Overview
The hospitality and events industry has seen strong growth in the past few years and, in many ways, is seeing a revival with a growing demand for graduates with the key skill set developed here at ARU London. A career in hospitality or events management means entering a sector that is evolving and truly global, with London a key central hub. There are many aspects and facets to the hospitality and event industry, from medium and large-sized hotels in an urban or rural area to smaller boutique venues, large event centres with extensive facilities and many other types in between.
The hospitality and events industry is a significant contributor to the UK economy, with the Hospitality industry being the third largest employer in the UK, with 3.5 million people working in the sector and £55 billion being generated in tax receipts annually. Both the hospitality and events industry play a crucial role in providing jobs and supporting livelihoods across the country and beyond. Thus, driving a demand for specialist event and hospitality graduates, who not only understand the theories of business, hospitality and event management but are also equipped with transferable skills that can be utilised in the workplace.
This course is designed to prepare graduates for the business, hospitality and events sector and blends both academic practices with the study of core business skills and management concepts, alongside a live event project. In completing this course, students will identify career pathways and develop the professionalism and drive to achieve them.
*All students enrolled onto this degree will be able to access free membership into the Institute of Hospitality. Uniting professionals, Promoting excellence, Facilitating learning.
Structure and content
See below for the modules you will study:
Foundation Year
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Data Skills
- Professional Development Skills
- Research Skills
Year 1
- Academic and Professional Skills
- Hospitality, Tourism and Events Environment
- Managing Quality in Hospitality, Tourism and Events
- Business Finance
Year 2
- Managing Human Resources
- Sustainability in Career Development
- Customer Service Management for Tourism and Hospitality, and Events
- Principles and Practice of Marketing
- Hospitality and Events Management
Year 3
- Executing Business Strategy
- Contemporary Issues
- Live Project
- Undergraduate Major Project (Leadership in Practice)
For a more detailed overview of the course modules, you can view the Course Information Sheet below.
Course Information Sheet
Entry requirements
3-year full-time study option
ARU London's standard offer is 96 UCAS tariff points from 3 A Levels, e.g. BCC.
Alternatively, ARU London asks for:
- Irish Leaving Certificate: BBCCC.
- Scottish Highers: BBCCC.
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: DMM in a business-related subject.
- International Baccalaureate Diploma: 24 points.
- A university foundation course recognised by Anglia Ruskin University
All applicants are required to have at least 3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.
If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.
Applicants studying for other qualifications should contact ARU London to discuss their circumstances.
We also welcome applications from mature individuals who can demonstrate appropriate, relevant work experience.
Our published entry requirements are a guide only, and our decision will be based on our assessment of your overall suitability for the course. We treat everyone as an individual, which means we will look at your whole application, including any relevant work experience and personal circumstances, as well as your educational qualifications. Please contact admissions@london.aru.ac.uk for more information.
4-year full-time extended study option
5 GCSEs at grade D, or grade 3, or above, including English and Maths and evidence of two years post-GCSE study at Level 3. If you have achieved at least grade E in one A level, or equivalent, you are exempt from the two-year post-GCSE study requirement, but you still must meet the GCSE requirements.
International Students Undergraduate Entry Requirements
To join the first year of our undergraduate course, you’ll need one of the following.
- GCE A levels from a recognised UK examination board.
- An International Baccalaureate with a minimum of 24 points.
- A university foundation course recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.
- Relevant qualifications obtained in your home country: see our country-specific entry requirements.
If you've completed a study at university level in the UK or your home country, you may be eligible to enter directly into Year 2 or 3 of a related degree course at ARU. Find out more about transferring to ARU.
If you are an international student and would like to apply to study at ARU London, you can do so here.
Teaching and assessment
Knowledge and understanding are assessed through various methods, including presentations and a range of assignments. These assignments may take different forms, such as a written management report on responding to an organisational issue, a presentation, an essay, a briefing document, or an analysis of a company report. Most modules will include at least two assessments, offering the opportunity to evaluate both knowledge and understanding as well as a range of skills effectively.
Formative assessment will also be provided throughout the course. This feedback will help improve students’ knowledge and development while evaluating their academic needs.
Intellectual Skills
Intellectual skills will be developed using such methods as lectures, tutorials, group discussions and debates. Where modules have two pieces of assessment, the first is completed partway through the module delivery. This provides an opportunity for students to obtain feedback on their performance, which encourages their learning and, hopefully, adds to their performance in the second assessment. The way the pathway is designed, in three stages, also encourages the student to cultivate their intellectual skills and to promote sustainable development within the scope of their own learning experience and study environment as they proceed through their degree programme.
The Undergraduate Major Project (Leadership) places specific emphasis on research skills and thinking skills in general. The use of case study material, simulations and projects throughout the pathway provides many opportunities to develop and exercise deductive, inductive, and other cognitive skills.
Practical Skills
These skills are developed through a range of activities and assessments. Students are provided with many opportunities to develop their communication skills, both orally and in writing, e.g., by making presentations, negotiating, or producing a management report. Specifically, in the ‘Hospitality and Events Management’ module and in the ‘Live Project’ module whereby students will be able to integrate their academic knowledge with practical experience beyond the classroom by conceiving, designing, and executing their live event.
Transferable Skills
Students are encouraged to perceive the study of business, hospitality, and events management as being multidisciplinary and to recognise that different cultures can influence how organisations function. Case study-based project work and practical work, including presentations, provide a ‘live’, authentic way of learning, practising and thinking about a student’s academic studies. Working in response to the complexity of real-life situations enables students to ‘participate’ in work-based experiences, gaining insights into the requirements of working environments.
