Program Overview

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A world of opportunities is waiting for you. Graduates of this programme could go onto careers in the UK or overseas in hotels, restaurants, spas, cruise ships, airlines, events and visitor attractions. The course includes integrated work experience across various departments in Wivenhoe House , a 4* country house hotel on Essex’s Colchester campus. With a student experience unlike any other, it may come as no surprise that the Edge Hotel School is ranked 4th for student satisfaction and 7th in the UK for Tourism, Transport and Travel (Complete University Guide, 2023). At Essex you will gain the knowledge and industry connections to launch your career in hospitality management. You will develop your hospitality skills and business management understanding to open up a world of opportunities in this growing industry. You will study topics including:

• Change management and hospitality business innovation
• Gastronomy and food trends
• Finance and macro-economics
• Event planning and venue management
• Human resources management
• Digital marketing

The Edge Hotel School experience is unlike any other student experience. Not only will you graduate from a well-renowned university, you will also develop your industry knowledge and professional skills by gaining valuable experience in a fully commercial 4* hotel alongside your studies. You will gain experience in the different departments of the hotel such as the kitchen, front office, restaurant, housekeeping and events department. These shifts may involve some late finishes on occasion, as well as weekend work, so that you get to see all aspects of what the hotel offers: including restaurant meals, afternoon tea, weddings, meetings, tribute acts, baby showers, conferences and more.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality that academic, vocational and professional standards achieved are appropriate and programme content and delivery meet international Institute of Hospitality benchmark standards. Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality that academic, vocational and professional standards achieved are appropriate and programme content and delivery meet international Institute of Hospitality benchmark standards. Why we're great.

• We're 7th in the UK for hospitality (The Guardian University Guide 2022)
• Edge Hotel School provides exceptional industry links and networking opportunities through careers fairs, masterclasses and guest lectures
• You will gain experience alongside your studies in a fully-commercial 4* hotel to boost your employability

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Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year studying or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable and organised. If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to the host university in the country you will be studying in.

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Our expert staff

Our staff includes lecturers with both professional as well as academic backgrounds to ensure you are taught by people with industry-relevant experience themselves. Among our academic staff are published authors including a former hotel General Manager, a Food and Beverage Manager for award-winning cruise lines, an organiser of the BRIT Awards and London Fashion Week and a Dr. (PhD) with international research experience.

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Specialist facilities

• In Wivenhoe House you can gain experience in a 40-bedroom country house hotel on the university campus with a brasserie restaurant and a busy conference and events function that hosts over 300 events and 50 weddings annually. If for any reason the hotel is subject to closures during rotations, we have developed a comprehensive platform of online skills and experience workshops to replicate the practical experience offer as closely as possible.
• In the event of hotel closure, we have also developed a substantial online component to substitute the practical experience.
• The Edge Hotel School has connections with a range of organisations across the hospitality and events industries – throughout your studies you can expect guest lectures, masterclasses and an annual careers fair to help further your career prospects. Supporters of the Edge Hotel School include:
  • Apex Hotels
  • The Arora Group
  • BaxterStorey
  • Claridges
  • Dorchester Collection
  • Edge Foundation
  • EDITION Hotels
  • Exclusive Hotels and Venues
  • Georgian House Hotel
  • Hand Picked Hotels
  • The Landmark London
  • Levy UK and Ireland
  • Master Innholders
  • Moet Hennessey
  • Milsoms Hotels and Restaurants
  • Oakman Inns
  • Royal Lancaster London
  • the Savoy Educational Trust
  • Sbe
  • St Julians Scholars
  and many others.
• The Edge Hotel Society hosts student-organised events including industry speakers, student social events and an annual ball.
• As an Edge Hotel School student you will be issued with a uniform to wear for your shifts in Wivenhoe House and when representing the School externally. You will need to provide your own white shirts and black shoes.

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Your future

The skills you will gain throughout your Hospitality Management degree will be transferrable to a range of working environments within the hospitality industry including hotels, restaurants, resorts and event management. There are opportunities throughout the course to meet hotel general managers and recruitment managers to further your professional network. Graduates of this programme can go onto careers, in the UK or internationally, in areas such as:

• Resorts
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Marketing and sales
• Events or festival management
• Cruise ships
• Airlines

"During my time at Edge Hotel School I took part in a variety of conferences and networking events which played a huge part in allowing me to explore and identify the aspects of the industry I favoured as well as networking with professionals. The practical aspect of my hands on experience at Wivenhoe House also meant that I gained a better understanding of the industry and how all the departments work in reality to accompany my theory." Ellie Steele, 2018 graduate, now Sales and Marketing Manager at Georgian House Hotel, London