Program Overview:
Today, tourism is becoming an important economic sector for Oman, which has approximately received around 3.5 million tourists generated more than 157,000 jobs and achieved a real annualised growth rate of 3.6 per cent to reach R.O. 2.5 % to the GDP. It is essential to highlight the escalating interest in tourism in Oman, especially as a tool for diversifying the economy and creating job opportunities. On the other hand, in 2016, Oman launched its National Tourism Strategy, aiming to increase international arrivals to 11.7m visitors per year by 2040, boost tourism’s contribution to GDP from 2.5% today to more than 6%, create more than 500,000 new jobs as well as to establish more than 1200 new SMEs. 
Contributing to this ongoing development and escalating needs, the last 14 years Tourism Department has been providing the Omani market with well qualified and specialised graduates working in almost every tourism field in Oman. The Department believes that meeting the future demand could only be accomplished through the continuous evaluation and development of the BA academic plans and launching new programs. 

Program Vision, Mission, and Objectives

Vision:
The Tourism Department strives through excellence in teaching to provide an outstanding tourism and hospitality education for its undergraduate program students, according to international standards. 

Mission:
The Tourism Department undergraduate program is committed to academic excellence, integrity, and ethical behaviour by creating and disseminating knowledge related to tourism and hospitality in an environment that fosters creative and critical thinking, effective communication skills, freedom of expression, and social responsibility.

Objectives:
The main objectives of the Tourism BA Program include:
1.    Provide students with an academic foundation and real-life experience for a successful career in tourism and hospitality.
2.    Improve students’ ability to exercise judgment, critically analyse situations, and develop alternatives.
3.    Develop students’ leadership and management skills, capability for career planning, goal-setting, and team-building.    
4.    Develop students’ understanding of tourism and hospitality laws and ethical aspects.
5.    Improve students’ written, oral, and non-verbal communication skills and usage of information technologies.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Student Learning Outcomes of the Tourism Undergraduate Program
•    Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate unique knowledge related to operating a Tourism and Hospitality business in a diverse global business environment.
•    Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate the critical thinking skills and creativity required to effectively function in the tourism and hospitality industry.
•    Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct all the duties required for working in the different Departments of tourism and hospitality institutions.
•    Outcome 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to define, identify, and evaluate ethical versus unethical business practices.
•    Outcome 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to employ proficient written and oral communication skills, including the appropriate usage of technology for effective customer service and teamwork.

According to the international Quality Assurance and Accreditation measures the graduates of the Tourism Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences should acquire four different categories of knowledge and skills. These four categories are:
A. Knowledge and understanding attributes
A.1. Understand the principles of the tourism industry.
A.2. Recognise the Omani successive civilisations.
A.3. Identify the features of both the international tourist destinations in general and the Omani tourist destinations in particular. 
A.4. Understand the regulations governing the tourism industry in Oman.
A.5. Comprehend all the jobs, and responsibilities of the local tourism and hospitality entities and the international tourism organizations.
A.6. Recognize the conventional and modern classifications of tourism and hospitality markets.
A.7. Fully understand and apply all the jobs associated with the tourism and hospitality management.
A.8. Understand all the definitions and terminologies utilized in the tourism and hospitality industry and to communicate with tourists with different languages.
A.9. Identify the cultures, customs, and traditions of tourists from different countries all over the world.

B. Intellectual/thinking skills 
B.1. Critically assess and evaluate findings.
B.2. Critically interpret data and texts.
B.3. Describe and analyze tourism information.
B.4. Take responsibility for their own learning and continuing professional development.
B.5. Evaluate the factors that influence the development of organizations operating in tourism.

C. Professional and practical skills
C.1. Conduct all the duties required for working in the different departments of travel agencies, airline companies, and hospitality organizations.
C.2. Communicate with tourists in different languages.
C.3. Read and analyze the elements of the travel agencies' and hotels and food service balance sheets.
C.4. Set the main lines of tourist plans for tourist attractions or tourist projects.
C.5. Design plans for both tourism marketing and tourist market research.
C.6. Design, conduct, and analyze tourist statistical studies.

D. Communication and transferable skills
D.1. Use computers efficiently.
D.2. Communicate professionally with tourists.
D.3. Cooperate with other colleagues and to work in teams.
D.4. Self-enhance his/her skills and abilities continuously.

Program Specialties:
At the time being, students registering in the tourism program study for four years (eight semesters). The department academic plan includes 120 credit hours, 88 credit hours relates to the department specialization. Those 88 credit hours could be divided into two parts. Part one includes 18 courses (52 credit hours) which represent the department major requirements. All students registering in the department should have all those courses regardless of their specific specialization. Students usually receive those courses during their first four semesters in the department.
After finishing their initial four semesters, students will then proceed toward receiving the second part of the department courses, which include 12 courses (36 credit hours) in one of the above mentioned two specializations:    
1. Tourism Management
2. Hospitality Management

1. Tourism Management
No industry has been as successful in recent times as the tourism industry, which has become the backbone and lifeblood for the economies of many advanced and developed countries. In this context, tourism higher education is considered a key factor in the tourism industry: tourism education is chiefly responsible for supplying the market with the professional manpower needed to perform all the duties related to the tourism business. The specialization of "Tourism Management" is located at the heart of the tourism education discipline, as it plays a key role in educating and preparing students to work in all the different areas related to both tourism management and operation.
 

