Hospitality Management BA

Our Industry Partnership Group is made up of local, national and international events management, hospitality and tourism organisations, such as the Power of Events, Marriott International, Silverstone, Canal and River Trust, Delapre Abbey, McManus Pubs and CJS Event Solutions, and we are delighted to collaborate with such illustrious partners across the hospitality, events and tourism sector with local and global reach and impact. Interacting and engaging with our partners is an integral and unique element of our hospitality course and gives you, the student, excellent opportunities to not only develop your skills, but also your professional network from Day 1 of your enrolment.

Our industry partners contribute to the programmes through live case studies, guest lectures, and sharing their specialist knowledge as well as offering placements, work experience opportunities and applied research project work. Industry partners are also involved in contributing to our bespoke Student Futures Week programmes with mock assessment centres, panel discussions, workshops, our subject-specific careers fair, and research presentations. Our partners are core to how the course develops and they actively contribute to course and module development thus impacting both our student experience and graduate outcomes.

The University of Northampton Hospitality Management with pathways course offers more than just knowledge and information. We create countless opportunities for our students to get essential hands-on experience that builds their CVs and their skill base. These opportunities for paid work in the hospitality, events and tourism sectors, together with hundreds of opportunities for voluntary experiences, enable our students to challenge themselves and explore the sectors more broadly. We encourage our students to gain experience and broaden their horizons, enabling them to find their individual niche and preferred career paths.

The University of Northampton Hospitality Management degree is designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG10 Reduced Inequalities
• SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG12 Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG13 Climate Action

Find out more about the University of Northampton’s sustainability initiatives.

At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

If you join our full-time degree in Hospitality Management BA at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

* UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details)

The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying hospitality management courses, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

Please see our Integrated Foundation Year page for more details.

The University of Northampton’s Events Management courses are a member of The Association for Events Management Education (AEME). AEME was established in 2004, with the aim to advance events education within the UK and overseas.

We are also members of the Centre for Events and Festivals, UK Hospitality, Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management Institute, giving our students access to industry professionals as well as engaging with the latest developments in the industry.

The optional placement year enables you to put into practice what you have learned on your degree and gain practical industry experience. Your Hospitality Management degree is extended to four years and the placement is undertaken at the end of your penultimate year, this is for one year (48 weeks) and paid. If you meet the entry criteria, and choose to take up a placement year, you will find it an invaluable experience that helps you to apply your learning in your final year and prepares you for your career. We offer a lot of support in helping you to find a placement, which can be in the UK or overseas.

How will I learn?

Our Hospitality Management course uses the active blended learning approach to teaching and learning and weekly sessions are delivered in workshop format, usually for 12 hours per week. Some of your studying will be completed online, enabling you to complete some of the work at a time that is most convenient for you.

You will have a supportive network around you, including your course leader and personal tutor. We recommend that you spend 30 hours per week in self-directed study time.

How will I be assessed on this Event, Travel and Tourism and Hospitality Management Course?

A variety of individual and group-based assessments are used including reports, presentations, podcasts, posters, e-portfolios, projects, client briefs, videos and professional discussions/interviews. All assessments are designed based on industry work products you are likely to encounter in your work post-graduation, and give you excellent opportunities to develop these skills before you enter the workplace.

What type of events have students organised whilst studying this course?

We have a dedicated YouTube playlist of our student-ran events so you can see the types of events that have been organised in the past.

Will I go on any study trips?

In previous years our undergraduate students have participated in optional study trips to London, Liverpool, Leeds, Wakefield and Silverstone, and an optional study trip to a European destination. The cost of the fully optional trip to Europe should not normally exceed £500 for flights, accommodation and activities, although you will need to allow an additional £100 for your individual expenses. The European trip is costed at the beginning of the academic year and is subject to minimum numbers.

We also aim to provide a regional or national study trip annually to a venue or event. In some cases you may be required to contribute to the cost of entry; this would normally not exceed £50.

What experiences will I have on this Hospitality degree?

This hospitality degree offers students the chance to:

• Apply learning in real life settings, through our partnership with leading local hospitality, events and tourism employers
• Expand CVs with real first-hand experiences within the hospitality, tourism and events sector
• Learn from experienced lectures with expertise in research related to taught modules (link to the staff section on this page on the anchor text ‘experienced lecturers’)
• Acquire a broad range of skills that will enable you to start a career in the hospitality, tourism or events sector

The key themes of sustainability; equity, diversity and inclusion; innovation; business decision making and risk management, and professional development are woven through your learning at every level, and support you in deepening your subject knowledge and competencies as you progress through your University experience with us.

Experiences are at the heart of this Hospitality Management course and offer you a wealth of opportunities to design, plan, deliver and evaluate practical, industry-related projects, in every year of study. These projects are supported by our extensive network of industry and third sector partners, so that by the time you graduate you already have substantial evidence of your professional skillset, which will support your transition into graduate roles. The course also provides numerous opportunities for you to engage in field visits, sector-specific professional experience, additional (extra-curricular) project work and to grow your own professional network with hospitality, events and tourism professionals within the region, nationally and internationally.

Are there any special features on the Hospitality Management programme?

• Many students choose to undertake work placements of around 4 months’ duration in the summer break (June-September) or work on internships a couple of days each week. Some work-related experience is also embedded within our employability modules, taken in each year of study. Volunteering is actively encouraged and supported throughout the course to enable students to gain experience and practice their skills, and our industry partner group also offer a range of temporary paid work experience opportunities throughout the academic year, including in the summer period.
• We are building a student community and encouraging cross-year collaboration. Many first and second year students will volunteer to work at events that are hosted and fully organised by our final year students. We share industry news and encourage collaboration through our subject area social media on Instagram (@ETHNorthampton) and LinkedIn.
• We regularly invite industry professionals to provide you with their insight and experience as guest speakers within module sessions and in our Student Futures Weeks, as well as involving them in live-client projects and allowing you to present your project ideas to external clients. Our Industry Forum ensures that we keep our course content as up to date and relevant as possible and provides connections for students to engage with the industry throughout your studies. We also host a hospitality, tourism and events-focused careers fair every year, which showcases a wide range of opportunities employers are recruiting to locally.

Is hospitality management in demand?

The UK has a thriving hospitality sector, especially in coastal towns and in the major cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham. This means there a lot of opportunities for graduates starting their careers and plenty of pathways to progress your career into a managerial role.