Bachelor in Hotel Management

Introduction

The Hospitality Business is the fastest growing industry in the 21st century. As the world globalises and distances seem to become shorter, more and more people are in need of accommodation away from home. Demands for excellent service have become stronger as people are moving around the world. As a result of this, the industry is facing many challenges such as dynamics in marketing channels, shortages of skills, more demanding consumers, emerging markets in tourism, development of new hotel concepts and sustainable entrepreneurship.

The Hospitality Business School of Saxion offers 3 bachelor programmes that 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.

Hotel Management

Hotel Management is the ideal programme for people with entrepreneurial flair, who have good commercial insight and who are service-minded. A lot of attention is paid to professional skills and theory, and to management skills. Moreover, developing the proper professional and hospitable attitude is an important focus point.

In the Hotel Management course you learn how to successfully lead a business in the international hospitality industry as a manager or entrepreneur. You learn to translate the wishes of a guest into an appealing, customer-oriented product or service. You learn how to find the right balance between “how do I run my business” and “how do I pamper my guests”. The hospitality sector is not for those seeking a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday work pattern. It is an environment that does not appeal to everybody. However, it may be ideal for you if you want to work in a customer-focused business environment where there is a wide range of specialist opportunities and, for those who are flexible, the opportunity for rapid career progression. It is not uncommon for successful management trainees to reach general manager positions in large hotels within five to seven years of starting their career.

Course content

The Bachelor programme has a duration of 4 years (equivalent to 240 European credits). The focal point of the first year is to offer a full scope of the international hospitality business. You will become familiar with the basics of hotel-, tourism-, leisure- and facility management. Excursions and company visits will give you a realistic picture of the industry.

At the end of the 1st year you have the opportunity to determine which programme will be your main focus. Your developing understanding of the industry will lead you towards one of three different specialisations; a Bachelor in Hotel Management, a Bachelor in Tourism & Leisure or a Bachelor in Facility Management. 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.

The first year modules are:

• Hospitality Business Introduction
• Industry Research
• Industry Experience
• Management Principles
• Events
• Basics of Facility Management (core for FM students, option for others)
• Basics of Tourism & Leisure Management (core for TLM students, option for others)
• Basics of Hotel Management (core for HM students, option for others)
• Hospitality Economics
• Hospitality Marketing
• Business English
• Spanish Rápido (option)
• Dutch (option)

In addition to these subjects students will participate in excursions and professional development activities.

The second, third and fourth year are dedicated to the specialisation of your choice. You will learn generic skills through exposure to contemporary management theories applied to the context of hospitality specific operations. Attention is given to tactical and strategic management in areas like event management, financial management, human resource management, revenue management and entrepreneurship. Alongside you will develop research skills, do a five months traineeship in the industry and you will be able to deepen your knowledge in a specific field by participating in a minor programme for one semester. The programme is concluded by carrying out a research project for your final thesis.

Extensive interaction with the industry plays an important role throughout the programme. Apart from traineeships and the graduation assignment, this is realised by drawing industry representatives into constructing cases, delivering guest lectures and hosting excursions.

More information

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

Specific requirements

Entry is open to Dutch as well as international students. Before you can be admitted to this bachelor degree course you need to have a secondary school certificate (Dutch: havo or mbo-diploma (middenkader or specialistenopleiding, niveau 4) or vwo-diploma). There is of course a possibility that you do not have a Dutch certificate that is required for entrance, but you do have a foreign degree. In this case the Saxion Universities will determine the value of your degree and compare it to the Dutch certificate to determine its level.

Your qualification should at least be the equivalent of the Dutch certificate, see the table above, to be admitted to the programme. All students who wish to register for the programme should have taken subjects such as economics, languages and/or management at their secondary schools. Finally you need to have a good command of English. If you do not have the Dutch nationality, we require either an IELTS test-score of 6.0 or a TOEFL test-score of 550. Unfortunately, without either of these test results, your application cannot be considered.

Additional entry requirements for Non-Dutch students

To enter the first year of the hotel management programme you will need to pass additional intake qualifications. In addition to the completed application form, you should send a letter of reference, to prove your affinity with and experience in the hospitality industry. If this is approved of by the admissions committee, you will be allowed to start in the first year. During the first year, you will have to pass an assessment to be admitted to the second year of the hotel management programme. During this assessment you will be tested on your hospitality attitude.

Additional entry requirements for Dutch students

To enter the first year of the hotel management programme you will need to pass an intake assessment. These assessments are held on a regular basis throughout the year. For information about registration and the intake assessments please see our Dutch website.

Career prospects

Dutch hotel management education is internationally renowned for its high standards. Alumni of the Dutch Hotel Schools can be found in hospitality businesses all over the world. In order to meet the increasing demand for professionals in the rapid growing industry the BBA programme in hotel 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:

• Hotels
• Holiday Bungalow Parks
• Resorts
• Events agencies
• Hospitality Service suppliers
• Convention Bureaus
• Recreation & Theme Parks
• Tourist Organisations & Tour operators
• Contract catering
• Food and Beverage Industry
• Banks / Financial Businesses
• Consultancy firms
• Employment Agencies
• Other (restaurants, golf resorts, airlines, cruiseship companies)