With the hospitality industry regrouping and recovering rapidly in a post-pandemic world, the global education wing of this sector is also booming. Hotel management courses in Canada are designed to address the global demands of this field from the fundamental to the advanced levels of all the facets of hotel operations, be it at the bachelor’s or master’s level.
So, in this article, we will be looking at…
Hospitality courses in Canada, particularly those emphasising on hotel operations, food and beverage management, guest services, housekeeping management and front desk operations, ensure that learning is not limited to the classroom but is gained through practical experience. Internships and co-ops are a significant part of the course with some universities offering up to 1000 hours of co-op work. Co-op is where you can work in a partner organisation for a salary and add credits to your course.
Due to the significance colleges in Canada place on international hospitality and tourism management, the different courses, be it at the diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level, have international recognition. The multicultural ethos of Canada’s ed-scape also means that you get to interact with students and professionals from varied cultures and walks of life. This is extremely important in a people-centric industry such as hospitality.
Compared to other top destinations such as the UK, USA, or Australia, higher education in Canada is comparatively cheaper. Generally, the average tuition fee for undergraduate courses is about US $22,500 per year while the same would cost you about US $30,385 in the U.S, $27,397 in the U.K. and about $23,000 in Australia (all figures are in USDs).
As the world is recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the hospitality industry is jumping back on track, almost with a vengeance. Bleisure travel is changing the course of the industry. It is estimated that the hotel segment in Canada will generate a revenue of US $6.93 billion in 2023. That means more employment opportunities. With hospitality being an international business, a degree from Canada increases your chances of becoming a global citizen.
Now often called hospitality and tourism management encompasses multiple areas that come together in the functioning of the hotel. You have food and beverage management, housekeeping, accommodation management, front desk services, sales and marketing for hospitality, finance and revenue management, guest services, event management, business communication, and so on.
Depending on your choice of course and the level, your hospitality course can delve into different areas of expertise. At the associate degree or the bachelor’s degree level, you are looking at the introduction to hospitality and tourism, basics of culinary arts and beverages, introduction to digital marketing and brand building, front office management, and fundamentals of communication and technology.
If you continue to pursue a master’s in hotel management, you will be developing skills required for leadership in hospitality. This includes business administration and management, hotel operations management, human resources, and even laws relating to hospitality.
With the industry booming, job opportunities are also on the rise. One thing that is clear about the industry, both in Canada and globally is that it is fairly structured. While you might begin at a lower rung of the ladder, there is always the scope to climb ahead.
Some of the common job profiles you can look at, after completing any of the hospitality management courses include restaurant manager, corporate travel manager, event coordinator, food service manager, or guest service representative.
The average salary of a hotel manager in Canada is about CA $57,897 as estimated by Glassdoor. This is bound to increase, depending on the reputation of your organisation, its branding, and what niche skills you can offer.
For those with an entrepreneurial bent of mind, this degree gives you the flexibility to even kickstart your own business in an associated field such as event management.
For an international student, a student loan is always an option to help with the financial requirements of studying abroad. But, before you open that door, always look at the scholarships and other financial aid given by the government or the institution.
For instance, the Canadian Bureau of International Education has an entire range of scholarships for international students. On the whole, with the government of Canada trying to establish the nation as a top global ed destination, numerous scholarship options are available to overseas students.
The Canadian Hospitality Foundation also has scholarships specifically for students pursuing this discipline. However, it is currently open only to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants.
Most of the colleges in Canada offering hospitality courses also have the option to provide scholarships/ fellowships for foreign students. These financial aids are based on merit, need, or both. Many times, simply writing to the college, requesting financial aid is a good way to begin the scholarship application. You can read about each of the individual scholarships in the following section.
Let us now delve into the top universities and their courses. In the following section, we will be looking at the advantages of a course, eligibility, fees and scholarship options, admission process, and other options.
The top 5 hospitality management courses in Canada are:
Source: StudyinAlberta.ca
Located near downtown Calgary, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has a history spanning over a century as Canada’s first publicly funded technical institute. Known for its vocational, skill-oriented and diploma programmes, this institute has a separate school dedicated to tourism and hospitality management.
Before getting into the details of the course, you are probably wondering what this “diploma + bachelor’s” means. It is a flexible model of higher education that works to your advantage. A typical bachelor’s programme is 4 years long. Here, you sign up for the diploma course of two years in hospitality and tourism management. You can exit at the 2-year mark, looking for work or postgraduate study options. Or, you can extend it to years 3 and 4 and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. It is a “post-diploma degree” programme.
The School of Hospitality and Tourism at SAIT is ranked in the 51-100 bracket in the discipline of Hospitality and Leisure Management by QS World University Rankings. The school is also known for its personalised approach to learning with small class sizes. The final year also includes a co-op programme where you will be working with industry partners, solving real-world problems in your discipline.
