The fundamental objective of the 1st cycle higher professional programme ‘Contemporary Tourism Practices’ is to educate graduates who are able to organize, market and implement tourism activities. Their activities will primarily be aimed at solving design and realization problems related to tourist products and services in organizations where they are employed or self-employed, which means that graduates who are thus competent experts can find employment in companies engaged in any tourist activity, their subcontractors or companies complementary to them.
Competencies
Subject-specific competences of the graduates of the 1st cycle higher professional programme ‘Contemporary Tourism Practices’ include: • operational execution of concrete tasks in tourism businesses, organizations and narrower or wider tourist destinations, • ability to use acquired knowledge, detect problems and design solutions in the framework of concrete tasks in tourism businesses, • ability to analyse at the level of operational task performance, ensuring increased impact of the task performed, • development of critical and self-critical assessment, • identification of service errors and ability to correct them, • communication abilities and customer service skills, • being ready for team work, • ability to develop skills continuously in performing tasks, • commitment to professional ethics toward all stakeholders.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific competences include: • a general knowledge of tourism as a specific service activity at the national and international level, • knowing Slovenia as a tourist destination, and knowing the most important tourist regions globally, • understanding the basic categories of business management and the economics of enterprise, • understanding the basic principles of planning, governing and managing tourist destinations and tourism structures, • the basics of treating people at work, • mastering the basic rules and skills of intercultural and digital communication in tourism, • communicative competences in three foreign languages, in-depth linguistic knowledge and tourism-related terminology, • use of basic information technologies and specific features of information solutions in tourism, • practical knowledge of the different types of tourism products, differentiating between the mission and purpose of these products, • ability to design creative tourism products in different areas, • being familiar with tourism trends, • understanding the importance of safety in a contemporary tourism environment, • practical knowledge of the business of hotels, tourist establishments, food service establishments and destination marketing organisations, • knowing the basic organisational and legal characteristics of Slovenian and international tourism, • knowing the concept, process and content of marketing in a tourism organisation, • demonstrating values in accordance with the principles of sustainable tourism and ethical standards, • valuation of the quality of services and experiences in tourism.
Structure and Distribution of Credits
Transfers between programmes are possible in accordance with the Higher Education Act and the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes, and other regulations. According to the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes, candidates shall enrol: • in the second or higher year of 1st cycle higher education professional programme Contemporary Tourism Practices in case of discontinued studies in the fields of the hotel and F&B industry, travel, tourism, leisure, social sciences, business and administration, sales, marketing and advertising, management and governance, and working life, and studies are continued under this programme of the same level. • in the second year of such a programme if this is a higher education professional programme graduate in the fields of the hotel and F&B industry, travel, tourism, leisure, social sciences, business and administration, sales, marketing and advertising, management and governance, and working life. Transfer is possible if the candidate meets the following conditions: • the conditions for enrolment in the first year of 1st cycle higher education professional programme Contemporary Tourism Practices, • they are transitioning from a programme which ensures, upon the completion of studies, the acquisition of comparable competences or learning outcomes, • upon transfer, at least half of the obligations from the first programme are recognized – under the European transfer credit system (hereinafter referred to as: ECTS) – relating to mandatory subjects of the second programme. When applying for enrolment, the candidate shall apply for their previous training to be recognised. This is subject to the decision of the competent Committee of the Senate of the Faculty at which the candidate intends to continue their studies. In accordance with the Rules on the Recognition of Knowledge and Skills in Programmes of the University of Maribor, the candidate must provide the Faculty with: • the application for the recognition of knowledge and skills at the University of Maribor, • certificate of completed obligations (exams) with obtained grades and the number of credit points, • validated curricula according to which knowledge has been acquired, • proof of payment for costs of the procedure. When transferring from one programme to another, the candidate’s completed study obligations may be recognized depending on the content, scope and complexity of the new programme, and new obligations defined, which need to be meet for studies under the new programme to be completed.
Knowledge and skills that students acquire in the course of their education process prior to enrolment, in different forms of formal education and as testified by the relevant certificates and other documents, may be recognised. The scope and content of the work involved shall be evaluated under the ECTS system up to a maximum of 15 ECTS, which may replace comparable obligations under the planned 1st cycle higher education programme Contemporary Tourism Practices.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Should enrollment census be applicable, candidates shall be admitted according to: - their general matura, vocational matura or final examination performance - 60 per cent, and - their performance in the third and fourth years of secondary school – 40 per cent.
Qualification Requirements
Knowledge and skills that students acquire in the course of their education process prior to enrolment, in different forms of formal education and as testified by the relevant certificates and other documents, may be recognised. The scope and content of the work involved shall be evaluated under the ECTS system up to a maximum of 15 ECTS, which may replace comparable obligations under the planned 1st cycle higher education programme Contemporary Tourism Practices.
Work Placements
Graduates of the 1st-cycle higher education professional study program in Modern Tourism Practice will be able to find employment: • in companies that perform any type of tourism activity: thermal and health resort tourism, sports and recreational activities, agricultural and mountain tourism, fair, entertainment and wellness tourism, cognitive-educational and cultural tourism, beach and nautical tourism; • in travel agencies, • in all companies that appear as cooperators or partners in the creation of tourism offers • in the field of public administration in the field of tourism at the local level and • in regional destination organizations, regional development organizations, local tourism organizations and tourist information centers.