Overview

An alternative route to a degree

GCU Pathway programmes offer you an alternative route to a degree.

You'll begin your studies at City of Glasgow College, studying a HND Events or HND Travel and Tourism. Once you finish your first two years at college, you'll jump straight into Year 3 of your degree at Glasgow Caledonian, At the end of your fourth year, you'll graduate with an honours degree from Glasgow Caledonian.

This is just another way to get there.

You’ll join the Glasgow Caledonian community right from the start of your studies. You can use all our support facilities on campus, such as the library and the Students’ Association.

The course

Tourism and events shape how people experience the world. From global sporting events and festivals to destination marketing and international travel, this is a fast-moving sector built on creativity, organisation, and people.

Our BA (Hons) International Tourism and Events Management prepares you to play a part in this exciting industry. You’ll help create experiences, manage destinations, and deliver events that bring people together.

You’ll build a strong foundation in international business and management.

Alongside this, you’ll develop knowledge and skills in:

event and tourism planning
marketing and promotion
finance and budgeting
digital design and content creation
staffing and operations
risk assessment and event safety
securing funding and sponsorship.

Together, these skills prepare you to create, manage, and deliver successful events and tourism initiatives.

Learning is hands-on and career-focused. You’ll take part in industry-led simulations, work on live projects, and have opportunities to volunteer at major events such as the Commonwealth Games and UEFA European Championship.

We’ll help you build a global professional network through masterclasses with experts in destination management, tourism consultancy, and event activation.

Our focus on interactive and industry-focused experiences will give you a competitive edge in a fun and rewarding job market. It will ensure you graduate ready to contribute responsibly and creatively to the international tourism and events landscape.

Why study International Tourism and Events Management at GCU?

We’ll connect you with leading local, national, and international tourism and event organisations. This helps you build networks, gain experience, and prepare for future roles.
You’ll get to gain real-world experience by working on live projects and taking part in industry simulations. This gives you practical experience and helps you apply what you learn.
Our course is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality (IOH) and the Tourism Management Institute (TMI). This demonstrates its global quality and industry relevance.
GCU is ranked 6th in the UK for hospitality, leisure, recreation and tourism (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026).
Glasgow is a tourist hotspot, and a leading international destination. It’s an excellent place to study and experience tourism and events.

Institute of Hospitality

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The Tourism Management Institute

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What you will study

We aim to display the most up-to-date information possible.

The modules listed on this page and the Programme Specification are intended to give you an idea of what you may be able to study on this course. Please note that course content, modules, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at GCU. This might be because we are required to do so by law, by a governmental authority, regulator or accrediting body. We may also make changes for quality assurance reasons, or to enhance the course.

Year 1 and Year 2

In the first two years, you'll study a HND Events or HND Travel and Tourism at City of Glasgow College.

Year 3

Core modules

Destination Developing Management And Marketing (Hot Cases)

Creating and Designing Experiences

Tourism and Event Policy and Development

Event Planning and Delivery: Festival of the Common Good

Management Accounting For Decision Makers

Optional modules

Citizenship and Community Participation

Managing People and Diversity in Work

Project Management

Food for Thought

Work Experience Placement

Professional Practice 1

Professional Practice 2

Year 4

Core modules

Graduate Talent Employability

Critical Issues in Tourism and Events

Tourism and Events Final Project

Networking and Negotiation for Tourism and Events

Optional modules

Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility and Ethics

Global Brand Storytelling

Strategic HRM in Contemporary Contexts

Managing Sustainable Business Excellence

Understanding core and optional modules

The core modules shown are based on the standard full-time route for students entering Year 1 of the course. If you study full time from Year 1, you will normally study the outlined core modules for each year of the course.

Optional modules provide opportunities to tailor your studies. You will not normally study every optional module shown and will be asked to select from the available options during your studies. Information about available options and the module selection process will be provided after you enrol. Please note that the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and is subject to factors including student demand, timetabling, staffing and academic requirements.

The module information shown is based on the standard full-time route through the course. If you study through an alternative entry or study route, including part-time study or Advanced Entry, the modules you take in each year and the order in which you study them may vary.

Careers

Tourism and events both play a crucial role in promoting destinations, driving social and economic development, and shaping global experiences.

The international tourism and events sector is growing at a phenomenal rate. The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts 91 million new roles will be created over the next decade — that’s equivalent to one in three new jobs.

