The School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management offers programs of study leading to the MSc degree and Graduate Diploma. Graduates will appreciate how their practical knowledge, competencies and analytical skills can be applied through research to the identification of optimal solutions and justifiable recommendations for employers or customers.

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

All students entering the MSc are required to hold an undergraduate honour’s degree with a minimum B+ or equivalent, from a recognized post-secondary institution (see also Graduate Diploma in Tourism Research (GDip) for alternate admission requirements). In addition, they should have a GMAT score of 550 or in the 55th percentile or higher across all sections.

Applicants also need to have an academic or industry background in tourism, the social sciences, humanities or professional/business related programs in allied areas such as hospitality, travel, human resources, sports management, food management, marketing or consumer studies. For applicants who did not major in these areas in their undergraduate degree or diploma, additional prerequisites may be required.

MSc applicants who believe their experiential learning may compensate for a lack of academic standing and thus not meet the University’s minimum requirements may contact the Graduate Program Coordinator regarding alternative admissions criteria, which normally would require at least 5 years in a research or equivalent position in industry.

Program Requirements

The objective of the program is to develop a solid academic background and underpinning in the field of tourism, alongside research, critical reasoning, problem solving and data analysis skills. The intention is to equip students with the necessary skills to identify optimal solutions and justifiable recommendations for employers or customers. In so doing, graduates will develop demonstrable competence in the assessment of existing literature, research conceptualization and design, quantitative and qualitative research methods and data analysis techniques. Completion of the program can serve as a foundation for the pursuit of a PhD.

All students will complete six courses (three core courses and three restricted electives), plus the thesis proposal and defence. The thesis is expected to be sufficiently meritorious to warrant publication in reputable refereed journals within the student’s field and area of specialization. The three core courses cover topics dealing with the theories, contemporary issues, and research applications in tourism and hospitality. The three restricted electives include: one quantitative methods course; one qualitative methods course; and one topic course. All are to be chosen in consultation with the School’s Graduate Program Coordinator. It is intended that the topic will be related to and/or lead to the student’s thesis proposal and subsequent research.

Core Courses

Restricted Electives

Note: Students in the MSc Tourism and Hospitality who successfully complete at least 2.5 credits of course work, with a minimum 70% overall average, and no less than a grade of 65% in any single course within the 2.5 credits, may be eligible to receive a Graduate Diploma in Tourism Studies, if they choose to withdraw from the MSc program.

Graduate Diploma in Tourism Research

The objective of the Graduate Diploma (GDip) is to provide highly focused training in tourism research, including theoretical concept assessment, conceptual model development, methodology selection, research design, data analysis, and presentation of results. The intention is to equip students with the necessary skills to identify optimal solutions and justifiable recommendations for employers or customers. The diploma program is designed to meet the needs of students who want to extend their knowledge of tourism research beyond the level they obtained while taking their undergraduate degree. It also offers alternate entry criteria and the opportunity to transfer to the MSc in Tourism and Hospitality, depending on individual academic performance in courses and an application.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the GDip in Tourism Research are required to have completed a four-year honours degree with a minimum of B average or equivalent, from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Applicants also need to have an academic or industry background in tourism, the social sciences, humanities or professional/business related programs in allied areas such as hospitality, travel, human resources, marketing, food management, or consumer studies. For applicants who did not major in these areas in their undergraduate degree or diploma, additional prerequisites may be required.

Any applicant who believes that their experiential learning may compensate for a lack of academic standing and thus not meet the University’s minimum requirements may contact the Graduate Program Coordinator regarding alternative admissions criteria, which normally would require at least 5 years in a research or equivalent position in industry.

Program Requirements

All students must complete three core courses and three restricted electives. The three core courses cover topics dealing with the theories, contemporary issues, and research applications in tourism and hospitality. The three restricted electives include: one quantitative methods course; one qualitative methods course; and one topic course. All are to be chosen in consultation with the School’s Graduate Program Coordinator.

Core Courses

Restricted Electives

Transfer to MSc in Tourism and Hospitality

Students admitted to the GDip in Tourism Research who wish to transfer to the MSc in Tourism and Hospitality once they have commenced their program of study, must achieve a minimum grade of 75% in the three compulsory courses, and no grade less than 70% across all courses.

Courses