorporating things like an online student lounge, blogs, tutorials and an area for the students to store their work so they can access it anywhere; either at work during breaks or waiting for a flight in the departure lounge.”
One of the reasons CUC is offering this degree online is that conversations with professionals in the sector indicate that there is a definite market within the industry both at home and abroad for this style of delivery.
The tourism and hospitality management degree focuses on a broad range of topics from emerging issues in the tourism industry to business and marketing strategies.
