COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Business Studies in International Hotel Management at University of Galway, delivered at Shannon College of Hotel Management, offers a business degree with a distinct professional focus where practical learning is seamlessly combined with global opportunity. From the first year, students develop real-world skills through intensive hands-on training in hospitality operations, rotating every few weeks across seven professional classes while also building a strong business foundation in Financial and Management Accounting, Marketing, and Quantitative Methods, alongside studying a second language such as French, German, Spanish, English, or Intercultural Communication. In Year 2, students undertake a 12-month paid professional operative work placement in leading European or Irish hotels, reinforcing their operational expertise and deepening their understanding of industry systems and standards. Returning to campus in Year 3, the emphasis shifts toward advanced industry and business knowledge, with modules such as Rooms Division Management, Business and Hospitality Law, Management, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, and Business Finance, while language studies continue at a higher level. In Year 4, students focus on advanced business strategy through subjects including Performance Management and Control, Revenue Management, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management, and may choose electives such as Advanced Culinary Studies, Facilities Management, Event Management, Language, or Hotel Asset Management. Following final year exams, students begin a paid trainee management work placement of at least nine months, often extending to 12–18 months, with international hotel companies recruiting directly for global management development roles, culminating in a Viva Voce examination prior to graduation.