Frequently asked questions about studying tourism @ uws

Studying tourism management at UWS provides you with so much more than just classes and assessments. You gain valuable insights into the important areas of sustainable business practice as well as environmental management and cultural heritage from academics with valued knowledge and experience in the field. This degree offers you industry internships into your chosen field of tourism. You will develop a holistic understanding of tourism that is unique in Australian universities. And this is just the beginning!

Here are some questions answered for you that may cover what you want to ask us:

• What previous subjects at school or TAFE may help me with this degree?
• Are there any electives in the course and am I restricted in what these might be?
• What UAI do I need to be accepted into the Bachelor of Tourism Management?
• Have lecturers and tutors worked in tourism – what experience do they have?
• Is there a work placement component to the course?
• Are there other ways I can obtain practical experience in tourism at the same time?
• What jobs can I pursue after I finish the degree?
• If I wanted to continue my study after this degree what courses are available to allow me to continue in this field?
• What is the difference between this degree and those previously offered at UWS?
• What makes the study of Tourism at UWS different from elsewhere? 

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What previous subjects at school or TAFE may help me with this degree?

There are no subjects at school that are essential for studying tourism. But if you are choosing electives for Year 11 and 12 you might want to consider geography, history, business studies and languages. These may not only assist your learning in tourism management but also add to your skills for greater work prospects.

Some students study their first tourism subjects at TAFE or a private college of Tourism, Tourism Operation Management, Travel studies or Event Management Diplomas or Advanced Diplomas. UWS has an articulation agreement with TAFE that allows students who have successfully completed either a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in these qualifications to "Advanced Standing". This means that you will have about one full year of exemptions from your degree, saving you both time and money. If this applies to you it is important for you to know that if you apply for this advanced standing you will not be able to choose electives. Further exemptions may apply depending on the specific modules you have studied at TAFE.

More information for local students (opens in a new window)

More information for international students (opens in a new window)

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Are there any electives in the course and am I restricted in what these might be?

The Bachelor of Tourism Management course structure provides students 8 elective subjects.

The 16 tourism management units in the degree are compulsory. The 8 electives can be chosen by you based upon your interest and career focus from any other area within the university. It is a good idea to think about your electives early so that you can "map" out a plan for your degree. For example, you may be interested in working in festival and event management. This would mean that you can study your core unit of Festivals and Events and then choose electives from the School of Social Sciences, the School of Communication Arts and the School of Management to have a comprehensive cluster of units that gives a strong specialization in event management. There are many other examples which lead to specific career paths in tourism. You can receive advice on this.

As part of your elective choices you may want to consider another major or sub major. A major involves 8 subjects and a sub major usually involves 4 subjects. Studying another 2 major or sub major allows you to really focus on one field or discipline (for instance adult education, community development, languages, business, environmental management, marketing and management). Information on majors and sub majors can be found on the UWS web site, your primary source of course and unit information for electives. You can also receive advice on this from your Course Adviser.

With regard to your electives you essentially have three choices;

• You may want to sample a variety of subjects from a number of different fields.
• You may want to select units from two related fields, such as marketing and ebusiness.
• You may want to use your electives to do a sub major (four electives)
• You may want to use all your 8 electives to complete a major.

It's your choice.

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What UAI do I need to be accepted into the Bachelor of Tourism Management?

UAIs are set based upon demand for a particular course. It is not possible therefore to predict what the UAI is going to be in 2009. However as a guide last year's entry UAI which was 60 but we anticipate this will go up. Mature age students need to apply through UAC for further information, and provide us with details of your other related studies or work.

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Have lecturers and tutors worked in tourism – what experience do they have?

The lecturers and tutors who are involved in tourism management represent every sector of tourism both within Australia and internationally. They have extensive and ongoing experience in their fields of tourism focus and maintain strong industry contacts that assist students to obtain work internships and positions after the completion of their degree. The lecturers are often called on by tourism organisations and businesses to undertake consultancy work and they are active researchers.

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Is there a work placement component to the course?

Yes! It is extremely important for you to obtain as much experience as possible prior to graduation. All this adds significantly to the success you achieve. For this reason there is an internship within the Bachelor of Tourism Management that consists of 400 hours of approved industry experience. This may be negotiated by yourself or through the work placement co-ordinator in an area that interests you. There is also opportunity to add one semester to your degree and work in the field fulltime midway through your course. The degree is very flexible. This can also involve undertaking an international study exchange.

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Are there other ways I can obtain practical experience in tourism at the same time?

Yes there are. It is up to you. One way this is done for all students is to develop your skills for industry through assessments that focus on presentations, report writing and research.

With the lecturers' experiences supporting you there are many opportunities to gain this practical experience. We also bring in many guest lecturers from government and industry.

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What jobs can I pursue after I finish the degree?

Tourism is an extraordinarily diverse field of study and work. The great thing about this degree is that it provides you with a broad understanding and application of the numerous sectors of tourism and then provides you with the opportunity to focus on your particular area of interest. Many previous graduates move within tourism – there is no limit to what you can do! To see examples of career paths look at our web site on graduates and read what recent tourism graduates have to say about their studies in tourism at UWS.

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If I wanted to continue my study after this degree what courses are available to allow me to continue in this field?

Once you have completed the Bachelor of Tourism Management after three years (unless you have obtained Advanced Standing - see question 1) and you are enjoying studying you may want to apply to study an Honours year. There are some conditions associated with this related to strong academic results. Honours enables you to focus on research that can add considerably to your employment prospects depending on where you want to work. Many of our high achieving students move from Honours to a fulltime scholarship to undertake their PhD. Academic staff can advise you on this as you progress through your study.

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What is the difference between this degree and those previously offered at UWS?

This degree offers students with a holistic and valuable course of study. There are 16 units in tourism (there were less in previous degrees), internships and a new location – Penrith (Kingswood) Campus.

The handbook provides more information on the degree structure.

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What makes the study of Tourism at UWS different from elsewhere?

At UWS we have a particular focus on special interest tourism, something that reflects current trends in the global tourism system. By combining tourism with a number of specialisations – Indigenous culture, cultural heritage sites and places, the natural environment and wildlife, rural and agricultural community development and urban recreation – we uniquely place tourism into the settings that represent the growth areas for tourism graduates in a constantly changing world.

Our other strength is the academic staff. With our backgrounds in architecture, urban and environmental planning, art history and museums, wildlife ecology, environmental economics and rural community development, along with our work internationally, we
provide a cohesive team committed to the principles of sustainable tourism and the ethos
of special interest tourism.

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Do you need more information?

Request a course information pack:
Course Enquiry Form
International Course Enquiry Form

For further assistance contact us.

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