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The hospitality, tourism and events sector has experienced significant growth in recent decades, emerging as a significant contributor to both the Scottish and global economy, accounting for 1 in 10 jobs worldwide and supporting a substantial number of enterprises. The events sector in particular has undergone remarkable expansion over the last 20 years, encompassing everything from pop-up food fairs to high profile corporate events, trade shows and our own world-famous Edinburgh festivals. While hospitality, tourism and events can be viewed as separate industries in some ways, they are also deeply interlinked in others, and throughout your course you will deepen your understanding of this through experiential learning, enabling you to put theory into practice. This involves the creative planning, delivery, and execution of live events, participating in a group walking tour, leading live business consultancy among other activities. Moreover, your 20-week paid industry internship will equip you with real-life experience that is sure to boost your employability.

Our location in Edinburgh is sure to enrich your learning experience: Known as “the festival city” and one of the world’s top tourist destinations, you have an abundance of hospitality and events venues right at your doorstep, which provide numerous opportunities for internships, field trips to distilleries and a wide range of other attractions, as well as part-time work and graduate career opportunities. You will also benefit from guest lectures from some of Scotland’s major tourism, hospitality, and events players.

On this course you will:

• gain a thorough theoretical understanding of the political, economic and social factors at work in the industry, and what they will mean for you as a manager of the future;
• learn hands-on how to manage money, resources and talent in the fast-moving hospitality, tourism and events environment;
• plan and deliver live events;
• go on a 20-week paid internship that will boost your employability; and
• acquire the skills to work in exciting and vibrant sectors of increasing importance and relevance to a modern and socially just society.

Structure

All students enrol onto the honours degree, but you can choose to exit with an ordinary degree after three years.

Teaching, learning and assessment

You will be taught in lectures, seminars and practical workshops. You will engage in practical, hands-on experience at every level of your studies. Outside these timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a variety of methods during each semester.

Placement (Internship)

You will complete a 20-week internship in Year Two, in the UK or overseas. Academic staff will help you prepare for this invaluable real-world experience, and we will set up interviews on campus to make finding the perfect host organisation as straightforward as possible.

In the past, our students have undertaken internships in a diverse range of roles and with a multitude of businesses. Examples include acting as front of house at the Balmoral Hotel's One restaurant, contributing to the events departments of the Renaissance private member's golf club in Archerfield, adopting the role of an events planner for the tourism, events, and cultural department of the city of Vannes in France, and engaging in various responsibilities within HR departments across the UK, Europe, and the USA. These internships can be transformative experiences for our students, as exemplified in these testimonials:

��“I'm very grateful for this experience, I have learnt so much, met some amazing people and gained connections within the industry I want to work in, which opens up a lot of opportunities for me for the future.”

“I'm very happy with my internship and what I've learned and I'm still in contact with them. It also confirmed my career choice and that I'd really like to work in events/tourism and marketing.”

Several bursaries and scholarships are available to help with costs, such as the Moffat Trust, the Santander Universities Mobility Fund, the Vice-Chancellor’s & Student Development Fund or the Susan Smith IHTEM Student Development Fund.

Exchange opportunities

Studying abroad through our exchange programme can be one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges for a student to experience. The opportunity to travel and live in another country, learn different customs and traditions, meet new people and future career draws many students into the exchange programme. In Year Three, you will have the opportunity to study overseas (subject to availability) for one semester. For more information, visit��Exchanges and Study Abroad.

Teaching staff, class sizes and timetables

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

For more information, please also visit ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’.

Year One

You will:

• explore the key concepts that are the foundation of hospitality, tourism and events. Additionally, you will undertake a range of introductory modules around business management, for example, marketing and finance. The combination of theoretical concepts and the inclusion of practical and vocational skills prepares students for real-life situations;
• visit sites and venues that will enhance your experience and understanding, and guest lectures by leading industry figures will bring your learning to life; and
• engage with practical and vocational skills including food service and preparation and group leadership to prepare for the planning and delivery of a live event: culminating in a live event with our partner Edinburgh New Town Cookery School.

