Students who study International Management in Hotel and Tourism are associated with modern skills and work through a series of collaborations with top international hotels and professional tourist associations which the University College Aspira is currently cooperating with and will cooperate in the future. In this way, students receive feedback on all modern trends in the profession first-hand. Students acquire basic theoretical, methodological and applicative knowledge in the area of hotel, catering and tourism, economics, law, information technology, communication sciences and foreign languages. They master the theoretical and practical aspects of education as well as the required traits, and acquire professional competence necessary to work in hotel and tourism.

During the three years of study, students have 640 hours of professional practice, and the last semester of the study is dedicated to acquiring concrete practical experience.

Year of study Study program - International management in hotel industry and tourism
1Duration of professional practice (orientation training): 10 days (80 hours)
2Duration of professional practice (orientation training): 10 days (80 hours)
3Duration of professional practice - 6th semester (640 hours)

The competencies acquired during the course of study must be based primarily on the high-level and professional competence in the area of hotel and tourism management, destination management, hotel and tourism marketing, management of tourist manifestations, branding, controlling, financial management, public relations, human resources management and the like.

Education and training is treated as a key resource for modern business, and hence development. Therefore, an adequate education of staff in international hotel and tourism would contribute to the competitive advantage of a particular community, increased productivity and market value. The aim should be to improve qualitatively, through the acquired knowledge and skills, the tourism product, which is based on the comparative advantages of a particular local community and affirm culture, tradition and lifestyle of a particular area.

Professional practice has also been implemented in the development of the thesis and thus the student has the opportunity to contribute to the development of quality in the institution where the practice has been done.

Professional practice often leads to seasonal or permanent employment, thus representing the first and fair reference in our students’ CV and all of us here at University College Aspira are exceptionally proud to be part of it.

The basic aims of the professional practice are:

  • linking acquired theoretical knowledge with professional experiences
  • acquiring additional skills in the field of management in hotel and tourism and other areas of business activities of tourist and other organizations in which the practice is carried out
  • finding the topic for graduate thesis and obtaining possible recommendations for the future employment
  • making contacts and acquaintances in the tourism sector
  • creating good work habits and preparing students for the business world
  • erasing the barrier caused by the transition from student to the business world

Our philosophy of knowledge transfer has been based on practicality and understanding the economy needs for certain skills and competencies of our students, who will assume their role and responsibility in the design, development and management of existing but also still unused resources.
In our opinion, the best way to accomplish the previously mentioned aims is the development of synergy between us, our students and of course the economic factors, our partners in sports, tourism and IT organizations, with the ultimate goal of synchronizing the education and demand for educated workforce.
Each year, University College Aspira organizes a Career Day, which is an opportunity for the International hospitality management students to present themselves in a best possible way to the employers and thus create oppotunities, first for professional practice, then through work and dedication, for their future employment.

Employers participating in Career Day emphasize that this is a great recruitment centre which allows them to reach the employees more easily and later influence them, as well. Students’ aim is to prove themselves and impress the employers. Employers’ aim is to keep a quality worker.

Student practice is conducted in respectable Croatian and international catering establishments and hotels so that students can acquire concrete knowledge and skills applicable to the labour market.

Employers’ Impressions:

Igor Leben – Le Meridien Lav, Human Resources Director:

“We have supported this positive and interesting story for three years now. The professional practice of several Aspira students has become a full time employment in our hotel. Students show special interest for sales and marketing departments. “

Dubravka Zorica Dujić -Hotel Hilton, Human Resource Manager:

“I want to point out that Aspira students are the best support for employers in overcoming the challenges in the future.”

Duška Žižak – Briig Boutique Hotel, Sales and Marketng Manager (statement given when working at Hotel Park)

“Students in this way acquire life experience and become acquainted with the work they will do in the future. Hours spent on practice are precious to them. “

Josip Čulić – Hotel Lux Manager

“University College Aspira trains students precisely for what we employers need.”

Nevena Čikeš – Hotel Park

“Aspira students are the best students we have been working with at our hotel Park so far. They really try hard. Besides that, we also have full time employees who we met on Career Day in Aspira and who became our proud employees. “

Zorica Dujic – Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

“It’s a great fact that we will have the Aspira students on practice at our Grand Imperial Hotel Dubrovnik again. Also, students who have been doing practice last year are returning again this year, which is a very valuable fact that shows a very good communication and cooperation established between the Grand Imperial Hotel and the University College Aspira.”

Ivan Holjar – San Marino Camp, Valamar group

“This is a very important university college because tourism is an important economic branch in Croatia and at the same time, a perspective for further development of tourism and for improving Croatia’s image in the world. Therefore, such faculties should be encouraged. “

Kempinski Hotel Human Resources Director:

“We are very pleased with the students of the University College Aspira who come to our practice. “

Joško Stella – Director of the SD County Tourist Board

“Tourism is an activity which requires constant education, and I can see that Aspira enables it to its students with quality.”

Sandra Čanić – Radisson Blu Resort

“I fully support Aspira initiative to start Career Day because it is extremely important for both employers and students to achieve personal contact and create opportunities for collaboration.”

Filip Benjak – Bluesun hotels and resorts

“I think Aspira and Career Day are the right place for ambitious and young people who want to work and who want to learn. When they come and meet us at the hotel, the combination of education and professional practice gives them a quality of acquiring work habits, habits of recognizing the structure of guests and other things in hotel business.

Sanja Žužić – Aminess hotels and camps

“It is important that people are educated and able to professionally develop further within the profession through hotel operations, through all the hotel departments as well as through top management. Therefore, Aspira has a very nice role and advantage and I am looking forward to meet the students who will work with us. “