International Tourism Management with Placement Year

The highlights

• You'll learn to manage and promote destinations and develop tourism, but we'll also give you the leadership and entrepreneurial skills needed to excel in the tourism industry - a sector that needs reshaping and rebuilding after the Covid pandemic
• There are plenty of opportunities to travel: you can study abroad for a semester in year two, go on various overseas fieldtrips, and take a placement year before year three, which could be based overseas or in the UK
• You'll learn how tourism, events and hospitality overlap to make up the wider 'visitor economy', and work closely with Events and Hospitality students - this will broaden your career options
• This programme is part of our Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, which has been awarded the prestigious International Centre of Excellence (ICE) in Tourism and Hospitality accreditation
• All modules align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, so you will learn to think about the social and environmental impacts of tourism and balance this against the economic benefits it brings

Future focussed

This BA (Hons) International Tourism Management degree is designed to give you the management and operational skills needed to succeed in the tourism industry of the 2020s and beyond. We have a track record of running successful tourism management degrees, and now we've updated our curriculum to be even more relevant to the industry today.

In particular, we've included more content about business management, entrepreneurship and sustainability, so you graduate as a modern, adaptable and creative thinker who is not afraid to challenge the status quo and lead on change.

We've also redesigned the modules so that instead of studying specific modules in Finance, Marketing, HR and the other business disciplines, we teach these subjects throughout the course at points where they are most relevant. For instance, you will build your financial knowledge as you learn to create business plans, and you will develop HR and leadership skills as you learn how to change and transform an organisation.

Tourism and the visitor economy

This programme is part of our Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, which is an accredited International Centre of Excellence (ICE). Because of this, it shares key generic modules with our International Hospitality Management and Event Management degrees, so you can appreciate how these three specialisms work together to make up the 'visitor economy' (the services and experiences that attract visitors to a destination).

You will still focus on tourism - through activities, assessments and specialist modules - but you'll also develop broader business management knowledge and get the chance to take optional modules in event management and hospitality subjects. It means you'll have a wider skillset when you graduate and a greater choice of career paths and postgraduate courses.

Boost your employability with a placement year

You’ll have the opportunity to take a placement year to put the skills you’ve learned into practice in a real-world environment. We'll support you to find your placement and throughout your year in industry. Placements allow you to gain valuable experience to add to your CV, make industry contacts and help you to narrow down what kind of role you may be interested in after graduation. 

Key areas of learning

On this degree, you'll cover the full range of modern-day tourism management and business management skills. You'll learn to problem-solve and adapt to changing external environments, create successful experiences while considering sustainability, and plan, manage and evaluate projects. 

We'll cover interesting or emerging topics such as sustainable tourism, e-tourism and the role of technology, and niche tourism such as food, nature-based or adventure tourism. We'll teach you how to research, analyse and present data, as well as how to launch a new business, manage finances and lead teams. You'll graduate with a diverse skillset, a 'can-do' attitude and the knowledge and confidence to go out and make your mark in the tourism industry. 

Professional training and insights from ABTA

During your degree you can get access to additional professional training from ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, which represents travel agents and tour operators. Because we're an ABTA partner, our students can complete online training courses developed by the Association and receive CPD (Continuing Professional Development) certificates to show to future or current employers. It's an easy way to build up additional professional knowledge and demonstrate to employers that you are proactive and keen to learn.  

As an ABTA partner, we also get access to exclusive travel industry updates, research and publications, around topics like travel trends and travel law. This ensures we're always up to date with the latest developments in the industry.

Practical projects

Throughout the course you'll be asked to complete a wide range of tasks and activities that a tourism professional might do, so you build up practical experience and can apply what you're learning.

For example, you might be asked to design and deliver a tourism experience for a specific customer group, think up creative ideas for promoting a destination, develop a project to solve a tourism related problem, and develop and pitch business proposals. You will also get the chance to act as a management consultant for a business, giving them advice on sustainable tourism planning, and come up with ideas for an online tool or new technology innovation in tourism.

Studying abroad and overseas trips

In the second year, you will get the opportunity to study abroad. You'll be able to choose from a range of countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Thailand, Bali and South Africa. It's a great way to experience a different culture, gain a new perspective on your subject, and have an adventure!

There are also plenty of opportunities to take part in study trips overseas and in the UK, with Hospitality and Events students. See which locations we've recently visited and what we got up to.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You will build up your knowledge and skills through learning activities like:

• lectures - delivered by our tutors and guest speakers
• seminars and tutorials
• practical projects
• case study analysis
• research and independent study
• industry days, conferences and competitions
• fieldtrips in the UK and overseas
• placements and internships
• networking and mentoring

How you will be assessed

We use a range of assessment methods - predominantly coursework, but there may be some online exams too. Your coursework tasks will be based around the key duties of tourism professionals, and will include researching the market, thinking of creative ways to promote destinations and attractions, writing business proposals and reports, delivering pitches and presentations, drafting project plans, and evaluating the success of tourism initiatives and activities.

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for the 2025-26 academic year which includes September 2025 and January 2026 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

You'll graduate from this degree as a confident and creative international tourism specialist with strong business acumen. If you want to launch your own business or work for a start-up, you'll have the enterprising attitude and attributes that are needed, including resilience, self-awareness and independent thinking.

Or if you prefer to work for an employer, you'll be well-suited to a range of roles in the tourism, event or hospitality sectors, as well as allied industries such as marketing, PR or HR. You could initially apply for roles such as Tourism Officer, Travel Consultant, Business Development Manager and Marketing Executive, but several years down the line, we think you'll be leading, inspiring and shaping the future of the visitor economy.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

† Additional information about your studies

January start is available for students starting at year 1 or year 3 only.

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

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