The sector is also experiencing significant change as people travel further and expect more from their experiences. This shifting global landscape is creating new opportunities across the world and an increasing demand for skilled professionals. There has never been a more exciting time to pursue a career in international tourism and events, and as a graduate of this course, you can develop your career in a wide range of roles.

Typical roles include:

Event Manager
Destination Marketing Executive
Tourism Development Officer
Conference Coordinator
Tour Operator
Wedding Planner
Hotel Manager
Hospitality Manager.

There are lots of relevant roles available at:

destination management companies
heritage sites
cultural venues
cruise lines
airlines
global tourism businesses.

Past students have gone into exciting and significant roles across the UK and beyond. These include working at the Australian Open, running events in Dubai, managing in large hotel chains in the UK, and developing adventure tourism businesses in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Recent employers include:

VisitScotland
Hilton Worldwide
Glasgow Life
Scottish Event Campus (SEC)
Emirates
UEFA
Davis Cup
Olympic Games.

Course information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BA (Hons)	Full Time	4 Years	Aug 26	Multiple Locations	2H3V	Enquire Apply

Please note that admission to GCU is considered on a competitive basis, and the academic entry requirements stated here may be the minimum required to be eligible for an offer.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Year 1

UCAS Tariff: 75

Scottish Higher:

Standard entry requirement: BBC (or equivalent)

Progression criteria

Progress to Year 2 with HND Events Management or HND Travel and Tourism at City of Glasgow College - graded units BB

English language IELTS score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5 (or equivalent)

Additional information for international applicants

Entry requirements by country
Application deadlines
English language tests
Knowledge of English - Applicants from a majority English speaking country may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Information about this requirement is available on the Student Visa section of the gov.uk website.

Additional information for all applicants

Relevant experience (Recognition of Prior Learning)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

Teaching and learning

The course content is co-created with industry professionals, current students, and graduates with learning and teaching methods that ensure our course is vocationally relevant and academically challenging. Our approach is student-centred, practical, and encourages collaboration and participation.

We take an independent learning approach, encouraging you to develop critical thinking skills.

As well as lectures, seminars, and workshops, supporting material is available online. This includes podcasts, webinars, and discussion boards.

You’ll engage in real-world scenarios from the events and tourism sector through live industry projects, case studies, and investigations. You’ll enhance your creative and digital skills and be encouraged to put theory into practice by taking up opportunities for work experience.

Assessment methods

We use a range of assessment methods that enable you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of course modules and transferable skills.

Coursework can involve:

presentations
podcasts
student-led workshops
live client briefs
peer review exercises.

You’ll also be assessed through business simulation games and real-world case projects. These build strategic decision-making, creative problem solving, and operational planning skills.

Group assessments include consultancy-style projects with live industry briefs. These strengthen your ability to analyse markets, develop strategies, and present to external stakeholders.

Industry links

We will connect you with international tourism and events businesses. We regularly invite guest speakers to provide an up-to-date industry perspective. You’ll have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience through live case study challenges. They require you to analyse real-time scenarios or solve problems for tourism and events businesses. These give you a unique insight into some of the biggest companies in the sector.

Study abroad

Exchange opportunities are available with partner institutions in Europe, Canada, the USA, Australia and Latin America.

Work placements

You can choose to do a work placement as part of your course. We’ll support you with finding a placement, but securing it is your responsibility. Placements may be paid or unpaid. Previous students have completed placements at Glasgow Life, Discover Glasgow, Topgolf, and Gallus Pedals, among others.

The Moffat Scholarship Award

The Moffat Scholarship Award provides financial support and work experience opportunities for students who want a career in travel, tourism, or events. Since 1998, more than 300 GCU students have benefitted from the generous fund established by the Moffat Charitable Trust.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by:

Institute of Hospitality (IOH)
Tourism Management Institute (TMI).

Once you graduate, you will be eligible for professional membership, enhancing employability and industry recognition.

Visit the Institute of Hospitality website

Visit the Tourism Management Institute website

Download the programme specification

In addition to the core modules that all students must undertake, some courses offer students a choice from a selection of optional modules to shape the focus of their degree. Optional modules where available, form part of the overall credit structure of the course.

Download the programme specification for a detailed breakdown of the course structure, including modules, what you'll learn and other useful information.

Terms and Conditions

Details of the University’s terms and conditions are available here.

Overview

An alternative route to a degree

The course

Why study International Tourism and Events Management at GCU?

Accreditations

What you will study

Core modules

Optional modules

Core modules

Optional modules

Understanding core and optional modules

Careers

Course information