Bachelor in Facility Management (Final Year)

Introduction

The hospitality business is the fastest growing industry in the 21st century. There is an increasing interest to enable people to work and live comfortably and, of course, to relax. Customer orientation, service and hospitality experiences are the key concepts to achieve this. The industry is looking for ways to apply these concepts to deal with challenges such as a need for more efficiency, skills shortages, more demanding customers and sustainable entrepreneurship.

The Hospitality Business School of Saxion offer 3 Final Year bachelor programmes that perfectly meet the demand for people who are educated in the international hospitality business and who are eager to deal with these challenges:

• Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in Hotel Management
• Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in Tourism & Leisure
• Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in Facility Management.

The three programmes share their focus on creating the conditions that make it possible for people to work, travel, spend their leisure time, and stay away from home. This should be done in such a way that it offers a healthy profit to the company and brings maximum satisfaction and delight to the guests and customers.

Facility Management, Final Year

This is the ideal programme if you feel attracted to arranging, organising and offering services. Facility Managers operate in a broad range of different organisations. Behind the scenes they ensure that people feel comfortable and perform optimally in their work. You will find a Facility Manager in every company. In office blocks, schools, hospitals and hotels they manage the premises, cleaning and maintenance, reception, sign-posting, workplace design, catering, security and many other activities.

In the programme, a lot of attention is paid to professional skills, theory and management skills. Moreover, developing the proper professional and hospitable attitude is an important focus point.

Course content

The Final Year Bachelor programme has a duration of 1 year (equivalent to 60 European credits). The focal point of this year is to offer a full scope of the international tourism and leisure industry. All degrees are recognised by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The NVAO independently ensures the quality of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders by assessing and accrediting programmes. Extensive interaction with the industry plays an important role throughout the programme. Apart the graduation assignment, this is realised by drawing industry representatives into constructing cases, delivering guest lectures and hosting excursions.

The programme consists of the following modules:

Introduction

The Final year starts with the module Introduction. In this module, you will get workshops on e.g. intercultural communication, effective report writing, group dynamics and presentations. Furthermore, professionals from the field will tell you about their experiences and give you an insight into the industry of choice. Moreover, you will discover The Netherlands from a professional point of view on excursions to distinguished organisations. Finally, you will learn how to reflect upon your performance and how you can turn the analysis of your skills into an effective development plan.

Strategic management

This module focuses on Strategic Management and will explore and critically evaluate the concept of strategic management on a world-wide scale. Furthermore, in this module you will work out a strategic plan on corporate level for an existing organisation within your specific hospitality industry, based on a strategic analysis, and translate this plan into plans on relevant functional areas.

Workshops

During the final year you will join three workshops, two workshops during the first semester, and one workshop in the second semester. In each workshop you will study general themes in small groups using different research methods, like sustainability, ethics, human resources or leadership in the Industry of Hospitality. As a result of the research you will choose a topic from the general theme you find interesting and after studying this topic you will analyse and describe a specific application in the field of the Industry you are studying.

Although an outline for the workshop is provided, you will be asked to participate actively in the design and content of the module. You will learn from each other by exchanging results of each other’s research of the theme as well as the topic you studied. As much as possible, you will choose the workshops you prefer. Hereby we presume that you choose those workshops that will fit into the topic of your thesis.

Thesis

A thesis is a written piece of work (normally no less than 30 pages and no more than 40 pages, excluding appendices) in which you can demonstrate your knowledge and skills in an area relevant to the programme of study.
A thesis aims at an in-depth analysis of existing, and/or development of new knowledge and practices. This involves evaluating, criticising, or explaining certain theories. It can be shown how these are, or might be, put into practice or how existing insights might lead to new ideas. The thesis is written individually and cannot be done in groups as it is considered as a masterpiece of the Bachelor study programme. In exceptional cases two students will be allowed to work on their theses together.
The presentation is an oral explanation of the thesis as well as a discussion on a topic close to that of the thesis. For example, you might explain the relevance of your studies in the Netherlands for your professional career or look at the feasibility of the recommendations in the light of societal trends in your home country.
The presentation enables you to show management view and ability to generalise across the borders of the particular research topic.

Concept of Facility Management

This module focuses on the Facility Management Industry and will explore and critically evaluate, on a strategic level, the latest trends and developments on a world-wide scale within the industry. Furthermore the module focuses on the role of the Facility Manager in the housing and re- housing of the organisation and its use of space built and the role of Facility Management in procurement of services.

More information

Please download the course book / programme overview for more detailed information on the programme.

Specific requirements

• A minimum of three years of higher education (leading to a bachelor degree) in a Facility-, Hotel- or Tourism Management related field, such as Consumer affairs, Engineering Management, Hotel or Catering Management, or other related Management fields. In some cases, a minimum of 2 years of higher education can be considered, depending on the structure of the previous education .
• TOEFL 550 or IELTS 6.0

A person in possession of a diploma not explicitly included in this regulation can be exempted from the entry requirement mentioned in this Section by the director, when the diploma is at least equivalent to one of the diplomas mentioned at the discretion of the director. The director’s judgement will at all times be subject to advice by NUFFIC concerning the equivalence of diplomas.

Career prospects

Facility management has a long reputation in the Netherlands. Dutch education and research in facility management is internationally renowned for its high standards. Therefore, alumni can be found in hospitality businesses all over the world. In order to meet the increasing demand for professionals in this rapid growing industry the BBA programme in facility management forms an excellent basis to start your career. The opportunities represent a broad range of related industries with many interdependencies in fields such as:

• Offices
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Contract catering
• Hospitality Service suppliers
• Hotels
• Holiday Bungalow Parks
• Resorts
• Recreation & Theme Parks
• Food and Beverage Industry
• Banks / Financial Businesses
• Consultancy firms
• Employment Agencies
• Other (restaurants, golf resorts, airlines, cruiseship companies)