Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management

Programme OverviewExpand / Collapse

BSc in Hotel Management was the first hospitality programme introduced in Macao in 2002. The popularity of the English programme continued to rise after its establishment. In light of the rapid growth of the industry, the programme intake was first expanded in 2003 and again in 2009. In the same year, the quality of the programme was recognised by UNWTO with TedQual certificate and has since been on the list. In response to the growing need of tertiary education for working professionals, the programme further expanded in 2010, offering a Chinese degree programmes.

The broad educational approach facilitates students' learning process. Meanwhile, the multidisciplinary curriculum was designed to highlight the importance of customer-service-driven operations and develop students' operational competencies. The BSc in Hotel Management is a 4-year programme. Students are required to complete a 6-month internship in their Year 3.

In four years of study, students develop the necessary competencies to shine in the industry. The programme combine theory with practice and invest a great deal in students' personal development and guidance. They need to complete not only courses of management theory but also hotel specific practicums, course work and internships to put their learning into practice. The practical components allow students to gain hands-on experience and more importantly, develop their communication and leadership skills through operations in real-life context. The aim is to prepare our graduates with competencies suitable for positions of managerial responsibility in the Greater China's and international hotel industry, or to continue their studies for a higher degree.

Our education is people-oriented whereby students are encouraged to work as good team players. This is put into practice when organising an event, running a simulation or solving a realistic business case related to hospitality industry. Besides, to experience theory in the real world, field trips are embedded in some programme courses for visiting international highly reputable hotels and resorts. Only then students can see, look and feel how it is like to work in the hospitality business. In addition, guest lectures provided by professional management from well-known hotel groups are also arranged regularly. The main purpose is to introduce students to the international hospitality industry and to familiarise them with the various aspects of it. Getting in touch with the industry and reflecting on the observations and interactions with it, are an important part of the programme.

Programme Structure and CurriculumExpand / Collapse

The curriculum of Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management covers key courses in general management, core courses of hotel management, language development and different hands-on experiences.

Year 1 students start their bachelor study with basic management concept. Accounting, Business Management and other general management courses will be included. Students will start to learn about the industry through Introduction to Tourism and different hotel related practicum.

Year 2 students continue developing their management concept with the addition of more hotel-specific courses, for instance Introduction to Food and Beverage, Lodging Operations and Wine Studies. 

Year 3 students are introduced to more advanced concepts in both general management and hotel management. Students are required to apply their knowledge obtained from courses such as Cost Control and Hotel Management to case studies or simulations. Meanwhile, students start developing their research skill as a preparation for the senior thesis. They gain more experience in hotel operations and build up their professional network through completing a 6-month internship.

Year 4 students, with the experience gained from internship, undertake the advanced courses such as Strategic Management and Revenue Management. They are required to complete an individual senior thesis / capstone project under the supervision of experienced faculty member.

In addition to these mandatory subjects, there are other elective courses available throughout Year 2 to Year 4. To learn more about the curriculum in details and other information about admission, please refer to the information below and the webpage IFTM Admission.

Internship ProgrammesExpand / Collapse

The Internship Programme aims to provide our students the opportunity to consolidate their theoretical foundation through practical experience. A major component of this experience is the formation of a professional attitude. The students are expected to develop their personality and capacity to adapt to, and handle, challenging situations in the real business world. Through the internship programme, the students should be able to acquire transferable skills such as communications skills, interpersonal skills, technical skills, teamwork skills, management skills and problem-solving skills. Last but not least, the students can explore their interest in future career development. Please click to see the list of local or global internship providers.

The Internship Programme is required for all bachelor degree students. Each daytime degree programme student is expected to complete six consecutive months of internship during which he/she must work for a minimum of 800 hours. While evening degree programme student can choose to undertake 800 working hours of internship over a maximum period of two years counting from the commencement of his/her internship or six consecutive months and complete a minimum total of 800 working hours. Each student is expected to be supervised by a mentor throughout the internship. The student will need to fill in a monthly report to report his/her progress during the internship whereas the mentor will need to give an appraisal to the student on a monthly basis.

For more information on the Internship Programme, please contact the Practicum and Internship Team at intern@iftm.edu.mo or (853) 8598-3050 / 8598-1256 / 8598-1520.

Semester Incoming and Outgoing Exchange ProgrammeExpand / Collapse

To enrich the cultural experience of our students, IFTM started receiving exchange students in academic year 1996/97. Since then IFTM has received almost 800 students! The photos below highlight their study at IFTM and life in Macao. Please click here to know more about our incoming exchange programme.

IFTM students realise that there is nothing better than emerging themselves in a foreign setting to personally experience cultural challenges. Since the first pioneers set their footsteps overseas in academic year 2000/01, our students have pursued valuable overseas study experiences in Australia, Austria, Canada, Chinese Taiwan, Denmark, Japan, Finland, France, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States of America and more. Please click here to know more about our outgoing exchange programme.