Hello everyone,

I would like to know some things about tourism and hospitality programmes....i did a small research and i realise that only a few of them have a triple accreditation and these are from THE famous Universities(ESSEC).However,when i try to find a programme with that specialization find-mba.com gives me various results but only a few of them are accredited.
Does anyone know a few things about them and can provide me with insight? If yes,i would like to guide me check some of them in order to pick the one that fits me better!


* is the accreditation from the Instituion of Hospitality more important in these programmes?

Many Thanks!

I think you'll get a better response with more specific questions and after reading through what's already on the board. Hospitality is a little like Luxury as an MBA specialisation: lots of student demand, few MBA level roles, a big emphasis on personal networking. The are the top schools, like Cornell and ESSEC, and then a big gap with unaccredited MBAs that really are not preparing people for MBA-type roles. In between there's a more promising gap for people with generic finance and accounting skills. See Luxury & Luxury Brand Management http://www.find-mba.com/board/24603 for a comparison.

Dear Duncan,

Thank you for your response!What i am trying to say is that Hospitality Industry is growing day by day.I believe that obtaining an MBA with that specialisation is less common than taking one in General Management.I dont know the MBA roles in the hospitality industry and this is why i need guidance.Is it better for me to do an Msc rather than MBA in that specific sector? I also believe that job opportunities are a lot after graduating a programme like this,and this is why i want to get informed by someone who attended it in the past! Do you believe that taking an MSc like this (Hospitality Management) can secure me a job relatively fast?Also,do you believe that i need to study on a country where i know the language e.x UK because i can work there after graduation or this is not gonna be a problem ?

Thank you very much!

*excuse me if i am not making sense at some points

[Edited by Fotis Kachpanis on Jan 09, 2017]

Hi Fotis. No, my feeling is that hospitality is like luxury. Whether or not it is a high growth market, there is an over-supply of people willing to work in that industry at a substantial discount. I don't think there are the number of entry-level jobs for MBAs that we'd see in oher markets. For that reason, the top schools are the only safe choices and language skills are key. In the UK, for example, the major schools for MBAs in hospitality are very weak schools like the University of Wales, Anglia Ruskin University or Sheffield Hallam that don't requite work experience. They end up in functional back-office roles like accounting, IT and finance.
I think a better route would be a masters in finance from a FT-ranked school.

Than you again for your advice Duncan!I searched the masters in finance from the FT as you suggested me and i saw that all i have to do is to take the GMAT exam.Then i will be ready to apply to all of them (almost).However,there are listed schools that do not require GMAT on their MSc in Finance programmes.Should i keep searching for programmes in countries where i know the language (England) or this is not gonna be a problem now?Also,should i look for programmes with an internship,right?Whats your oppinion for the Rotterdam School of management,Strathclyde B.school,University of st.gallen?Anything else that i sould take into consideration while im searching for the best choice?

Thank you very much in advance!

It's certainly much easier to find work where you know the language. You can take a year-long or semester-long intensive language course at many European universities to learn the language intensively (Amsterdam is great for Dutch and I can recommend Munich for German). But if Rotterdam or St Gallen are targets then learn the language before starting the programme so you can network effectively. I was a very strong applicant, but St Gallen turned me down perhaps because I did not speak German then. St Gallen is excellent, and will get you in work without any doubt. Strathclyde is very good for getting into work, but not quite so strong for wages. Placement is rather weak at Rotterdam. Use the FT ranking and add in the columns for Careers and Placement. http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/masters-in-finance-pre-experience-2016

[Edited by Duncan on Jan 11, 2017]

Well,i saw the St.Gallen Admissions and i realized that they are looking for very strong canditates (GMAT 700) since they are an exceptional school and their fees are considerably low.I add the columns you told me and i got 2 questions.What means when the placement column has no figures?and what means a 3 in the placement column?I kinda like Switzerland but i think that St.Gallen is gonna be a hard achievement,so,whats your oppinion for HEC Lausanne(Placement=4)?I also noticed the Kozminski University (MSc in Finance),any advice?

Hi,
If I could provide any input regarding hospitality management degrees, I might suggest looking at Switzerland where there are good hotel schools, which are famous in the market. Given that I was in one of them for my bachelor degree (Glion Institute of Higher Education) i don't want my suggestion to be perceived as biased. Indeed, these schools are not accredited by the actual accreditation bodies like AMBA, Equis, etc. There are accredited at university level by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). The good thing is that their programs combine good academic theory with practice. The teaching staff has an impressive experience in the market, which give them the opportunity to offer their expertise also based on their professional perspective. Besides, they have a strong alumni network and luxurious hotel brands come for recruiting there.

Which schools are accredited by NEASC?

École Hôtelière de Lausanne
Glion Institute of Higher Education
Les Roches International School of Hotel Management

Hello km,
Thank you for the information!Have you ever heard of HTMi(private institute)?Did Glion secure you an internship or something relevant?Are you willing to continue your studies there?

Of course these are all private institutes. That is why they are not called universities.

No, unfortunately I don't know the HTMI. We had the career coordinator who could assisted us in finding an internship. We had the opportunity to do interviews at the institute also. After having done the Bachelor I continued for a postgraduate degree in England at a business school. Given the focus of the bachelor degree in the hospitality industry i wanted to see the difference with a business school. In fact, they are not universities, but the program offered is at university level. That is why all of us who applied to a university business school for a master degree were accepted (UK, France). Besides, in the hospitality industry there are well respected.

Hello km, Thank you for the information! can i ask you which bussiness school you chose?and what kind of master you decided to study after completing a bachelor in hospitality management?Do you believe that is worthing it?

I went to the Durham university business school for the postgraduate degree. Given that my BA was in Hospitality and Finance I chose a finance track. From my personal experience, i realised that a postgraduate degrees worth it when you study areas you haven't done at the undergraduate degree (and of course when it is related to what you aim to do after the degree).