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Duration
6
semesters (180 ECTS)
Degree
BA
Bachelor of Arts in Business
University places per year
68
34 FT, 34 DL

Study Program

Highlights

Recommendation rate: 95 % (according to graduate survey 2020)

  • Experience-based training through excursions and lecturers from the business world
  • International competencies through professional internship / exchange semester abroad (in the full-time variant)
  • Future orientation through economic basis combined with current tourism issues
  • Personalization of the study program through specialization in: Hotel Management, Event & Congress Design, Congress, Mobility or Food Entrepreneurship (in the full-time variant)
  • Dual study variant with alternation of practical and theoretical phases (diverse practice partners from the hotel industry, gastronomy, tour operators etc.)
  • Creativity and problem-solving skills through practical projects

Organization

Type of degree program

Full-time (FT)

Mon-Fri 8:30 – 18:30, occasionally on Saturdays

Dual (DL)

Mon-Fri 8:30 – 18:30 Uhr, occasionally on Saturdays;
From the 3rd semester 2.5 days/week on campus and 2.5 days/week at the partner business

Language of instruction

German, about 25 % of the courses will be held in English

Stay abroad

In the full-time variant obligatory, either as internship abroad during the 4th semester or as semester abroad during the 5th semester at one of our partner universities

Internship / Work experience

In the full-time variant in the 4th semester for at least 700 hours

In the dual study program, work experience of 20 hours per week from the 3rd semester onwards.

Start of the degree program

At the beginning of the winter semester in September

Place of study

wko campus wien, Währinger Gürtel 97, 1180 Vienna
(U6 metro station Währinger Straße/Volksoper)

Focus & Qualifications

“competent, practice-orientated, international”

As graduates, you will shape international tourism by

  • recognizing challenges and preferring a solution-oriented approach
  • reconciling economic know-how with a strong service mindset
  • systematically analyzing and improving business models and processes
  • In short: You are competent, practice-oriented and international.

...competent...

As tourism professionals, you will have expertise in:

  • Management of tourism operations, including human resource management and data-based decision making
  • Digital and classic marketing of destinations and services
  • Specialization from the 2nd semester in hotel management, event & congress design, mobility and food entrepreneurship

...practice-orientated...

The degree program mirrors the needs of the tourism industry and guarantees a high level of practical relevance. Over 70 % of teaching staff work in the industry full-time and add their own practical knowledge to the theoretical orientation of the courses. Students learn from practical projects, which are organized in conjunction with businesses. They also organize events and excursions themselves.

As the only university in Austria, the program is also offered as a dual study program, in which students gain important work experience with a practical partner while they are still studying.

Excursions lasting several days in the 1st and 2nd semesters offer an intensive exchange with tourism managers from the field. Regular expert discussions and company visits as part of TM on Tour round off the study experience.

...international...

You will gain international experience in the full-time variant during the professional internship in the fourth semester. The world is literally open to you here: from Australia to Dubai to South America, our interns can be found in leading hotels, airlines, event agencies and destination management organizations.

In the fifth semester, you have the opportunity to complete a semester abroad at one of our partner universities, or experience Internationalization@home with English-language courses and international students at your home campus.

Theory and practice

Curriculum

An overview of the modules can be found in the online folder. In addition, you can read details about the individual modules in the module description manual:

Curriculum Dual Variant

1st semester

  • Tourism & Sustainability
  • Integrated Marketing & Communication
  • Business Administration 1
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 1
  • Research Skills

2nd semester

  • Applied project management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Business Administration 2
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 2
  • Digitalization & Data Literacy 1

3rd semester

  • Professional practice 1
  • Integrated Business Administration
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 3
  • Digitalization & Data Literacy 2

4th semester

  • Professional practice 2
  • Tourism Experience Design
  • Destination Management
  • Current topics in tourism

5th semester

  • Professional practice 3
  • Digital Marketing Project
  • Organizational Design & Process Management
  • Research Design

6th semester

  • Professional practice 4
  • Tourism, Economy & Environment
  • Bachelor exam
  • Bachelor thesis

Practice Partners Dual Variant

The partner companies for the practical phases of the program cover the entire spectrum of the tourism industry – from five-star hotels and tour operators to travel agencies, congress companies and airlines.

Get to know our practice partners!

You are a tourism company and interested in becoming a practice partner of the dual study program? You can find all details here:

Curriculum Full-Time Variant

1st semester

  • Tourism & Sustainability
  • Integrated Marketing & Communication
  • Business Administration 1
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 1
  • Research Skills

2nd semester

  • Specialization in Tourism 1
  • Applied project management
  • Business Administration 2
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 2
  • Digitalization & Data Literacy 1

3rd semester

  • Specialization in tourism 2
  • Human Resource Management
  • Integrated Business Administration
  • Human Resources & Professional Development 3
  • Digitalization & Data Literacy 2

4th semester

  • Internship abroad or at home

5th semester

  • Current Topics in Tourism
  • Destination Management
  • Digital Marketing Project
  • Organizational Design & Process Management
  • Research Design

6th semester

  • Specialization in tourism 3
  • Tourism, Economy & Environment
  • Tourism Experience Design
  • Bachelor exam
  • Bachelor thesis

Job & Career

The tourism and leisure industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide and one of the most diverse employers. The constant change of the industry requires innovative, as well as entrepreneurial and holistic thinking professionals. As an expert in tourism, combined with your chosen specialization, a wide range of career opportunities will open up to you both domestically and internationally:

  • Strategic development, management and marketing of tourist destinations
  • Planning, implementation and controlling of congresses and events
  • Development, marketing and management of tourist attractions and services
  • Product and offer design for tour operators and travel agents
  • Consulting activities with international consulting companies
  • Operational management and controlling in the hotel and catering industry
  • Entrepreneurship in tourism and upstream and downstream services

Questions and Answers (FAQ)

Here you will find the most frequently asked questions & answers about the Bachelor’s program in Tourism & Hospitality Management.