Modules

• Introduction to Hospitality, Tourism and Events: This module introduces you to the Hospitality, Tourism and Events (HTE) industry in a corporate as well as leisure context, considers the history and scope of each sector and segments within these. Furthermore, the module examines concepts such as supply and demand for Hospitality, Tourism and Events (volume and value), the profile and characteristics of domestic and international consumers, as well as motivation for tourism. You will also learn how to apply knowledge of HTE practices to the planning and delivery of a live tourism activity as a student team.��
• Introduction to Management and Leadership: This module provides you with an introduction to management and leadership concepts.�� You will learn about the different roles, styles, functions and responsibilities that being a manager and leader carries, placing importance on responsible management and ethical managers and leaders. A key element of the module is introducing the concept of self-awareness as a manager and leader. ��This will provide you with an opportunity to develop, alongside workplace hard skills, soft management skills (ie compassion, delegation, relationship-building etc) which you can then apply in employment. �� ��
• Marketing and Consumer Behaviour: This core module provides students with an understanding of the purpose of and need for marketing in an evolving business/organisational environment. The module will also examine the management of consumer markets and customer expectations.�� �� �� ��
• Global Impacts and Trends in Hospitality, Tourism and Events: This module builds foundational understanding of key concepts related to Hospitality, Tourism and Events (HTE) sectors, and applies these to a broader global context. You will strengthen your ability to use academic sources and official statistics to make evidence-based judgements about a variety of topics.
• Introduction to Finance and Accounting: This module provides you with a foundation in finance and accounting that will form a basis for developing the skills required to make constructive comments and decisions based on financial information. It will provide you with an understanding of the role and context of finance and accounting in organisations. It is expected that by undertaking this module you will learn a range of managerial accounting skills to critically evaluate financial information and its impact on organisational decision-making.
• Producing a Live Food Event: The main focus of this module is the planning and execution of a live food event undertaken by students as a group. Weekly sessions will focus on the development of practical skills related to hospitality concepts. The mandatory weekly sessions, including legal health and safety training alongside food production classes, will prepare you for organising and running a hospitality event to industry standard at the end of the module.

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Year Two

You will:

• prepare for a challenging and rewarding paid 20-week internship of your choice, in the UK or overseas, during which time you will be supported by the University;
• develop skills to think critically about hospitality, tourism and events and the consumer experience; and
• focus on management skills, by studying, for example, human resource management.

Modules

• Managing Consumer Experiences in Hospitality, Tourism and Events: This module explores theories relating to the consumer decision-making process and the multi-faceted nature of consumer motivations and market segmentation, and considers their relevance to the Hospitality, Tourism and Events industries. It will help you to gain an understanding of how consumer experiences in the Hospitality, Tourism and Events industries can be managed and optimised. 
• Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Management: This module provides you with a comprehensive, both practical and theoretical, understanding of digital marketing and e-commerce, and covers: history and affordances of digital technologies; digital business strategy; digital marketing; e-commerce (buy-side and sell-side); search engine marketing; social media and influencers marketing; digital landscape mapping; digital analytics; content marketing; online customer journey; AI; data, and privacy and cyber-security.
• Operations Management: This module will cover: operations management: purpose, scope and fit within the organisation; operations strategy and priorities; operations design: location, layout, and flow; operations methodologies (lean, six sigma); time series forecasting; capacity management and analysis; Inventory models and management; quality assurance and continuous improvement; and developing and using key performance indicators. �� �� �� �� ����
• Internship for Hospitality, Tourism and Events: This module provides you with the opportunity to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired on the course to an organisational setting appropriate to your degree. ����
• Human Resource Management: You will be introduced to the core practices of Human Resource Management and the underlying people management philosophies required for organisational effectiveness. �� �� �� �� ����

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Year Three

You will:

• deepen your understanding of a range of management techniques to assist in your chosen profession;
• study specialist modules about the hospitality, tourism and events sector and their contributions to the economy and society in the pursuit of social justice, for example, the subject of sustainability and climate change, and will choose an elective on a subject in this year to support your learning; and
• create and project manage a live event of your choice, with the guidance of your lecturer;
• have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas. For more information, visit��Exchanges and Study Abroad.

Modules

• Hospitality, Tourism and Events for Economic and Social Change: In this module concepts such as regeneration will be examined alongside issues pertaining to development in rural environments and developing countries. This will be undertaken in the context of the Hospitality, Tourism and Events sector (HTE). There will be an exploration of how the HTE area can contribute to diverse economic and social areas, for example, community enhancements at a social level. The impacts of these sectors will be considered at an holistic level and will encompass, for instance, social impacts, gentrification and economic issues. �� �� �� ����
• People Planet Purpose: This module introduces you to the principles of sustainable development and critically examines these in a Hospitality, Tourism and Events (HTE) context. You will examine and debate existing frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the triple bottom line. Furthermore, you will analyse the sector’s contributions to carbon emissions and, consequently, discuss its implications to net zero ambitions of the wider political environment. Emphasis is on critically evaluating practical management challenges, as well as identifying opportunities and innovative solutions. 
• Special Interest Hospitality, Tourism and Events or Business Management Electives
• Project Managing a Live Event: The module intention is to enable you to learn how to effectively work in groups to prepare, plan, manage and evaluate the delivery of a live event, and will provide you with an understanding of work within the service sector.  �� ��
• Research Methods: This module develops your knowledge and understanding of qualitative and quantitative methodology, data collection methods and analytical approaches used in business and management research. The module focuses on developing a range of relevant research skills necessary for the planning, data gathering and dissemination stages of applied research to prepare you for designing and implementing an independent research project in your Honours year.��
• New Enterprise Startup: The course work is designed to simulate a real life, entrepreneurial funding scenario. You will work on your own to investigate, generate and develop an idea for a new enterprise requiring start-up capital from a lender (eg a bank or crowd funding).  

