What will I learn?
This consolidated undergraduate programme designed to prepare students for careers in the global hospitality, tourism and visitor economy sectors. It brings together hospitality operations, tourism management, sustainable destination development, technology and digital innovation, business practice and professional skills within a single coherent degree, responding to changing industry expectations and the continued demand for graduates who can operate confidently across international, regional and local contexts. The Foundation Year is designed for students who would benefit from an additional year to build confidence and academic skills before progressing. It provides a supportive introduction to university-level study, developing academic, digital, numerical and communication skills alongside collaborative project work, and preparing students for progression into the degree with a sound understanding of contemporary business practice and the readiness required for subsequent study in hospitality and tourism management.Students will explore how hospitality and tourism organisations operate, how destinations are managed, and how businesses respond to sustainability challenges, digital transformation and shifting consumer expectations. Plymouth’s coastal and heritage tourism context provides a valuable applied setting for learning, allowing students to connect classroom knowledge with real visitor economy issues.The course will be delivered through a practice-based and industry-informed approach. Teaching combines lectures, workshops, applied activities, live consultancy-style tasks, sector data analysis, employer engagement and authentic assessment. Students work with real-world scenarios that reflect the kinds of decisions made by managers, destination leaders and hospitality professionals. The programme will also include opportunities for co-created learning and assessment, ensuring that students, employers and professional bodies continue to shape the course as the sector evolves. Students will follow a clear progression route across the degree. Earlier stages will introduce core business, hospitality and tourism principles, while later stages will develop more advanced knowledge in areas such as regenerative destination management, hospitality operations, crisis and disaster management, innovation and enterprise, research-informed decision-making and strategic management. The course also includes shared business and marketing modules where appropriate, helping students build a broader management skill set alongside specialist hospitality and tourism knowledge. An optional 48-week placement year provides students with an opportunity to gain industry experience before completing the final stage of the degree. A key benefit is its strong employability focus. Assessment is designed around authentic industry-based scenarios, enabling students to develop the confidence and capability to apply their learning in professional settings. The programme will seek recognition and/or accreditation from relevant professional bodies, including the Institute of Hospitality, the Tourism Management Institute, the Association of British Travel Agents, and the Institute of Travel and Tourism. These links are intended to support professional development and provide students with clearer pathways into graduate employment.Graduates develop a broad portfolio of skills relevant to hospitality, tourism and wider management careers. Including problem-solving, communication, leadership, commercial awareness, digital confidence, evidence-based decision-making, sustainability awareness, research and analytical skills, and the ability to work with diverse stakeholders. Through applied learning, placements, live assessment tasks and industry engagement, students will be supported to become flexible, resilient and professionally capable graduates
