Tourism and Hospitality
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.
Hwan-Suk (Chris) Choi
BA Chung-Ang (Seoul, Korea), MTA George Washington, PhD Texas A&M - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Statia Elliot
B.Comm. St. Mary's, MA McMaster, PhD Carleton - Professor and Director
Graduate Faculty
Lianne Foti
B.Comm. Guelph, MBA EDHEC, DBA Bradford - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Mark Holmes
B.Comm., MSA Ryerson, PhD York - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
WooMi Jo
BS Kansas, MS Houston, PhD Kansas - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Marion Joppe
BA Waterloo, MA, PhD Univ.d'Aix-Marseille III (France) - Professor Emerita
Associated Graduate Faculty
Nadège Levallet
Diplome Grenoble (France), MBA Ottawa, PhD Queen's - Assistant Professor, University of Maine, Maine Business School
Associated Graduate Faculty
Bruce McAdams
B.Comm., MA Guelph - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
William C. Murray
BA Carleton, MBA Guelph, PhD Saint Mary's - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty
Kathleen Shea Rodenburg
B.Comm., MA, PhD Guelph, MBA Wilfrid Laurier - Associate Professor
Simon Somogyi
BWM, PhD Adelaide - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Erna van Duren
BA Waterloo, M.Sc., PhD Guelph - Professor
Graduate Faculty
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
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
TRMH*6100 | Foundations of Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
TRMH*6200 | Contemporary Issues in Tourism | 0.50 |
TRMH*6310 | Research Applications in Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
TRMH*6400 | Thesis Research Proposal | 1.00 |
Restricted Electives
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select one of the following quantitative research method courses: | ||
TRMH*6290 | Research Methods for Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
SOC*6130 | Quantitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
PSYC*6060 | Research Design and Statistics | 0.50 |
GEOG*6090 | Geographical Research Methods I (with permission) | 0.50 |
Select one of the following qualitative research method courses: | ||
TRMH*6080 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
MCS*6080 | Qualitative Methods: Consumer Research | 0.50 |
ANTH*6140 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
SOC*6140 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
FRAN*6020 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
Select one of the following topic courses: | ||
TRMH*6110 | Foundations of Food Industry Management | 0.50 |
TRMH*6250 | Tourism and Sustainable Development | 0.50 |
TRMH*6270 | Data Mining Practicum | 0.50 |
TRMH*6630 | Special Topics in Tourism | 0.50 |
Or other courses as appropriate depending on availability |
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, sports 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
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
TRMH*6100 | Foundations of Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
TRMH*6200 | Contemporary Issues in Tourism | 0.50 |
TRMH*6310 | Research Applications in Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
Restricted Electives
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select one of the following quantitative research methods courses: | ||
MCS*6050 | Research Methods in Marketing and Consumer Studies | 0.50 |
SOC*6130 | Quantitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
PSYC*6060 | Research Design and Statistics | 0.50 |
TRMH*6290 | Research Methods for Tourism and Hospitality | 0.50 |
GEOG*6090 | Geographical Research Methods I (with permission) | 0.50 |
Select one of the following quantitative research methods courses: | ||
TRMH*6080 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
MCS*6080 | Qualitative Methods: Consumer Research | 0.50 |
ANTH*6140 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
SOC*6140 | Qualitative Research Methods | 0.50 |
FRAN*6020 | Qualitative Research Methods (with permission) | 0.50 |
Select one of the following topic courses: | ||
TRMH*6110 | Foundations of Food Industry Management | 0.50 |
TRMH*6250 | Tourism and Sustainable Development | 0.50 |
TRMH*6270 | Data Mining Practicum | 0.50 |
Or other courses as appropriate depending on availability |
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
This course examines qualitative research methods used in food, tourism, and sport, as well as related hospitality and service management areas. Topics include types of qualitative methods, their theoretical foundations, project design, data collection, and analysis procedures and strategies, as well as appropriate communication of results.
The course is designed to discuss theoretical concepts and theories which provide an understanding of societal, managerial and strategic aspects of tourism and hospitality. An emphasis will also be placed on key theories and concepts of relevant disciplines which may affect tourism and hospitality research.
This course introduces students to the theories and practices of the food industry, including global and regional food system, with an examination of food policies that frame supply chains. Students discuss topics that influence food systems such as ethics, supply chains, food product marketing, consumer choice, food literacy, and the food service sector.
The course will acquaint students with the tourism industry. An overview of the scale and scope, involved stakeholders,and the organization of the industry will be examined and critiqued. An emphasis will be placed on the sustainable development and management of tourism resources and organizations.
The course introduces students to the issues affecting planning and development of tourism by understanding tourism planning and sustainable development. Core elements include a discussion on tourism impacts (economic, social, cultural and environmental), issues of sustainability, carrying capacity, 'eco-tourism' and other 'alternative forms' of tourism.
An applied course introducing popular concepts, methods and applications of data mining utilizing data warehoused at the government agencies and user friendly software and cases. This course covers various topics in data mining association rule, clustering, logistic regression, decision tree and artificial neural network.
This course looks at selected analytical techniques in tourism and hospitality research, both empirical and subjective, as well the nature of research questions and theory. The course is intended to help students make informed judgements about selected research tools and designs, and draw logical and substantive conclusions.
This course is designed to enhance the student's analytical capability, using both basic and advanced analytical techniques and tools of tourism and hospitality research. They learn to critically evaluate, enabling them to make effective judgments, choose proper statistical techniques, and draw logical and substantive conclusions.
The students engage in seminars to share experiences and reflections on the research process. This course is a development of the proposal: framing a research question, developing a methodological plan within a challenging interdisciplinary area such as tourism and hospitality, data planning and more.
Advanced course for those specializing in tourism. Deals with theories of tourism generators, multi-markets, tourism multipliers, current and future trends, regulatory environments, and distributions systems.