The yearly fee for an international student at the diploma level is about CA $20, 827 (for years one and two). Should you choose to continue to the bachelor’s programme, then you are looking at a fee of about CA $22,107 for years 3 and 4.
SAIT has over CA $ 5 million allocated each year as student awards. They are disbursed as entrance awards, the Bisset Bursary Program, and financial aid. You can read more about their scholarship options, here.
To apply for the diploma program:
To apply for the bachelor’s program:
Duration: 2 years for a diploma + 2 years for a bachelor’s.
Other courses offered related to the discipline include:
Source: UGuelph
A public research university located in Guelph, Ontario, the University of Guelph was established in 1964. The university motto is “Rerum cognoscere causas” which means “to learn the reasons of realities”. About 30,000 students study at this university. It consists of seven main faculties under which the courses are offered, one of them being the School of Hospitality, Food, and Tourism Management.
Ranked in the 51-100 range among all the universities in the world by QS Rankings for Hospitality, this undergraduate degree course at the University of Guelph has been producing professionals who have been taking on numerous leadership and management roles since 1969. With a class size of about 100-120 students, the school creates an intimate learning setup where the process can be tailored to suit your needs.
Another significant aspect of the Guelph bachelor’s degree in HTM is its emphasis on experiential learning. Co-op opportunities, exchange programs with universities in Britain, Austria, Scandinavia, Mexico, and Australia; and hands-on management experience through working in their student-run restaurant are some of its huge selling points.
The annual fee is about CA $38,372.
Renewable international scholarships ranging in total values from CA $17,500 to $20,500 are available to students who have not attended post-secondary studies and are entering the University of Guelph in September. Students do not need to apply to be considered as offers will be made on the basis of the student’s admission file. This figure is indicative only of the Entrance Scholarships for international students. You can also look at the in-course scholarship options here.
Duration: 4 years
Source: Toronto Metropolitan University
Originally called Ryerson University, the Toronto Metropolitan University is one of the top 150 universities in the world for hospitality and leisure management courses. An urban, culturally diverse public university located in Toronto, TMU provides the foundation that you need to make your mark in the hospitality industry.
Ranked in the 101-150 bandwidth by QS World University Rankings for hospitality and leisure management, TMU’s degree programs combine lectures, case study analysis, and over 1000 hours of optional co-op work to get your industry ready. Called the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, it is accredited by the Tourism HR Canada SMART Accreditation Program and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The university also gives you an insight into international travel management.
The fee ranges from $36,453 – $36,710 per year for an international student. The school gives out over 200 awards/ scholarships each year. In 2021-22, 215 awards and scholarships were available, and a total of more than $2 million in award funds were given out to Ted Rogers School of Management students.
Duration: 4 years full-time without co-op or 5 years full-time with co-op.
Source: Seneca College
Established in 1967, the aim of Seneca College of Applied Arts is to provide career-oriented diploma and certificate courses and continuing education programmes to its students. Home to about 1,500 overseas students from over 150 countries, this college is located in the Greater Toronto Area.
Focussing on the key business practices of the hospitality industry such as operations and revenue management and marketing, this is a great course for those already in the industry to up-skill themselves.
At the end of the course, you will be awarded an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, which is the equivalent of a PG diploma. This course will help you launch your career at the leadership and management level. This course is also designed in a hybrid delivery format where some of the coursework is online along with in-complete learning requirements.
The total tuition fee for overseas students is CA $17,176 for two semesters.
Besides the entrance scholarships that you can apply for at the time of submitting your application, Seneca college also offers a number of in-course awards, based on academic excellence and financial need. The following awards are also open to students from abroad.
Duration: 8 months (2 semesters)
Your admission process begins by submitting your application online along with the official transcripts, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and other supporting documents. Ensure you have chosen the right program, start date, and campus. Review your application, pay the application fee of CA $90, and submit it. You can track your application status through the Seneca student portal.
Source: Humber
The Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College was founded in 1967. It is the home to the Canadian Centre of Culinary Arts & Science which is a national leader in culinary education, training, research, and development.
The most important reason why this programme stands out is Humber hospitality school’s partnership with the Greater Toronto Hotel Association (GTHA). This keeps the curriculum state of the art and updated based on the latest industry requirements and opens up numerous internship and work opportunities. Together, the college and GTHA have launched the Hotel Management Leadership Program to train management-level employees to become senior leaders in the industry.
The fee for foreign students is about CA $16,400 per year. You can, however, apply for the International Entrance Scholarship. This scholarship is for students with high academic qualifications: Students with an average score of 85% or more and 6.5 or more in IELTS (or equivalent in TOEFL or Duolingo). You must have received your letter of acceptance and submitted your scholarship application before the deadline.
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters)
Now that you have all the information about the top courses for hotel management in Canada, how do you go about the application process? Each university has its own set of requirements and deadlines to keep up with. The prep work can get overwhelming.
Here is how you can make the process simpler.
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