Timetable
Full-time Schedule:
Standard delivery:
Studying on campus 2 days a week, which is Monday-Friday (10:00-17:00)
Employability
Employability is a key aspect of all courses at ARU London. Employers from the business and financial management sector have been directly involved in the design and development of this course, and their desire for a combination of academic learning, work experience, and application of learning to the real world of business and financial management has directly influenced the structure and content of the course. Theoretical learning is applied to practice as a standard approach within teaching and learning.
Where possible, the course makes use of authentic assessments that replicate workplace activities. In addition, great use is made of external speakers from industry and practice who visit modules routinely to provide context to student learning. Where possible, off-site visits are arranged. Alternatively, where possible, practitioners and leaders from hospitality and events management come in as guest speakers. Thus, the academic experience provided to students on this course ensures the development of several key transferable skills
Associated Jobs:
- Event Manager
- Event Operations Manager
- Director of Events
- Hotel Manager
- Food and Beverage Manager
- Rooms Manager
- Restaurant Manager
- Front Office Manager
- Marketing Executive
- Social Media Manager
- Tourism Officer
- Travel Agent
*Please note that this list is not exhaustive*
To learn more about where this course can take you, please visit the Employability Service.
ARU London Employability Service provides students with expert support to help them prepare for employment. Within the scheme, the Employment Department assists students by giving feedback on their CVs and cover letters as well as teaching valuable interview techniques. The Employability Service also has a well-established range of external partners. The Service is, where possible, able to match students to suitable opportunities offered by partner employers so that they can obtain extensive practical work experience in the sector by working part-time during the academic study period and/or full-time during vacations.
Course Fees
Home Students
| 2025/26: |
£9,535 |
2026/27: |
£9,535 |
2027/28: |
£9,535 |
Total Fee: |
£28,605 |
Foundation year will cost £9,535
International Students
For international students studying their undergraduate with ARU London the tution fee will be £16,700 per year.
| 2025/26: |
£16,700 |
2026/27: |
£16,700 |
2027/28: |
£16,700 |
Total Fee: |
£50,100 |
EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
For 2024-2025 entry, the maximum government-approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2024-2025 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework
Course Aims
- To offer a rigorous academic course of study at a level appropriate to an honours degree that will provide students with opportunities to gain a solid foundation in business in general and the business of hospitality and events management.
- To ensure that students who complete the course depart with a wide range of skills and competencies along with an appreciation of how business, hospitality and events management practices contribute to driving organisational performance, underpinning what employers would consider to be both essential and desirable in any new graduate.
- To facilitate students to understand and apply current concepts, theories, practices and principles in a range of business, hospitality and events management, appropriate to an honours degree, and develop the cognitive ability of effective critical evaluation, analysis and synthesis.
- To provide students with a range of opportunities to develop the attitudes and capabilities to meet the challenges presented by a career in a hospitality, an events or other business organisation in national and international environments, develop the awareness and appreciation of different ethical and cultural values and to appreciate the importance of the macro and micro contexts of organisations.
- To offer students opportunities to develop students’ confidence and competence within business, hospitality, and events management, foster professional approaches to work with others and the benefits of effective management through the principles of sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA).
- To offer students opportunities to develop the transferable skills necessary for students’ personal development as lifelong independent learners and for their ability to respond positively to change during their careers, and to be able to continually develop professionally.
- To integrate academic and experiential knowledge to enable students to progress and apply key employability skills, develop skill areas of individual weakness, raise self-awareness, develop reflective skills through assessments, including performative live projects, to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
Course Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
Business and Event Analysis
Graduates will analyse business and event organisations’ structure, management, and their ability to adapt to change for sustainable development, considering internal and external influences on the development of corporate strategy and the organisation's performance (A01, A02).
Contextual and Resource Awareness
They will understand the importance and influence of the social, political, economic, technological, environmental, legal and global contexts within which hospitality and events providers and their sectors operate while identifying and analysing the physical, human, and financial resources available to organisations (A03, A04).
Decision-Making and Management Principles
Graduates will understand and evaluate the range of decision-making methods and supporting analytical tools, including the use of AI, available to managers to formulate and implement business decisions, and understand the principles and functions of management (A05, A06).
Event Industry and Contemporary Issues
They will demonstrate a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the hospitality and events industry and the operation of organisations within that industry, acknowledging the contemporary issues of business, hospitality and events management (A07, A08).
Ethical Awareness
Graduates will incorporate a critical ethical dimension into their work with an appreciation of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct (A09).
Intellectual (thinking), practical, affective and transferrable skills
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Graduates will apply critical thinking and analysis to evaluate theories and solve complex problems (B01, B03).
Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques
Be numerate and use appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyse, interpret and transform abstract data and concepts towards a given purpose by appropriate means, including using AI tools (B02).
Self-Awareness and Cultural Understanding
Graduates will be open to a range of differences concerning people and cultures (both ethnic and organisational), within the business, hospitality or events environment and demonstrate an appreciation of the relevance of multidisciplinary and multicultural approaches to business hospitality and events management (B04, B08).
Independent Learning and Information Management
Graduates will independently find, analyse, and manage information using interpersonal skills with minimal supervision (B05).
Personal Effectiveness and Judgement
They will demonstrate self-management, initiative, and confidence in their judgement, seeking feedback and challenging views (B06).
Professional Communication and Teamwork
Students will communicate effectively, work well independently or in teams, and manage conflict in professional settings (B07).
Sustainability and Responsibility
Graduates will make responsible decisions considering personal, social, and environmental sustainability (B09).
More information
For an extensive list of assessment methods, learning activities and more, you can read the Course Specification Form (CSF) for this course below
Course Specification Form