Bachelor Hotel Management

As the hospitality industry is international by nature, languages are an important part of your studies. Apart from proficiency in English – today’s leading language in the hospitality industry - you are required to choose and study one of the following foreign languages: French, German, Spanish or Dutch (only for non-native speakers).

Year 1

Year 1 is the propaedeutic phase. The two first year modules are offered on an alternating basis. 

Knowing the Fundamentals of Hospitality Operations. This module is an introduction to Operations Management and Management Information Systems in hospitality management organisations, in combination with practical training in the in-house training company Sibelicious website / brochure.

Understanding the Hospitality Management Industry. You will learn how to deal with the basics of Finance, Economics, Marketing, Business Law & Ethics and Research & Design in relation to the hospitality management industry.

Competencies learned in these modules are brought together at the end of the year in a final project. In a small group of students you will make a prototype of ‘the lobby of the future’! 

Years 2 and 3

Year 2 and the first semester of year 3 are referred to as main phase I.  Year 2 consists of a total of three modules, the second and the third of which are offered on an alternating basis.

Developing People and Organisations 
Take a close look at behavioural aspects of working with people in organisations. (Courses: Oganisational Behaviour, Business Law & Ethics, Research & Design and Economics)

Managing Business Performance and Innovation
Learn how to deal with customer relations, service marketing and pricing strategies. (Courses: Accounting, Operations Management, Management Information Systems and Marketing)

Exploring the International Hospitality Industry
In this five-month practical placement you will experience living and working in a real-life, cross-cultural hospitality environment abroad. 

In order to ensure all students can be visited by their supervising lecturer, and in accordance with Breda University of Applied Sciences’ safety and security guidelines, a policy of geographical clustering is being followed and placements are located in the following countries and regions:

Belgium France Germany Spain & Mallorca England, Ireland & Scotland Dutch Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire) Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Thailand (Bangkok) Australia New Zealand South Africa (Cape Town area) United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi)*.

*Please note that these destinations might change because of unforeseen circumstances.

Year 3

In year 3, you will follow the course Creating Impact, during which you will design a sustainable strategic business that creates impact. A good challenge where you can put your knowledge and skills from the first 2 years to practice! During the course you’ll dive into the sustainability debate of the industry, as well as developing strategic thinking skills and expand your knowledge on experience design. Understanding the interrelation between these aspects will form a sweet spot for your design!

Year 4

In the final year, the graduation phase, you choose a personalised context in which you will perform your bachelor’s thesis and have the possibility to complete a personalised curriculum component (e.g. a minor, work placement, advisory report, business plan). Under the supervision of a personal coach, you will work on your final thesis, which you will defend at the end of the year.

Pre-master's

BUas offers its own pre-master's programme Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM). Successful completion of this track will give you direct access, after Breda University of Applied Sciences, to various Master of Science programmes in business-related studies in management and marketing at several partner universities. A few examples are the universities of Amsterdam, Maastricht, Tilburg, Brussel (B) or Warwick (UK). In this way, it will be possible for you to earn an academic master's degree within five years' time or, after having completed an accelerated three-year track, even within four years' time.

Study load and coaching

Study load
The study load differs per theme but you will spend an average of 32 hours per week on school. This means attending lectures, working on projects and assignments and preparing for assessments. During the practical 'Operations' weeks, you will be working full-time in the catering, kitchen, restaurant or at the reception of our school.

Study coaching
Topics covered in this programme include report writing and source citations, digital skills and working with specific computer programs, time management, communication skills, teamwork, learning styles, and leadership styles. In the final stages of the programme, the focus shifts to the work field, where decision-making, senior leadership, negotiation, and entrepreneurship are important topics. 

Part of the Management Development Programme is your Personal Development Plan. You make this yourself and your study coach will help you with this. Based on this plan, you will review your study progress and development together.

Student counsellor
The student counsellor provides information, advice and guidance relating to educational and occupational choices, study conditions and student grants. This is also the person to turn to if you wish to discuss any personal problems that may be affecting your life as a student.

