The process of globalization that has affected markets has led to a strong boost in the tourism product, extending the range of resources and requiring those who work in the field to be in possession of up-to-date professional abilities and increasingly developed managerial skills.
Faced with a complex and competitive market, in a world in which consumers/tourists are becoming more demanding and require customized yet reasonably priced products, tourism businesses must comply with continuous cultural, organizational and managerial innovations.
The hospitality sector must respond to the constant demand for improvement of service quality and be capable of measuring effectiveness and efficiency of the management systems in use, in a general perspective of growth and development.
Managerial training has a fundamental role in the achievement of these goals and the Master in International Hospitality and Tourism develops specialized competencies by providing the tools and techniques necessary for professional practice, encouraging the development of a corporate culture that can render tourism a more competitive product offering and increase the quality of services.
A student is granted a Master’s degree after successfully defending his or her final thesis in front of a panel of judges. Grading is based on a scale of 0-110; 66 is the passing grade and students who obtain full marks of 110 may also be awarded ‘summa cum laude’ (110 e lode).
The final thesis of the Master’s program, intended to assess the technical, scientific and professional preparation and competences of the student, requires the completion, discussion and presentation of a written project work during the dissertation.
The Master is modular in form. At the end, an internship is required which will end with project work.
Module 0 – Preparatory courses - MIH_M0
CFU/ECTS 4 – US QC 3
The introductory module provides teaching materials on the basis of some of the key themes addressed in the course of study.
In particular, are available the materials on:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics.
Module 1 – Business administration - MIH_M1
CFU/ECTS 6 – US QC 4,5
The module aims to provide the basic elements necessary for creating the company balance sheet, analyzing the tools for accounting and control of strategic decisions. Also examined in this module are internal control systems, with various practice exercises proposed for such topics.
Also available are materials on:
- Business administration and analysis of balance sheet
- Accounting
- Control tools
- Focus on Accounting
Module 2 – General management - MIH_M2
CFU/ECTS 9 – US QC 6,75
The Module of General Management will help you to understand how to concretely manage a business. The aim is to provide a balance between the "institutional” contents of business and the incentives for the most innovative aspects of the business strategy and management, including those which are not yet fully consolidated in the doctrine. We will explore issues related to strategic behavior, and immediately explain the essential characteristics of business, assumed as a system that operates in a given environment in order to achieve the best conditions for its development; key corporate functions (organization, finance, marketing, the "operations” and innovation of product and process) will also be discussed. A comprehensive overview of the concept of competitive strategy in relation to firms will be given, in order to to understand the possible evolution due to different choices, according to the theory of the competitive advantage. We will also study competitive strategy in relation to industry, the concept of strategic groups and the principle of mobility barriers. The general analytical techniques will help us in predicting the process of industry evolution and the implication for a successful competitive strategy.
You will study the following:
- Managerial Economics and Business Administration
- Business strategy and policies
- Principles of Financial Management
- Corporate Finance
- Business organization
Module 3 – Strategic processes of innovation - MIH_M3
CFU/ECTS 6 – US QC 4,5
The course is designed to develop understanding of managerial theories and their implications for managerial decision-making. It will deal on business topics of practical importance to the management of a company such as structure of business, business financing, management, physical distribution of goods and services. After the development of the economic model, production optimization, cost analyses and risk analysis techniques will be also examined.
We will provide a balance between the "institutional” contents of the business and the incentives for the most innovative aspects of the business strategy and management, including those which are not yet fully consolidated in the doctrine. We will explore strategic behavior, and key corporate functions (organization, finance, marketing, the "operations” and innovation of product and process).
Organizational management aims to provide an insight into a complex and often contradictory subject area where the perspectives are as diverse as there are writers on the subject.
We will also present the main issues related to the formulation of corporate strategy and its implementation in operational terms through the use of the four levers of the marketing mix: product, price, promotion and distribution.
We will also focus on both leadership and change management providing learners with the foundations for examining and developing their own individual styles. The course investigates different kinds of leadership such as transactional, transformational, and distributed leadership.
You will study the following:
- Fundamentals of innovation: notions and dynamics
- Organization of innovative processes in the national and international setting
- Innovational project management
- New product development and launch
- Management of innovative teams.
Module 4 – Marketing - MIH_M4
CFU/ECTS 6 – US QC 4,5
In the Module of Marketing you will learn how to manage and analyze complex and changing relationships between firms and markets existing in the contemporary competitive economies. The three central themes are:
- analysis of markets and competition;
- design and implementation of market strategies;
- planning and control of marketing activities.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the degree program, the student will be able to:
- organize methods and processes for an effective and efficient management of a touristic business;
- identify the general principles of an efficient business management, with particular attention to the goods/services sector;
- recognize the economic, strategic, communicational and marketing scenarios that influence and regulate the growth and development of the tourism market;
- determine the criticalities and business opportunities in the sectors of hospitality, reception and services related to travel and recreation.
Outcomes and Professional Profile
The Master in International Hospitality and Tourism helps create professionals with business, management and organizational expertise, capable of taking on operational roles and responsibilities in all aspects of the tourism and hospitality industry. The careers that await the tourism and hospitality specialist are as follows:
- Tourism promotions manager
- Tourism marketing expert
- Hospitality manager
- Food and beverage manager
- Event planning
- Restaurant and night club management
- Government tourism minister