How many hours per week do you really spend studying a degree in Hotel Management

The best way to answer that question is to take a close look at how many hours are really involved in some hotel management courses. That means:

• Not only hours spent in scheduled classes, but also
• Hours spent on self-directed learning and assignments outside the classroom, and 
• Hours spent completing course-required work placements, applied learning or internships.

First of all, it’s important to remember that you’re in control of your study hours from the very beginning. 

The number of weekly hours involved in your hotel management course will depend on the type of course you enrol into:

• A part-time course will require fewer hours per week than a full-time course, but it will take longer to complete.
• An accelerated course will require a lot more hours, but can be completed much faster.
• Online or blended courses may save time by cutting out commuting and gaps between classes from your schedule.
• Courses that come with the option to live on campus will also cut any commuting time.

Now, let’s take a close look at all the hours you will really spend studying two popular hotel management courses:

• Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management)
• Master of International Hotel Management

Rather than each course being a set number of hours per week, it’s helpful to think of each course as a group of subjects you need to complete over time. 

These subjects must all be successfully completed in order to get your qualification, but there is no one rule for how quickly you have to work through them. How many hours you work per week is entirely up to you and whether you choose a full-time or part-time workload. 

Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) 

This course comprises 26 subjects: 26 subjects, including two (2) industry placements.  Each placement comprises of a minimum of 600 hours over the 6 month period of the industry placement.

• The industry placement subject required for this course can be a paid job that you’re already working as long as it’s relevant to your course.
• This course must be completed on campus, but on campus accommodation is provided: so you can remove commute time from your schedule.
• This course also includes a non-fee paying Careers and Employability subject where you’ll be prepped for your industry placements.

Each subject involves an average commitment of 12 hours per week:

• Approx. 12 hours for a practical subject, including all scheduled and independent learning. This does not include hours you would work as part of your applied training.
• Approx. 12 hours for theory subjects, including scheduled classes, assessments and independent study.

To be awarded the Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) students can complete the 26 subjects over:

• 2.5 years full-time, with eight core subjects a year across two terms at a rate of 4 subjects per term (in terms 1 and 2 of your first and second year), which equals an average of 48 hours per week, plus 600 hours of industry placement in terms 3 and 4 of first year, and 600 hours of industry placement in terms 3 and 4 of second year.
• 5 years part-time (domestic students only), with four subjects a year at a rate of 2 subject per term, which equals approx. 24 hours per week, plus 1200 hours of industry placement to be completed across four years.

Master of International Hotel Management

This course comprises 13 subjects: 11 core subjects and 1 elective subject, plus 1 industry placement of up to 600 hours to be completed in second year.

• The industry placement subject required for this course can be a paid job that you’re already working as long as it’s relevant to your course.
• This course must be completed on-campus.

To be awarded the Master of International Hotel Management, students can complete the 13 subjects over:

• 2 years full time, at a rate of 8 core and 1 elective subject across 4 terms in the first year, 1 industry placement completed during term 1 and 2 of second year, and 4 core subjects in terms 3 and 4 of second year, which equals: an average of 24 hours per week, comprising 8 hours of student contact and 16 hours self-directed study.
• 4 years part-time, (domestic only) at a rate of 4 subjects per year across 4 terms, with 1 subject per term plus 600 hours of industry placement in third and final year, which equals an average of 12 hours per week, including 4 hours of student contact and 8 hours self-directed study.

Of course, this is just a guide to give you an idea of the real hours behind a bachelor or master course in hotel management. 

Every course will differ, depending on what electives or industry placement you choose, or if you choose on-campus or blended options. The important thing to remember is that you’re the boss. Your hours are up to you to decide when you choose your course. 

Plus, it’s not set in stone. If you aren’t coping with the workload or you change your mind, you can swap from a full-time to a part-time workload, or vice-versa. 

Is it worth it? Keep in mind a long-term point of view.
Although a degree in hotel management may seem in the short term like a burden on your time if you’re already working in the industry, in the long run it’s ultimately a time saver, because it will accelerate your career trajectory. 

If your goal is to get a senior position in hotels, a course in hotel management will speed up your journey to that promotion. Student feedback at BMIHMS shows that most students agree: while it’s not easy to juggle study and work, they almost never regret their decision to enrol in a bachelor or master’s course.