Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £12,440 for the course
International/EU: £20,100 for the course -
How long will I study?
2 Years
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
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Placement year available?
Yes
Course summary
- Strategically manage and promote global products, businesses and destinations.
- Critically examine the hospitality and tourism industries within practical contexts.
- Develop essential skills to enter or advance in international hospitality and tourism.
- Operate in a sustainable and competitive manner within these sectors.
- Learn to lead people in the cross-cultural environments of a global industry.
The MSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management course emphasises sustainability and competitiveness through critical analysis and practical application. You’ll gain the expertise and professional skills to strategically plan, innovate, manage and promote products, businesses and destinations in the global hospitality and tourism industries. The course also includes a work experience opportunity – a 12-month placement.
Accredited by
This course is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality, the international hospitality professional membership body for managers and aspiring managers. It is also recognised by the Tourism Management Institute, (TMI) the professional organisation for tourism destination managers. TMI has extended recognition to this course delivered in Hong Kong in partnership with SHAPE.
Student satisfaction
This course scored 100% for overall student satisfaction in the Postgraduate Taught Student Satisfaction Survey 2025.
Sheffield Business School accreditation
Sheffield Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and has been awarded the Business School Impact System label by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).
Tourism subject group award
Our Tourism subject group is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), the membership organisation for tourism industry professionals and educators.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
This course offers a versatile learning approach encompassing various methods, enabling you to establish a robust theoretical and practical foundation in business management, hospitality and tourism.
You’ll be taught by expert staff with professional experience in a range of relevant fields. You’ll learn in state-of-the-art facilities – applying theoretical knowledge in practical ways aligned to the real-world challenges facing the hospitality and tourism sectors. We’ll emphasise the latest industry trends, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities and global readiness while exploring relevant concepts and their practical applications through case studies.
You learn through:
- Practical workshops
- Lectures
- Tutorials and simulations
- Essays and reports
- Field trips, site visits and investigative field work
- Industry guest lectures and key speakers
- Case study analysis
- Industry software
- Placements
- Presentations
Key themes
You’ll gain a foundational understanding of the hospitality and tourism industry in modules such as ‘Approaches to Tourism and Hospitality Business Management’ and ‘Consumer Behaviour’.
You’ll then delve deeper into industry operations through courses like 'Business Management Strategy’, ‘Research Methods' and 'Work Related Learning’.
The course culminates in strategic management modules like 'Tourism and Aviation Operations', followed by a dissertation. You’ll also have the option to choose a specialised elective in either tourism or hospitality.
Course-level support
- You’ll be supported by industry-experienced academic staff – as well as an academic adviser, an employability adviser and a student support adviser. We’ll also encourage you to collaborate with peers in both your learning and in extra-curricular activities, so you can benefit from a sense of course community.
- You’ll mostly be assessed through coursework, with workshops to provide you with regular feedback. Where appropriate, we’ll build flexibility and personalisation into the assessment design to allow you to tailor your own learning.
- Our teaching is digitally-enriched, with opportunities to engage online with peers and tutors
- You’ll be welcomed onto campus with in-person workshops.
- Supported independent study builds confidence and resilience, shaping individual creative practice.
- You’ll collaborate with external partners to develop the personal and professional competencies required for a career in the hospitality or tourism industries.
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to source a work placement for up to 12 months, where you’ll apply academic theory and your skills in a real-world setting. This hands-on experience will enhance your professional development and help you to make informed career choices after graduation. Throughout your placement, you’ll be supported to reflect on your experience and contribution to the organisation you work for. You'll also share your progress and achievements with your Placement Academic Supervisor as part of your final assessment.
Work placements are competitive and will require you to make formal applications to employers and be successful in securing an opportunity. The application process for placements takes place while you are a student with us. To support you in applying for placements, you’ll complete an additional placement preparation program that introduces you to the UK employment landscape and prepares you for the recruitment and assessment activities you will experience during that process. We also maintain a large database of placement offers that you can search to find opportunities most relevant to your course that you can apply for.
Previous organisations that have provided placement opportunities include:
- Omega Travel
- Visit Peak District and Derbyshire
- Hilton
- Marriott
- Conrad
- Anantara Resorts
- Como Resorts
- Gleneagles Hotel
- Hotelbeds Group.
Networking opportunities
You’ll be able to expand your professional network through guest lectures by industry experts, researchers and academics – supplemented by immersive case studies and field visits. These experiences give you a deeper industry understanding and invaluable career experience.
Course leaders and tutors
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You can take an optional placement in year two.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
This module equips you with the tools and critical insight to analyse, evaluate, and improve operational systems in global tourism and hospitality. You’ll explore how organisations respond to change, manage resources, and embed sustainability in operational strategy.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Global tourism and hospitality operations
- Sustainable destination and visitor attraction management
- Service design and operations strategy
- Forecasting, yield, and revenue management
- Financial planning and inventory control
- Supply chain and sales data analysis
- Capacity, queuing, and regulatory compliance
- Quality assurance and service recovery
- Food safety and legal frameworks
- Sustainability, ethics, and professional skill developmen
This module develops your ability to anticipate market shifts and apply innovative, ethical marketing strategies. You’ll explore how emerging technologies transform customer experiences and operational processes in tourism and hospitality.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Branding and sub-branding strategies
- Digital and experiential marketing approaches
- Marketing research and consumer insights
- Artificial intelligence in tourism operations and processes
- Hyper-personalised customer experiences
- Extended realities and virtual tourism
- Accessible tourism and human-robot interaction
- Innovative pricing and business models
- Marketing mix and performance measurement
- Ethical, secure, and sustainable marketing practices
The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of, and reflection on meaningful work experience.
