BA (Hons) International Tourism and Events Management Pathway

If you’re passionate about travel, culture, or live events—and want to build a career in a global industry—this pathway gives you a flexible and practical way to get there. You’ll start by studying an HND in either Travel & Tourism or Events Management at City of Glasgow College, then progress directly into the final years of your honours degree at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 & 2
Your journey begins at City of Glasgow College, where you’ll study either an HND in Travel & Tourism or Events. These first two years are hands-on and career-focused, giving you a solid grounding in how the industry works. It’s the perfect way to build your confidence and practical skills before moving on to GCU.

Year 3
Once you join GCU, you’ll really start to explore how tourism and events come to life on a global scale. You’ll take modules like Destination Development Management and Marketing, where you’ll learn how places are promoted and managed for visitors, and Creating and Designing Experiences, which looks at what makes tourism and events truly memorable. One of the highlights is Event Planning and Delivery: Festival of the Common Good—a real-life event you’ll help plan and deliver. You’ll also explore industry policies, sustainability, and business decision-making through modules like Management Accounting for Decision Makers and Tourism and Event Policy and Development. Optional modules give you the chance to tailor your experience depending on your interests—whether that's work experience, community projects, or project management.

Year 4
In your final year, everything you’ve learned comes together. You’ll take Graduate Talent Employability, which helps you prepare for the job market, and Networking and Negotiation, where you’ll build the communication skills employers are looking for. You’ll also complete a major Final Project based on a topic that matters to you—ideal for showing future employers what you’re capable of. Optional modules like Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility or Global Brand Storytelling let you shape your learning around what you're most passionate about.

Focus areas

Hands-on HND foundation, destination marketing, experience design, policy and event delivery, financial planning, employability skills, and final project research.

Learning outcomes

By the time you graduate, you’ll know how to design, plan, and manage tourism and event experiences, understand how the industry is shaped by global trends and policies, use financial and business tools confidently, and present yourself as a career-ready professional.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

This program is a collaboration between City of Glasgow College and GCU's respected Glasgow School for Business and Society. You’ll also benefit from the expertise of the Moffat Centre, one of the UK’s top tourism research centres, which has strong links with industry and helps keep the course relevant and connected to real jobs.

Reputation (employability rankings)

• #1 in Scotland for Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation & Tourism (The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)

• 96% of students say teaching staff are great at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024)

• GCU ranks top in Glasgow, 2nd in Scotland, and 11th in the UK for graduate employability