You can find more information about planning, curriculum and subjects in the overview below, op open the overview in pdf. 

You will benefit from the intensive three-year programme in two respects: you gain one year in time, and save one year of tuition fees.

• after vwo (pre-university education) or after another propaedeutic year in another degree programme (economic focus): you will start in year 2 and also receive basic knowledge and skills from the propaedeutic phase.
• for Dutch students only: tailor-made track for havo graduates: you will start your course of study at De Rooi Pannen (mbo level) and you will proceed at Breda University of Applied Sciences in year 2 of the regular four-year programme. 

Three-year programme after pre-university education or after propaedeutic year

>The differences between the three- and four-year programme can mainly be found in your first year of study. The three-year programme starts with modules from the second year of the regular programme. To ensure that basic knowledge of the propaedeutic phase is covered, some additional classes are scheduled and relevant study material is made available to you. Furthermore you will receive a short introduction to the hospitality industry with practical components in our in-house training company.

Special tailor-made track for havo graduates

You have just obtained your havo diploma, would really like to work in the hospitality industry, but you are not sure about the step from havo to hbo. Either you are anxious that this step is a little too abmitious, or you are inadmissible to Breda University of Applied Sciences. Breda University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with De Rooi Pannen, offers the perfect alternative, especially for you, in the form of the tailor-made study track. You will start your course of study at De Rooi Pannen (mbo level) in Tilburg where you will spend two years. You will conclude your studies with an mbo diploma in horeca (level 4, Horecaondernemer/-manager). Next, you will proceed to the Hotel Management degree programme of BUas, where you can complete your bachelor’s degree in three years. This means that you will be in possession of an mbo diploma and an hbo degree after five years of studying! You can apply for this programme at De Rooi Pannen.

More information on the website of De Rooi Pannen (in Dutch).

Three-year track for students with both havo and a mbo-4 HOM diploma
Students who have a havo / vwo diploma in combination with a vocational diploma level 4, Horeca ondernemer / -manager (mbo-4 HOM), can finish this degree programme in three years as well. You can apply at the Academy of Hotel Management and take part in the selection procedure in order to start in the second year of the International Hotel Management programme. 

For more information, just watch the Dutch video below.

This video consists of several chapters. Click on the icons to see more content.

To experience your theory in the real world, you will receive three international field trips. Only then you can see, look and feel how it’s like to work in the hospitality business.

The main goal during the study trip in the propaedeutic phase is to introduce you to the international hospitality industry and to familiarise you with the various aspects of it. Special attention is given to hospitality, service concepts, cross-cultural aspects, and sustainable development within the hospitality industry. Getting in touch with the industry and reflecting on the observations and interactions with it, are an important part of the activity.

The field trip in the main phase aims to let you further experience the theory of beverage management (wines and spirits). The field trip will be preceded by a wine/spirits course so that students will be able to compare the theoretical part with the actual beverage industry’s standards and techniques.

Together with your fellow students of International Facility Management, you will take part in the third and last field trip. In this trip you will further experience the way in which several departments work together, with overlapping disciplines such as finance, marketing, revenue and sustainability.

Other countries, different cultures, meeting new people... Does this appeal to you? Then you can add an extra international dimension to your studies by doing a six month exchange programme.

Exchange programmes are offered by universities in: Canada (Vancouver), China (Hong Kong, Macao), Finland (Helsinki and Jyväskylä), France (Chambéry, Institute Paul Bocuse), Germany (Bad Honnef), Hungary (Budapest), Portugal (Faro), Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca), England (Bournemouth and London), USA (Flagstaff, Orlando).

At BUas you are trained to become an entrepreneurial professional. In all the professional bachelor’s programmes, you are given the opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial skills. You will be taught about entrepreneurship in courses specifically designed for this purpose. In your second year, you can take part in an Excellence Track in Entrepreneurship.

And in the fourth year you can opt for a BUas-wide in Entrepreneurship, or you can even graduate in your own business! Perhaps, by that time, you already have a profitable business or have plans to start one? BUas Startup Support can help you.   

More information on how to start your own bussines.