Program Overview

BA in Bar Management

Overview

Advance your career with the Level 7 BA in Bar Management Apprenticeship. The programme aims to provide learners with a range of integrated skills required to operate a successful bar, including legal and regulatory aspects, leadership, management, food and beverage, commercial skills, finance, marketing, human resource management, communications, and personal development.

Why Study Bar Management at Griffith College?

Embrace this opportunity to advance your career and secure your future in the thriving hospitality industry. This national apprenticeship three-year degree programme was designed to meet the evolving needs of the bar industry, and the content has been devised in consultation with the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI).

Intake Dates

• Limerick - Full-Time - September 2025

Course Details

Stage 1 Modules

• Personal and Academic Development: The module provides a foundational understanding of third-level education and apprenticeships, highlighting the apprenticeship model and the importance of lifelong learning.
• Effective Business Communications: This module covers essential communication skills for bar management, focusing on business writing, the communication model, and IT's significance.
• Food Management: The module introduces key concepts for food management, covering the role and attributes of a bar manager, customer service excellence, and effective venue management.
• Health & Safety Operations: The module focuses on health and safety in the bar industry, covering chemical safety training that includes proper labelling, health hazards, as well as health and safety legislation relevant to risk assessments and emergency procedures.
• Fundamentals of Finance: The module covers business finance aspects, including payroll management, rostering, and taxation.
• Beverage Management: The module delves into the fundamentals of various beverages, including beers, spirits, liqueurs, and wines, alongside cocktail culture and barista skills, emphasising serving techniques and types of beverages.
• Bar Operations – Stock Management: The module covers essential business processes in the bar industry, focusing on cellar management, stock management, and IT systems, including the receipt and handling of products, cleaning protocols, and security measures.
• Food Safety Fundamentals: The module outlines the essential responsibilities of a bar manager in food and beverage operations, particularly regarding food safety and compliance with legal requirements.

Stage 2 Modules

• Bar Regulations: The module covers essential aspects of regulatory compliance in the bar trade, focusing on GDPR and data protection principles, including the role of data protection officers and necessary business process changes for compliance.
• Sustainable Operations: The module introduces the concept of sustainability, focusing on its environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as the role of technology and corporate social responsibility in creating an action plan.
• Marketing Management: The module explores the distinctions between products and services, including their respective marketing approaches, lifecycles, and branding.
• Managing People: The module covers key concepts in sustainable human resource management within the hospitality sector, emphasising legal and ethical frameworks, equality, diversity, and employee rights.
• Contemporary Issues for the Bar Industry: The module examines emerging trends in the bar industry, focusing on the evolution of cocktail culture, sustainable sourcing, and the impact of generational shifts on drinking habits.
• Operational and Financial Management: The module explores key concepts in product costing, covering fundamentals, cost types (direct, indirect, fixed, and variable), and implications of employment law on labour costs.
• Business Proposal Project: The module focuses on the key components of developing a business proposal, including its role, elements, and integration into a strategic plan, along with marketing analysis to assess target markets and growth opportunities.
• Event Management: The module introduces key concepts in event management within the bar trade, focusing on the purpose and objectives of events, feasibility, strategic planning, budgeting, and enhancing customer experiences using planning tools.

Stage 3 Modules

• Management of Food Safety: The module consists of three parts focusing on food safety and hygiene, aligned with HACCP Level 3 standards.
• Effective Procurement: The module covers key aspects of purchasing management, including the fundamentals of supplier selection, product knowledge, and the supplier management process, emphasising the importance of national and international developments.
• Social Media Management: The module covers key components of a digital marketing plan, including essential channels like social media, SEO, and digital advertising, and guides participants in developing and implementing an effective digital marketing strategy.
• Lean Strategies for Business Efficiency: The module introduces Lean Thinking and highlights its significance in bar management through process optimization and guest satisfaction.
• Talent Development: The module provides an overview of training and development in bar management, emphasising the importance of talent development, essential skills for workplace training, and adult learning theories.
• Strategic Management: The module introduces strategic management in the bar industry, highlighting the importance of aligning business objectives with market demands, evolving trends in bar culture, and the need for adaptive decision-making.
• Professional Perspectives on Emerging Trends: The module introduces professional perspectives on emerging trends in the bar and beverage industry, emphasising the significance of industry engagement for professional development.
• Business Development Project: The module focuses on developing a comprehensive business proposal, utilising relevant frameworks to guide business development.

Entry Requirements

• Must be employed and sponsored by an employer.
• Must have a minimum of one year full-time or two years part-time work experience in the sector.

How to Apply

• Applicants under 23 years of age: Leaving Certificate: 5 subjects at O6/H7 grade, to include English, and a minimum of foundation Mathematics.
• Applicants over 23 years of age (Mature applicants): Those who do not hold the above academic qualifications, but have the required work experience in the sector, are recommended by their employer, and who demonstrate the right attitudes and behaviours, will also be eligible to apply.

Fees

• A third-level registration fee of €1,000 is payable annually.

Progression

• Successful apprentices can progress to senior roles in the bar trade.
• They can also progress their education and training in other third level colleges in the areas of hospitality and management.