Master of Science in International Hospitality Management & Leadership

Course details

The MSc International Hospitality Management and Leadership programme is a 12 month programme designed as a career entry general masters course, primarily for students with little or no business, management or leadership experience.

The focus of the programme emerges from a commitment to make a distinctive contribution in the field of hospitality and management education and to wider society, by offering an accessible, contemporary and practical student-centred programme. The programme seeks to develop graduates: who can identify the need for, and then lead change; who understand the importance and strategic value of sustainable, long term solutions; who are creative, entrepreneurial and flexible practitioners, with a truly international perspective; and who are sensitive to wider societal impacts and responsibilities.

One of the primary goals of the programme is to place the student at the centre of the learning process and empower them to take increasing ownership of the learning experience. This approach encourages the practices of critical and reflective thinking throughout the programme and is exemplified in the Community Impact and Practice module.

Programme Objective

• Demonstrate, through practice, knowledge of how strategies for research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in hospitality management and leadership.
• Systematically and critically evaluate the practices, research and  scholarship in hospitality management and leadership.
• Critically evaluate, interrelate and apply knowledge and processes   relevant to hospitality management and leadership.
• Exercise responsibility, initiative and self-direction to support and further develop independent study and professional development.
• Contribute to the development of management and leadership within hospitality.
• Identify, critically analyse and respond creatively to complex problems that are specific to the hospitality industry.
• Demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, understanding and practices in dealing with complex issues in hospitality operations;

Modules

International Leadership, Power & Policy

This module enables students to apply a critical knowledge and understanding of leadership in the hospitality industry in sectoral, national and international contexts. Students need to identify a range of problems in connection with leadership and leadership styles in contemporary hospitality industry, apply critical analysis and evaluation of theory and understanding forefront issues to attempt to provide solutions to these complex issues.

 Managing Facilities and Development of Resort, Hotels and Spas

This module ensures that the students can identify the role of managers within resort and spa developments. Students will assess how to effectively use appropriate available resources, evaluate and analyse profits streams and potential trends related to inpidual departments. Students will examine the challenges of environmental protection both within and externally to the organisation, and analyse and evaluate the effective and innovative use of ‘space’ whilst managing customer expectations.

International Marketing

The module addresses the challenges of leading and managing the development and refinement of organisation strategy in the shaping of international marketing context. Management and leadership, entrepreneurial knowledge and skills will also be addressed. It challenges students to create a plan for the launch of a product or service into a new international market, which requires students to conduct a detailed study and analysis of the context.

Strategic Thinking

This module provides student with an organising framework for integrating concepts, skills and techniques of strategic thinking, as well as applying those in a variety of personal and business contexts. This module facilitates students’ engagement in developing value through creative responses to contemporary, global and local strategic challenges. It develops student awareness of organisational and environmental contexts and their influence on successful development and integration of strategic value creation.

Inspirational Leadership in Hospitality

This module examines leadership and management theories in hospitality, characteristics and practices of leadership, with emphasis on inspirational hospitality leaders. Students will get to understand the international hospitality industry and practical aspects of leadership through learning from the experts. The future of hospitality leadership with critical analysis of issues, problems and trends will be addressed.

Research Methods

This module allows students to demonstrate critical abilities in evaluating a research project, taking account of the nature of the research, identifying relevant issues and evaluating decisions taken by authors of research papers. Students learn to engage critically with quantitative and qualitative research paradigms, develop inductive and deductive skills, literature-search and evaluative skills using research published in reputable journals and which involves theory, a recognisable research design and primary data.

Contemporary Issues in International Management

This module engages students in a critical exploration of the principal theories, concepts and principles of global management. Students learn to examine in critical perspective the practice of management through an engagement with a range of contemporary issues in management across different organisational and cultural contexts. Students will critically analyse issues and specific case studies, which are at the forefront of the study of international management and to critically review and consolidate knowledge and thinking in relation to management.

Developments and Issues in Hospitality Operations

This module brings students to critical awareness of key developments and issues within the international hospitality industry and to enable critical evaluation of the theory and practices of global hospitality operations. Students must critically evaluate a range of specialised skills, techniques and practices which are at the forefront of global hospitality developments. Students consider legal issues, business structures, revenue management, marketing and ethics which can impact an hospitality operation.

Community Impact and Practice

This module facilitates and develops students’ appreciation of the importance of community, sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ethics through leadership, development and participation within communities and enable them to engage in community based projects with socially responsible objectives and to investigate, define, plan, negotiate and lead a community project. At the heart of this module lies the firm belief that the responsibility of leaders and managers does not stop at an organisational level, but includes the responsibility to inpiduals, communities and society as a whole.