B.A. Hons Hospitality Management (with International Placement)

Why take this course?
This is an exciting course, which includes a compulsory overseas work placement. You will study the full suite of topics related to managing hospitality at the highest level, including bar, restaurant, front office and food and beverage management.

Tourism is now the largest indigenous employer in Ireland, with 230,000 people employed in the industry (Irish Times, 2016). In addition:

• Irish tourism is in a very successful period with over 10 million international tourists visited Ireland annually (Tourism Ireland, 2020);
• The tourism sector supports 150,000 in the accommodation and food sector alone (Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport);
• Tourism is worth approximately 6billion to the Irish economy (Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport, 2020);
• In 2019 the UK holiday company Centre Parcs opened a new resort in Ballymahon. Center Parcs village €233 million in the development of the attraction and employs in excess of 1,000 people.

What will I experience?

• ?Business management modules, including HRM, Marketing, Accounting and IT
• Hospitality management subjects, including culinary, restaurant, bar, front office
• 2 compulsory work placements, with at least one compulsory placement overseas
• Students in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure are eligible to take part in annual international fieldtrips. In the last two years we have visited Italy, Spain, France, China and Dubai and Malaysia.
• Find out more about this course and our facilities by attending one of our regular open evenings where you can meet teaching staff and current students.
• You will visit 5* properties, Michelin star restaurants and have guest lectures from global authorities on tourism and hospitality during your time in AIT.

What opportunities might it lead to?
Your specialist knowledge of hospitality management will lead to a career in the hospitality, resort, hotel and tourism industries. Here are some routes our graduates pursue:

• Food and Beverage Managers
• Hotel Management
• Hotel Revenue and Finance Careers
• Hospitality Marketing
• Careers in tourism and hospitality
• Graduates have found employment in such companies as the Shelbourne Hotel, Merrion Hotel, Ashford Castle, Dromoland Castle, Ballyfin Demense, Adare Manor, Fitzpatrick Hotel in New York, on cruise ships, in ski resorts, airlines and banks.

Assessment Information
We place a lot of emphasis on student support and so we aim to provide a learning environment that is both stimulating and academically challenging, whilst also supporting your learning. You will encounter a range of teaching methods- from lectures, workshops and seminars to hands on practical food and beverage restaurant and kitchen classes. The course is taught by experienced lecturers with a track record of success in many sectors including the hospitality, tourism and culinary industries.

How are you assessed?

We appreciate that different students have different learning styles and so we provide a range of assessment approaches to suit everybody. Here are some of the ways we assess your work:

• mini-projects
• Presentations
• Group work
• Live client work
• Examinations
• Multiple-choice tests
• Essays
• Portfolio work