Asian Correspondent Asia News

East and West have never met with quite so much style as they have in Singapore. This is a city where high-tech wizardry, old-world markets and soaring skyscrapers coexist as if nothing in the world were more natural. It’s also a place that attracts well over 11 million tourists every year. That’s more than twice the local population, so it’s no surprise that hotel schools like the one at MDIS have fared so well. With its world-renown hotels, theme park island and epic shopping scene, Singapore is a living, breathing case study in how to develop a tourists destination the right way.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder that aspiring hospitality industry professionals all over the world are standing up and taking notice. From both Eastern and Western perspectives, Singapore is an ideal place to earn hospitality credentials. For students from Asia, this is the perfect place to establish a network with ties to both hemispheres while gaining experience through internships among the hospitality giants of the East.

Pic: MDIS School of Tourism and Hospitality.

This is why MDIS launched the School of Tourism and Hospitality in 2007. In just a few years, the school had welcomed more than 3,000 students from over 20 different countries. With the whole world showing up on Singapore’s doorstep, classrooms at MDIS are vibrant and international, and students enrolled in hospitality-related programs are the benefactors.

Academics
The MDIS School of Tourism and Hospitality offers three bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree and a diploma in hospitality- and tourism-related fields. Some of these degrees are offered through partnerships with universities in Australia or the UK, boosting MDIS’ profile and enhancing the degree’s international clout.

The following degrees and diplomas are on offer:

Bachelor of Business in Convention and Event Management
Conducted in tandem with Southern Cross University in Australia and with the assistance of seasoned professionals from the MICE sector, this program paves the way to a career planning corporate events, conventions and festivals. The degree takes three years to complete and includes an internship with a tourism or hospitality organization.

Pic: MDIS

Bachelor of Business in International Hospitality Management
Also awarded by Southern Cross University, this three-year program prepares students to take on leadership positions in hotels, resorts, clubs, restaurants, casinos and aboard cruise liners. The program is built around a core of hospitality-related coursework, but there is a strong focus on developing management skills.

Bachelor of Science International Tourism and Hospitality Management
This particular degree is made possible through a partnership with the UK’s University of Sunderland. This program works on two levels. First, it introduces students to the business knowledge they will need to succeed in the hospitality industry. Next, it aims to build the sort of vocational skills that boost employability and confidence in the workplace. The program lasts the better part of three years and includes a six-month internship.

Diploma in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Management
Students who are interested in taking their careers in a hospitality direction are welcomed to enroll in this diploma program. It is offered five days a week and takes seven months to complete. In the process, they’ll familiarize themselves with the ins and outs of marketing, information technology, economics of leisure, business management and other industry-related issues.

Master of International Tourism and Hotel Management
The master’s program is offered through Australia’s Southern Cross University, and it’s designed for graduates and professionals who don’t have a background in hospitality. You’ll learn through a mix of class-based lectures and lab-based practice, ensuring equal measures of theory and experience. This degree can be specialized in several areas, including tourism management, business event management and hotel administration.

Pic: MDIS School of Tourism and Hospitality.

Tropical Breeze
Earning a degree in hospitality or tourism requires studying plenty of academic theory – especially for those who want to assume leadership positions. However, much of a person’s success in this industry is dependent on their ability to operate equipment, or on the extent to which they know their way around the kitchen. Vocational skills are as important as theory in this industry.

MDIS’ answer to this predicament is Tropical Breeze, a hospitality training center designed to get students’ feet wet before they actually enter the work force. The center is divided into three training floors: a food and beverage unit (with a full bar), a front office service station (equipped with Micros Fidelio Property Management System) and a housekeeping division (with a mock-up hotel room).

The school invested more than a quarter of a million dollars in this training center. In many ways, it’s the showpiece of MDIS’ hospitality division. By the time students graduate, they will enter the workforce with all the advantages of a person who has already worked for a hotel in multiple capacities.

Connect with MDIS School of Tourism and Hospitality and learn more about its offerings and events on the school’s Facebook page, or follow MDIS on Twitter.