BA (Hons) International Tourism Management with Air Travel with Foundation Year

Why study this subject?

A perfect fit for someone that has an interest in working in the international travel and tourism sectors, you will gain an understanding of the behind-the-scenes operations, planning and management required by employers in these industries.

Our BA (Hons) in International Tourism with Air Travel degree gives you a broad understanding across all aspects of tourism, with a focus on air transport, helping you to gain the knowledge and transferable skills to start a career in these vast and varied areas.

There are a wide range of career paths that this degree could take you, including working airlines or tour operators, marketing agencies, ground handlers, destination management companies, tourism planning, air cargo operators, among many others.

With to our ITT accreditation, students studying this course are also provided with access to their exclusive networking and careers events.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Our BA (Hons) in International Tourism with Air Travel course keeps pace with the continuous changes within the travel and tourism industry, ensuring you graduate with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills that this energetic sector demands.

You will learn from skilled lecturers within the School of Aviation and Security who have a high level of working knowledge, based on industry experience. Their teaching will allow you to gain a deep insight into the latest trends and requirements of tourism and air travel.

As well as receiving top-class lectures and seminars, students are also supported by personal tutors, module leaders and course leaders. In addition, guest speakers often deliver sessions for students within the University to enrich their learning – in the past, in the past we've welcomed speakers from the likes of TUI and British Airways.

Alongside your studies, we also offer seasonal employment opportunities to enable you to gain valuable to help kickstart your future career – previous placements have been with London Heathrow Airport, easyJet and British Airways among others.

Our Institute of Travel and Tourism accreditation sets your foot right in the door of these industries from day one through the automatic student membership of the institute. This membership affords you access to their rich industry-focused networking and careers events.

As a BNU student, you will automatically become a member of Bucks Students’ Union giving you access to a wide range of services that we offer for free. You’ll also be able to join the Aviation Society where you’ll have the ability to attend a variety events and experiences. Some examples of what we’ve done in the past include tours of NATS, a Boeing Flight Simulator experience at CAE and a tour at easyJet.

What facilities can I use?

We’ve invested in a range of state-of-the-art facilities across our campuses to support your learning.

Our library is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.

What will I study?

In your Foundation Year, you will spend time adapting to study at university level, through a well-balanced mix of skills and subject-focused modules to help you make the transition into your degree.

As you move into your undergraduate studies, you will get to explore the key issues facing the travel and aviation sectors and gain the skills employers are looking for.

You’ll complete a mix of tourism and aviation modules throughout the three years, covering the structure, operations and marketing of these ever-changing sectors and how they may evolve in the future.

We'll give you the opportunity to undertake seasonal work experience, as well as a studying a semester abroad which will provide you with further insight into the international travel and tourism sector. During this time, you'll be able to fine-tune the skills learned in the classroom in a practical, real-time setting.

By the time you finish this degree, you will have specific knowledge of the day-to-day operation and management of the various tourism sectors.

How will I be taught and assessed?

In your Foundation Year, you will develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

From the moment you start your first year of your undergraduate studies, the dedicated and supportive course team are committed to nurturing your development, ensuring you graduate with the skills and capabilities for a successful and fulfilling career.

Students will study four modules per semester and are delivered through a blend of lectures, interactive seminars, workshops, small-group activities and debates, and are supported by e-learning material delivered through the Virtual Learning Environment.

Assessment methods are those considered most appropriate to the nature of the programme. For example, the likelihood of any employee within the travel or aviation industries being called upon to write an essay is minimal. However, the ability to write structured, well researched, analytical, or informative reports and presentations is an undeniable asset to those seeking employment in the industry.

Assessments on the course include:

• group work
• poster presentations
• the use of quantitative research methods (basic forecasting)
• written assignments (generally reports)
• cumulative exercises
• a reflective journal
• time-constrained assignments (TCAs).

As you progress through the programme, you will be expected to undertake longer reports and presentations are required with an emphasis on assessing analytical and evaluative ability. Your final research project/business plan and proposal provides the ultimate test of your ability to source, critically analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate information from a wide variety of sources and to apply their findings and recommendations to real-world situations.

On top of the support provided by your tutors, the University also has a dedicated academic skills centre, Student Learning and Achievement. The team here can provide additional support in areas such as presentations skills, time-management, academic reading, referencing or academic writing, research for essay preparation and how to prepare effectively for examinations in addition to being assigned a personal tutor from the academic team.

Placements Plus

BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.