International Spa Management Undergraduate to Masters (with paid work placement)
When can you start this course? | UCAS code | Fees | Course length | Entry requirements
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You can also start this course in January |
Why choose this course?
The Buxton Campus
The spa town of Buxton is in Derbyshire, in the middle of the beautiful Peak District countryside. With easy access by rail or road from Manchester, Stockport and Derby, Buxton is the perfect place to study.
Buxton's on the edge of the Peak District National Park with moorland, woodland, hills and the popular tourist towns of Ashbourne, Bakewell and Matlock nearby. The Trafford Centre in Manchester is about an hour away; with a 1,600 seat food court, a 20-screen cinema and hundreds of high street and designer stores. In the summer, Buxton gets 'festival fever', hosting lots of festivals including the Buxton Festival, Fringe Theatre Festival and The Four Four Time Festival of Live Music.
UK leader in International Spa Management Education
Delivered in the spa town of Buxton in the UK, we are the leading provider of postgraduate education in the Spa industry.
A paid work placement in the UK
This placement will enable you to develop your learning from your BA in order to apply that learning to the MA. Placements will be with international spa companies, and you'll be working with international spa businesses.
Become the future leader in your industry
This programme will help you to develop your career in the future, becoming the next generation leader, in the 21st Century you will be developing the skills needed to become a highly effective leader in the spa industry.
Become an expert in global industry best practices
The course has a strong focus on international business and the programmes are internationalised by a focused approach on investigating international professional business via case studies and lecturers with international hospitality industry experience along with visiting speakers.
About the course
The Spa industry is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth and globally is worth $250 billion annually. A boom in the development of hotel and inner city spas and salons across the world has brought with it a renewed demand for well trained spa managers.
The industry appreciates the skills of a good spa manager and is seeking spa managers with fantastic management ability combined with a sound knowledge of the spa industry. This combination of skills will provide a very rewarding career in a truly international and global industry.
On this course you will study in three stages.
Stage one you will study BA (Hons) International Spa Management.
This programme focuses on the knowledge and skills required to successfully manage and operate within the International Spa industry. You will investigate the effectiveness of the key agencies involved in the provision of spa resources, both nationally and internationally. You will gain knowledge and understanding of the range of careers, cultural diversity, historical development, consumer psychology and the operating environment which form a fundamental part of this programme.
The modules you will cover include:
- Contemporary Issues
- Independent Study or Project
- International Spa Design and Development (option)
- Spa Operations Management (option)
- Spa Treatments, Evolution and Innovation (option)
- Strategic Management.
Stage two you will go on an eight month paid work placement in your chosen area of study.
Stage three you will study MA International Spa Management.
Recruiting and retaining good spa managers is a current problem facing the industry; with many spa owners citing business management skills as a gap. The MA in International Spa Management provides the spa industry with postgraduate who are aware of the practical operational nature of the industry.These graduates have the knowledge to deliver new product development based upon service quality, customer satisfaction, sustainable precepts and financial viability.
The modules you will cover include:
- Independent Scholarship
- Integrated Business Management
- Operations and Project Management
- Research Methodologies
- Strategic Directions
- The Spa Consumer.
Your career
On successful completion of the full course you will receive the following three awards:
- BA (Hons) International Spa Management
- University Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice
- MA International Spa Management.
How you're assessed
The assessment strategy includes a mix of assessments which reflect the nature of the skills you will require for their chosen industry. We use a variety of assessments that include reports, presentations, practical assessments and assessments that make use of the technology enhanced learning such as blogs and wikis.
Work placements
You will work with our work placement team to secure a paid work placement in the UK. Your progress during the work placement is monitored by a course tutor who will work closely with you to ensure you make the most of your placement opportunity.
The placement can be anywhere in the UK. Placements in the past, have included Skibo Castle, Gleneagles Hotel, Elemis, Bannatyne Spas, and many others.
During your work placement you may complete a University Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice. The diploma allows you to critically reflect on your placement experience and the skills you have developed; for example, self management, team working, problem solving and occupational skills. These are all important employability skills.
The Diploma includes two modules that are studied on-line supported by your placement tutor.
Module one: Applied Professional Practice
This module will develop your lifelong learning skills and cover areas such as objective setting, planning, negotiating, demonstrating and reflecting.
Module two: Contemporary Issues in Professional Practice
This module will focus on one area of professionalism in the workplace negotiated between you and your placement tutor.
Anything else?
The fees for this programme are:
- The fees for this Undergraduate to Masters, including work placement, programme are £18,000
- This is made up of a £6,000 fee for your BA and a £12,000 fee for the MA and work placement.
How you will pay
You will pay for your programme in the following way:
- At the start of your programme you will pay £6,000, which will enable you to obtain your first CAS letter and apply for your visa.
- In November 2012 you will pay a further £3,000 towards your work placement module.
- In the Spring of 2012, when you have completed your BA, you will enrol onto the MA part of the programme and pay £3,000. This will enable you to obtain your second CAS Letter and apply for your visa extension.
- In January 2014 when you return from your work placement module you will pay a further £3,000.
- In the Spring of 2014 you will pay a further £3,000 which completes the payment of the fees for your course.
- Total fee = £18,000
The fees are inclusive of tuition, assessments, teaching materials (not text books) and work placement support.
Start dates
If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:
- September
- January
If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:
- September
- January
UCAS code
N825Fees
Please contact us for details of the fees for this course.More information about our fees for September 2012 and the support available
Course length
This is a full time programme comprising of three stages.
Stage one - eight months study on the BA (Hons) International Spa Management.
Stage two - eight months on a paid placement in the industry and an opportunity to gain a University Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice.
Stage three - 12 months studying on the MA International Spa Management (subject to successful completion of the bachelor's degree and any visa requirements).
Entry requirements
You will require an appropriate Higher National Diploma or equivalent qualification to two ...
