Postgraduate - CourseMaster of Tourism

The Master of Tourism is Australia's longest-running and most industry focused specialist graduate tourism program designed to prepare students for diverse careers within in tourism and associated industries. In the twenty first century the 'international tourism industry' can more accurately be described as the global movement of people for a variety of motivations. As the industry continues to expand, The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is forecasting that the growth rate for emerging economies will be double the rate of advanced economies to 2030.

The course provides students with in-depth understanding of tourism development theory and practice. It facilitates the development of skills and techniques to develop tourism policies and practices in a global setting and to manage tourism and small and medium enterprise development in the direction of more sustainable practice.

Areas of study covered in the program include marketing and international marketing, cultural tourism, development and planning, natural resource management, environmental studies, research techniques, cross-cultural and regional studies, sustainability and communications.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to:

• articulate and apply an indepth understanding of tourism development theory and practice in a global setting
• apply a critical familiarity with the skills and techniques to develop best practice policy and planning for sustainable tourism management in diverse enterprises
• demonstrate a critical appreciation of the relevant secondary literature and application of advanced reading, analytical and communication skills, both written and verbal, to the development of sustainable tourism policy and practice
• demonstrate a thorough understanding of research methodology and ethics, and an ability to undertake a small, independent research project of relevance to tourism management.

Students may be eligible for credit to a maximum of 50 per cent of the course requirements for previous graduate-level studies.

Credit or exemptions up to a maximum of 24 points is available for a bachelor degree level qualification in a related discipline, and a further 24 points is available for honours degree level qualification in a related discipline.

Therefore, students who have completed an:

• undergraduate degree and a graduate certificate (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline* must complete 72 points as outlined in Structure 2 under 'Requirements'.
• honours degree with a major in a relevant discipline* must complete 48 points as outlined in Structure 3 under 'Requirements'.

* Relevant disciplines include humanities, social sciences business or marketing.

48 credit points

International field schools and exchanges

Students are encouraged to undertake part of their studies overseas in order to broaden their understanding of the international market and the role that a sustainable tourism industry can play in development within emerging economies. The course provides the option for students to attend a partially funded intensive field-school to study the patterns of development within an emerging economy in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Fiji, Vietnam or Cambodia.

In addition students have the opportunity of spending a semester on exchange at either Uppsala University (Sweden), or the Estonian Business School (Estonia). Approval must be obtained from the course coordinator and the faculty well before departure.

Further information is available from the Master of TourismMaster of Tourism (http://future.arts.monash.edu/master-tourism/) website.

This course consists of core and elective units, including capstone units which allow the student to demonstrate their understanding of the course and the skills they have acquired.

Students complete one of the following structures as determined by any credit granted for prior studies:

• Structure 1: 96 points over two years full-time, or part-time equivalent
• Structure 2: 72 points over one and a half years full-time, or part-time equivalent
• Structure 3: 48 points over one year full-time, or part-time equivalent.

Note: Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options if they choose.

All students must complete a minimum of 48 credit points at level 5, and so should take care when choosing between units offered at level 4 and 5 (where this option is offered).

Units are 12 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Structure 1 - 96 credit points

Students must complete:

(a.) in their first year of study, two of the following 6-point preparatory units (12 points):

• ATS2395 Australia in a globalising world
• ATS2490 Advanced professional writing or ATS3743 Build your career: Planning and strategies for employability
• ATS3392 A lonely planet? Travel, culture, power
• MKF5916 Foundations of marketing
• MKF5911 Theory and process of buyer behaviour

(b.) the following core units (36 points):

• APG5389 Tourism industry and marketing
• APG5717 Applied industry research and practice
• APG5720 Cultural tourism and events management

(c.) the following unit: (12 points)

• APG5609 Sustainable tourism development and planning

(d.) one of the following capstone/ research options (24 points)

(i.) one capstone unit chosen from the following;

• APG5044 Professional internship
• APG5390 Contemporary tourism and development in emerging economies
• APG5856 Research project

plus:

• 12 points of electives from the list below

(ii.) the following research unit/s::

• APG5848 Research thesis (24 points) or APG5849 Research thesis A and APG5850 Research thesis B

(e.) electives (12 points)

Electives

• APG5398 New communication media
• APG5628 Doctrines of development
• APG5805 Project planning and management in international development
• APG5894 Communications theories and practices
• APG5900 Cultural economy
• MKF5601 Social media marketing (6 points)
• MKF5926 Integrated marketing communication (6 points)
• any capstone unit not completed at (c.) above

Structure 2 - 72 points

Students must complete from the requirements listed in structure 1:

• units in (b.), (c.) and (d.)(i.) or (ii.)

Structure 3 - 48 points

Students must complete from the requirements listed in structure 1:

• units in (b.) and one capstone unit

Master of Tourism