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Year Four

You will:

• complete a dissertation in an area of your choice and engage with current topics in hospitality, tourism and events;
• critically evaluate a range of contemporary issues such as crisis management within a hospitality, tourism and events context. There will also be an emphasis on the strategic issues and challenges within business management; and
• keep on developing practical skills by engaging in a live consultancy project with a hospitality, tourism or events business.��

Modules

• Creative Solutions for Live Industry Problems in HTE: In this module, you will work on behalf of a business in small creative teams to solve one of a range of predetermined live industry problems facing the Hospitality, Tourism, and Events industry. You will critically evaluate the problem and propose creative and practical solutions to solve it.
• Contemporary Issues in HTE: This module will look at current issues such as: Global issues facing the Hospitality, Tourism and Events industry; Post covid-19 pandemic; Influence of increased use of electronic and other technologies; Emerging travel trends; Effect on Hospitality, Tourism and Events from natural and manmade disasters and world political disruptions; Need for increased national/local leadership in tourism policy and strategic planning; The emerging trend of wellness in Hospitality, Tourism and Events; and Accessibility in Hospitality, Tourism and Events.��
• Strategy: This module will take a practical focus and make use of theories, concepts, cases, and contexts, in considering the contemporary relevance of strategy, the strategy process and how organisations and individuals interact with these. The module will assess views on the process of making strategy, how frameworks and tools are applied in developing valuable insights and options, and how these are worked through the organisation into actionable implementation plans. �� �� ����
• Leading and Managing Change: This module provides you with an opportunity to develop hard and soft leadership and change management skills through exploring alternative approaches to leadership, models for leading incremental and transformational change and the challenges involved in change implementation. Additionally, the module will examine how to sustain momentum in the change process and how to overcome barriers to encourage individuals to embrace change. �� ����
• Dissertation: The module will allow you to plan and undertake an indepth piece of original primary research on a topic of your choice, related to your degree programme, comprising of a 10,000-word dissertation. You will be allocated a supervisor to support them through the dissertation process.

NB The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2024) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2025. Please check back here for any updates.

This degree can provide an excellent stepping stone to the management training schemes of multi-national hotel groups, and towards junior management roles in areas such as food and beverage management, sales and marketing, HR, accommodation services etc.

Other graduates may choose to pursue careers in tourism management, either with tour operators, in national or local tourism bodies or at a variety of attractions.

Those most interested in events will find roles in festival and events management, arts management, event logistics, conference production, sponsorship management and charity fundraising, as well as with hotel groups.

Our students are in demand, with many securing employment directly through their internships, campus networking opportunities, and independently with the excellent support of our on-campus career services. Our previous graduates have achieved remarkable success, now holding positions with global brands, which include:

• Team Leader, Walt Disney World, Florida
• Assistant Manager, Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong
• HR Director, Dakota Hotels
• Various roles at Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
• Event Sales Manager, The Dome, Edinburgh
• Research Assistant, VisitScotland
• Three Chimneys, Skye
• Assistant Manager, Camera Obscura
• Mercat Tours, Edinburgh

Additionally, some have pursued postgraduate studies at �ǿմ�ý and other universities.

As hospitality, tourism and events are global industries, there are great opportunities for international travel at all career stages.

Entry requirements

Scottish Higher: Standard - BBBC, Minimum - BCCC

A Level: BCC

Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H3 H3 H3

International Baccalaureate: 28 points

International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5

Required subjects: Maths and English at Nat 5/GCSE level are preferred. We can also accept National 5 Application of Maths or Lifeskills at the same grade.

Am I a Widening Access student?: We apply the minimum entry criteria to applicants who meet one or more contextual factor. To see if this would apply to you, please refer to the access and application page.

Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with relevant qualifications or experience. Visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page for more information. 

Direct Entry:

Year Two

• HNC: HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit
• Scottish Higher: BC at Advanced Higher in relevant subjects plus BB at Higher
• A Level: BBB in relevant subject

Year Three

• HND in a related subject with CB in the graded unit

For details of related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at �ǿմ�ý. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

Other costs

The additional costs associated with placement travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the student. Students who receive SAAS funding may be able to claim for some of these expenses to be reimbursed.

How to apply

Application for this course should be made through . More application information is available in the 'Start your Application' box at the top right of this page.

Terms and Conditions

• The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2025/26 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).
• The course information on this page is correct at the time of posting (Feb 2024) but may differ slightly for 2025 entry. Please check back here for updates.

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