A work experience will provide students with opportunities to experience the realities of professional employment and experience how their course can be applied within their chosen industry setting. The placement will:
Allow student to apply the skills, theories and behaviours relevant and in addition to their course.
Enable students to enhance their interpersonal skills in demand by graduate employers – communication, problem solving, creativity, resilience, team work etc.
Grow their student network and relationship building skills.
Provide students with insights into the industry and sector in which their placement occurs.
Help student make informed graduate careers choices.
In this module, students will undertake a work experience (minimum duration and expectations as per HESA regulations – clarified on assignment brief/Blackboard) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies and appropriate for their level of study.
Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their work experience and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for.
To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work.
This module explores ethical and sustainable organisational development in hospitality and tourism. You’ll critically examine structures, resources, leadership, and behaviours that support responsible growth and inclusive practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Organisational structures, business growth and development
- Business lifecycle and startup feasibility
- Entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in tourism and hospitality
- Ethical leadership and responsible entrepreneurship
- Leading change in hospitality and tourism
- Workforce planning and development strategies
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion practices
- Reflective practice and career planning
- Personal and professional development
- Sector-specific leadership and management skills
This module develops your ability to make ethical, sustainable, and strategic business decisions. You’ll explore how to analyse environments, interpret data, and implement responsible strategies aligned with global priorities.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Analysing internal and external business environments
- Interpreting finance and business intelligence data
- Developing sustainable products and markets
- Designing international business strategies
- Ethical recruitment and inclusive workforce planning
- Evaluating strategic options responsibly
- Implementing strategic decisions effectively
- Aligning strategies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Planning personal and professional development
- Enhancing sector awareness through reflection
Final year
Elective modules
This module develops your consultancy skills through a live project with a real client. You’ll investigate a specific organisational issue, apply research methods, and deliver practical insights. Alongside the project, you’ll reflect on its broader relevance to professional practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Defining project scope with your client
- Applying relevant theoretical frameworks
- Choosing appropriate research methods
- Addressing ethical research considerations
- Conducting a focused literature review
- Analysing and interpreting research data
- Drawing evidence-based conclusions
- Communicating findings clearly and professionally
- Managing your project effectively
- Reflecting on consultancy in professional practice
This module strengthens your critical research skills as you explore a current issue within your discipline. You’ll design and carry out an independent research project, generating insights that contribute to both academic knowledge and professional practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Defining your research question and focus
- Applying theoretical frameworks effectively
- Selecting appropriate research methods
- Addressing ethical research considerations
- Conducting a structured literature review
- Analysing and interpreting research data
- Drawing meaningful, evidence-based conclusions
- Managing your dissertation timeline
- Writing clearly and persuasively
- Reflecting on research in professional contexts
This module will enhance your critical research and analysis skills as you explore and reflect on a specific issue in relation to your work experience. You will investigate an organisational issue and provide valuable insights for organisational stakeholders, and you will also consider wider relevance to professional practice.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Working with stakeholders to formulate research purpose and focus
- Theoretical frameworks to inform research design
- Research methods including ethical considerations
- Literature review
- Analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of data
- Writing up/managing your research project
Future careers
Prepare for a career in management and senior management roles within the intricate and ever-evolving field of hospitality and tourism. Your course has embedded support from an academic to help you prepare for your future career. The University also offers workshops and support sessions.
This course prepares you for a career in::
- National and international tour operation
- Transport operation
- Visitor attraction management
- Individual and chain restaurant management
- Resort management
- Conference and event organisation
- National tourism
- Government agency planning
- Tourism consultancy
These are just a few of the many careers you can pursue with a hospitality and tourism degree.
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Best Western Hotels
- Crowne Plaza Sheffield
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Hilton Hotels
- Holiday Inn Hotels
- Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG)
- Marriott Hotels
- Mercure Hotels
- Novotel Sheffield Centre
- Manchester Airport
- TUI
Equipment and facilities
You’ll benefit from state-of-the-art learning environments, including IT-equipped lecture halls, specialised hardware and software resources, interactive group workspaces, and a continuously expanding library.
You’ll also have access to:
- state-of-the-art development kitchen facilities and a training restaurant
- specialist industry software to manage tourism and hospitality operations and elaborate pricing strategies – previous students have used Hotel Operations Tactics and Strategy (HOTS) software
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
Normally an honours degree or recognised equivalent qualification
We welcome enquiries from those who have substantial management experience but who do not have the normal entry requirements. We may invite you for an interview to discuss your particular background, experience and qualifications. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Through accreditation of prior learning (APL), you may be able to claim entry with credit or exemptions based on your existing qualifications, knowledge and experience.
Work experience route
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS 6.5 score with a minimum of 6.0 in all skills or equivalent.
Non-Work experience route
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS 6.0 score with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2026/27 is £12,440 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. For this work experience route, your fees will be payable over two years, divided into two annual payments based on credits studied. The fee includes dedicated employability support to help you prepare for and secure work experience. It does not guarantee you a placement and if a placement is not secured the work experience fee will still be charged. If a placement is not secured you will transfer to the standard version of the course to complete your remaining credits, where the balance of your course fees will be due in year one in line with completing the course.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2026/27 is £20,100 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. For this work experience route, your fees will be payable over two years, divided into two annual payments based on credits studied. The fee includes dedicated employability support to help you prepare for and secure work experience. It does not guarantee you a placement and if a placement is not secured the work experience fee will still be charged. If a placement is not secured you will transfer to the standard version of the course to complete your remaining credits, where the balance of your course fees will be due in year one in line with completing the course.
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Business School (PDF, 278.4KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