General information:

Do I need previous experience in the tourism industry to study Tourism & Hospitality Management?

No, no previous experience in tourism is required for the study program.

How can I prepare for the admissions procedure?

Information and numerous tips on the admissions procedure can be found here!

Can I get credits for school subjects? If so, which ones?

Recognition is only possible if the acquired knowledge is equivalent to the requirement profile in terms of content and scope of the course to be waived. Therefore, school subjects cannot be credited in principle.

Is it possible to combine a professional career with the Bachelor's program?

The Bachelor’s program in Tourism & Hospitality Management is basically a full-time program. However, some of our students work on a part-time basis alongside their studies.

Will I have to pay any additional costs besides the tuition fees?

During the 6 semesters of the Tourism & Hospitality Management study program, you will have to pay approximately 550 euros in addition to the tuition fees. This includes the costs for the introductory excursion in the 1st semester or the self-organized excursion in the 2nd semester. However, we always try to keep the fees as student-friendly as possible.

What is the difference between the Tourism & Hospitality Management study program full-time and dual?

The study content of the two programs is largely identical. Exceptions are the practical phases in the dual study program (semesters 3-6) and the specializations as well as the compulsory internship in the full-time variant.

Full-time variant:

Do I have to choose one specialization, or can I take several?

In the first semester, you will learn about all specializations and make your selection based on this at the end of the semester. The selected specialization can then no longer be changed.

What prior knowledge is required for the specializations?

No prior knowledge is required for the specializations.

Which partner universities are available for a semester abroad?

Here you can find all partner universities with which our university cooperates.

Please note, however, that not every study program cooperates with every partner university. For a semester abroad as part of your Bachelor’s program in Tourism & Hospitality Management, places are mainly available at European partner universities (e.g. in Spain, France, the Netherlands, etc.). However, we are constantly striving to expand our network for you. At the beginning of your studies, our mobility coordinator of the study area will be happy to inform you about your exact options.

How do I find an internship position? Can I also accept an internship position in Austria?

You have the possibility to organize your internship yourself. Of course, we will support you in this. The Tourism & Hospitality Management study program includes a mandatory foreign component (either an internship abroad in the 4th semester or a semester abroad in the 5th semester). If you choose to complete your compulsory internship in Austria in the 4th semester, you will spend the 5th semester at one of our partner universities abroad.

After graduation, can I only work in the field of the chosen specialization or also in other areas of the tourism industry?

After completing your studies, the entire range of work opportunities in tourism is open to you, regardless of the specialization you have chosen.

Dual variant:

What is a dual study program?

A dual study program is characterized by the regular alternation between theoretical and practical phases. There is an interlocking of learning locations: academic learning location (FHWien der WKW) and practical learning location (practical company).

In the first year of study (1st and 2nd semesters), no professional practice takes place yet and is to be understood as the theoretical foundation of the dual study program. From the 2nd year of study (= 3rd semester) onwards, you will be employed by a practice partner for 2.5 days each (an average of 20 hours per week) in order to acquire the professional practice relevant to this study program. You will spend the other 2.5 days at FHWien der WKW.

What is the procedure for choosing a practice partner?

In the 1st semester, you will receive application training and an introduction to our practical partners. Our partner companies cover the entire spectrum of the tourism industry. Our practical partners include hotel companies, tour operators and travel agencies, congress companies and mobility companies.

In the 2nd semester, the application phase begins, during which you will contact the desired companies directly. Of course, we will support you with questions regarding your application. Matching with the practical companies then takes place within the 2nd semester before the practical phases start in the 3rd semester.

When do the practical phases start?

During the first two semesters you will be full-time with us on campus. The practical phases start in the 3rd semester. We work with the model of a split week, i.e. you spend 2.5 days (20 hours) with your practice partner and 2.5 days at the campus of FHWien der WKW.

How much salary do I get?

A contract of employment is concluded between you and the practice company. The payment and salary classification are the responsibility of the company. We have no influence on this.

What are the contractual regulations?

The following contractual regulations apply:

  • Company and FHWien der WKW: Cooperation agreement
  • Practice company and students: Work contract
  • Students and FHWien der WKW: Learning agreement
I am already employed by a company. Can this company become a practice partner?

Of course, it is possible to already “bring along” a practice company. There are criteria and requirements that must be met in order to ensure the quality of the training. In this case, please contact the study program directly.

Application

Curious about our study program? Inform yourself about the requirements and the admissions procedure at FHWien der WKW.

Admission requirements Bachelor's programs
Admissions procedure Bachelor's programs

News & Events

Study Programs & Contact

Tourism – the best career field in the world. The Tourism & Hospitality Management Study Programs prepare you effectively for your management duties in the tourist industry. Learn more about the Study Programs:

  • Team & contact
  • News & events
  • Projects

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