The MSc in Tourism and Hospitality equips students with practical knowledge, competencies and analytical skills that can be applied through research to support managerial decision making and justifiable recommendations to employers and customers. This degree requires completion of a thesis or Major Research Project (MRP) under the guidance and supervision of a member of the graduate faculty.

Administrative Staff

Director
Mark Holmes (201 Macdonald Stewart Hall, Ext. 56309)
mholme07@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
WooMi Jo (307 Macdonald Stewart Hall, Ext. 53633)
woomi@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant Team
trmhmsc@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

MSc Program

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a four-year honour's undergraduate degree (from a college or university) or its equivalent in Hospitality, Food, Tourism, or General Business, with a minimum average of at least B (73%) in the last two years of study*.

Applicants with a 4-year business degree (e.g., B.Comm, BBA), a business minor, or a professional designation (e.g., CPA, CFA, PMP,) may be eligible for a waiver of certain program requirements, at the discretion of the Tourism and Hospitality Graduate Program Coordinator.

Students applying to the Thesis option will be required to submit a writing sample as part of their application, to demonstrate their readiness for the research-focused nature of the program.

Additionally, all applicants must meet the University of Guelph’s English Language Proficiency requirements for admission. If an applicant’s first language is not English, or their undergraduate degree was not taught at an English-language institution, an English Language Proficiency test will be required.

*Alternate admission may be offered to applicants with a three-year general degree, diploma and/or an acceptable professional designation who demonstrate a strong record of relevant prior work experience.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the MSc in Tourism and Hospitality, students should be able to:

1. Critically analyze a body of literature that reflects current scholarship and industry expertise that is relevant to the respected field to formulate research questions that address existing gaps, inconsistencies or transferability of knowledge. 
2. Select and apply research methods (quantitative and / or qualitative) to primary and secondary data that are most appropriate for a research project.
3. Analyze, evaluate and interpret research results and apply them to current issues in tourism and hospitality. 
4. Define ethical values and principles and explain how they differ from laws, policies, and codes of conduct. Take into consideration ethical values and principles and apply them to ethical decision-making in both research and industry contexts. 
5. Communicate research findings to academic and professional audiences in the form of clear, well-organized documents and presentations.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the global nature of the tourism and hospitality sectors and their diverse constituents (e.g., workforces, communities, businesses, NGOs, governments).

Program Requirements

Students in the MSc in Tourism and Hospitality follow slightly different paths to program completion depending on their chosen option—Thesis or Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP). Both options share a common set of three core courses as follows: 

Core Courses

Thesis

The thesis option is designed for students seeking to undertake in-depth, original research that contributes to the academic body of knowledge in hospitality and/or tourism. Students must complete and defend an acceptable thesis of publishable quality. Completion of the thesis can serve as a foundation for the pursuit of a PhD.

In the thesis option, students complete 2.50 credits of coursework and successfully defend an acceptable thesis, typically over a two-year timeline, as follows:

¹

To be selected in consultation with Graduate Program Coordinator.

²

A master's thesis is generally considered to be the equivalent of 2.0 credits.

Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP)

The major research project option provides an opportunity to apply research skills to a practical or applied problem, generating insights relevant to industry and policy contexts.

In the MRP option, students complete 4.50 credits within a one-year timeline, as follows:

¹

To be selected in consultation with Graduate Program Coordinator.

Note: Students in the MSc Tourism and Hospitality who successfully complete at least 2.50 credits of course work, with a minimum 70% overall average, and no less than a grade of 65% in any single course within the 2.50 credits, may be eligible to receive a Graduate Diploma in Tourism Studies, if they choose to withdraw from the MSc program.

Courses