Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Tourism and Visitor Economy Management (Top Up)

Course Overview

This unique top-up programme is aimed at anyone who has already completed a level 5 qualification, providing a final year of knowledge and experience with which to pursue a management career in one of the most exciting and varied industries in the world. The programme combines the latest academic and industry knowledge with practical experience, helping prepare you for real-world success and giving you a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive careers market. Based at our Ambleside campus, this is the only programme in the UK to be based in both a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and a National Park, providing you with the opportunity to explore the complexities of managing a business in one of the busiest tourism locations in the UK.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Ambleside
• Institute: Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership
• Delivery Style: In Person
• Course Duration: Full-time: 1 Year
• Course Start Point: September
• Award: BA (Hons)

Minimum Entry Requirements

• Students applying for this programme of study need to have completed a level 5 qualification, ideally in a related subject area such as tourism, events, and hospitality, although applications will be considered from other subject areas where industry experience can be demonstrated.

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 - UK (Year)
• £14,900 - International (Year)

Course Structure

What You Will Learn

The module content for the BA Top-Up is aligned with the UNESCO sustainable development goals around ways of thinking, sustainable competence, and ways of being. This thread allows you to consider the opportunities and challenges associated with working in the visitor economy and to develop the critical thinking skills and competences needed to ensure success.

You will be supported to develop your own learner identity as part of a programme that combines face-to-face workshops, site visits, guest speakers, and work experience.

Year One

The BA Top-Up Award builds on your previous qualifications and background, focusing on the more strategic thinking associated with leadership and business success. As part of the programme, you have the option to undertake a paid placement, which includes completing a report on your experience, to complete a project for an employer, or to undertake an independent research project in an area of interest.

• Digital Presence, Product and Place
• Visitor Economy Futures
• Sustainable Strategies in the Visitor Economy
• Leadership Insights
• Industry Work Placement (Option)
• Industry Research Project (Option)

Teaching & Assessment

How You Will Learn

The curriculum is designed to combine academic and industry knowledge/experience, helping you to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required by industry. The teaching team adopts an applied learning philosophy that impacts on teaching, learning, and assessment in terms of the approach to:

• Module delivery – modules adopt a combination of site visits, guest speakers, real-world cases, or industry experience, allowing students to consider the application of theory in an industry context and to develop critical thinking and employability skills as they progress through the programme.
• Module content – All modules are aligned with the UNESCO sustainable development goals around ways of thinking, sustainable competence, and ways of being. This thread allows you to consider the opportunities and challenges associated with working in the visitor economy and to reflect on your own views in terms of sustainable development.
• Optional Integrated placement - As an employee, you have the option to undertake a placement that will help develop your reflective practice and people skills.
• Learner support – The programme team will support you to develop your own learner identity, helping to bridge the gap between academic thinking and real-world experience. The tutor’s role is central to this support, and the creation of an online discussion forum for both the programme and the individual modules provides you with ready access to peer and academic support throughout the programme of study.

How You Will Be Assessed

The application of theoretical constructs in real-world environments ensures that assessments are appropriately challenging at every stage of the programme and promote the critical, analytical, and creative thinking needed to function effectively as a future manager in the visitor economy.

Assessment is diverse and, in many instances, can be applied in a real-world context, providing opportunities for engagement with industry partners and enhanced employability in terms of developing key skills and knowledge. The range of assessment methods ensures development of the communication skills needed for a career in the industry and includes debates, reflective journals, presentations, content creation, and industry reports.

Career Outcomes

An emphasis on applied learning, authentic assessment, and skills development ensures that graduates have the knowledge and ability to become future managers in the visitor economy and improves social impact and reach.

Existing placements potentially open the door to full-time working with an employer and faster career progression both in the UK and abroad.

Fair Admissions

When you apply, our Admissions specialists will review your whole application. We are looking for your potential to succeed, so we will assess your qualifications, any relevant work experience, your personal statement, and references.

Where you have received a conditional offer subject to achieving particular grades/UCAS tariff scores, and do not quite meet these scores, please try not to worry, where vacancies exist our Admissions specialists will review your whole application again and take account of any mitigating circumstances and reassess your suitability for the course.

Contextual Admissions

Going to higher education can transform a person’s life. We use contextual admissions to make sure that we are accessible to everyone who has the potential to succeed. Qualifications and grades are important, but they are considered alongside other information that helps universities to identify potential and widen access to university-level study. For some individuals, the disadvantages they have experienced in their life mean that they have not been able to demonstrate their full academic potential. Where a person lives and their personal circumstances can all affect their educational attainment.

We take this context into account and look for an applicant’s potential when making admission decisions. The University of Cumbria will make offers at the bottom of any UCAS Tariff range to applicants that live in postal code regions with the lowest participation in Higher Education (Polar 4 quintile 1 – you can check your postcode here), applicants that are estranged from their parents, are care leavers or have caring responsibilities or are in receipt of or received free school meals during their secondary education. Attendance at our Masterclasses and Summer Schools will also allow applicants to receive an offer lower within the tariff range. (T&Cs apply).

Returning to Education

If you are over 21 and returning to study after being in relevant employment for a minimum of 3 years and do not meet the published entry requirements for Year 1 of our degree courses, please do not assume you are not qualified to join us. Our experienced Admissions and Academic staff will review your prior qualifications and professional experience to support your application.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

2025 - 2026

• £9,535 - UK
• £14,900 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

More Information

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants, and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first-year students with a household income of less than £25,000.

Additional Costs

There may be some additional costs associated with fieldtrips, book purchases, and stationery supplies, but these are largely optional.

• Books and Journals: The university provides access to a wide range of electronic and print resources to support your learning, and these are reviewed annually to ensure currency and relevance.
• Stationery: You will ideally have a personal laptop to support your studies.