Degree plan for BA in Tourism Management 

2. Hospitality Management
Hospitality operations are located in com¬munities throughout the world. Some of the primary sectors within the hospitality industry include: lodging (not just limited to traditional hotels), foodservice (not just limited to restaurants), private clubs, theme parks, destination management companies, meetings and conventions (planning and operations), cruise lines, managed services, and consulting services. Students considering entering the field of hospitality are required to take into consideration all of the types of businesses that hospitality encompasses but also, the various career streams in functional areas across segments (such as operations, accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, facilities, and risk management). 

Degree plan for BA in Hospitality Management 

Program Overview:

Today, tourism is becoming an important economic sector for Oman, which has approximately received 2.1 million tourist and generated more than 115,000 jobs, as well as achieving a real annualized growth rate of 5.5 per cent to reach R.O. 2.4 billion ($6.2 billion). It is important to highlight the escalating interest in tourism in Oman, especially as a tool for diversifying economy as well as creating job opportunities.

The Tourism Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, has well-recognized expertise in teaching, research and community service. The Master of Arts in Tourism seeks to put this experience at the disposal of the Omani society.  This leading-edge graduate program is the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman’s tourism and hospitality education system.

The Master of Arts in Tourism is designed to provide students with the essential background and fundamental knowledge required to embark on higher tourism and hospitality positions in both public and private organizations.
 

Program Rationale:

Tourism is currently receiving a remarkable attention at the Omani national level, where it is seen as an essential element of economic diversification, a major source of jobs and an important factor in attracting foreign and domestic investments.

In this regard, A Master of Arts in Tourism Program is needed to meet:

1. The escalating momentum around the tourism sector with regard to its importance and role in supporting the national economy now and in the future.
2. The growing demand for postgraduate programs in the Omani tourism sector as well as the evolving interest in a Tourism Master's program expressed by several leading tourism and hospitality employers from the public and private in the Sultanate of Oman.
3. The need for supporting the on-going human resource development and employability and upgrading the efficiency and vigor of the Omani labor force in the Sultanate of Oman.
4. The increasing demand from Omani tourism graduates, as well as from other related academic disciplines, for a domestic option to pursue their graduate studies.
5. The need for enriching tourism research in Oman.
    

Program Specialties:

This program offers three tracks:
(1) Tourism Destination Management
(2) Hospitality Human Resources Management 
(3) Event Management.

Tourism Destination Management:

The Tourism Destination Management track of the Master of Arts in Tourism program places strong emphases on tourism destination development, management and marketing issues, especially for natural and cultural destinations. It considers the management requirements in both the macro and micro contexts of tourism destinations. This track is of interest to individuals who seek to enhance their knowledge managing tourism destinations in a sustainable manner at both national and international levels. The students will learn and develop objective and critical approaches to tourism destination management that will help ensure the continued value and long-term sustainability of tourism destinations. It prepares students for a career path that involves areas such as destination planning, development and marketing, interpretation development and environmental planning.

Degree Plan for Master of Arts in Tourism: Tourism Destination Management

Hospitality Human Resources Management

The Hospitality Human Resources Management track of the Master of Arts in Tourism program is a progressive program designed to meet the needs of a rapidly changing hospitality industry. The program is also designed to supply the growing field of hospitality education and research with graduates who possess the theoretical background, research skills and hospitality knowledge through coursework necessary to advance in the hospitality field. The Hospitality Human Resources Management track prepares students to assume managerial roles and provide leadership skills in settings such as the lodging and food service industries.

Degree Plan for Master of Arts in Tourism: Hospitality Human Resources Management

Event Management

The Event Management track of the Master of Arts in Tourism program is distinctive for its strong focus on organizing special events in Oman as the program is designed to meet the needs of the Omani market, which is currently evolving regarding the number and diversity of events taking place. The Event Management track of the Master of Arts in Tourism program will discuss in detail the managerial and professional procedures required for organizing different types of events in Oman. This will include investigating the process starting from building up the bidding file, if required, the planning, implementation and evaluation phases. The program prepares students to assume managerial roles in both public and private organizations.

Degree Plan for Master of Arts in Tourism: Event Management

Program Vision, Mission, and Objectives
 

Vision:

The Department of Tourism aspires to provide a leading and distinguished postgraduate program at the national, regional and international levels in tourism and hospitality teaching, research, and community service.
 

Mission:

The Department of Tourism offers a post-graduate program which is committed to academic excellence in tourism and hospitality learning and research, in an environment that fosters creative and critical thinking, articulates effective communication skills, and promotes freedom of expression and social responsibility. 
 

Objectives:

The main objectives of the Tourism Master's Program include:

1. Addressing the growing national, regional and international demand for postgraduate qualifications in tourism and hospitality;
2. Equipping graduates with the tools of inquiry necessary for academic professional growth and achieving better understanding of the discipline of tourism and hospitality;
3. Promoting tourism and hospitality research;
4. Furthering the educational attainment level of those engaged in the fields of tourism and hospitality;
5. Providing a domestic option for those who prefer to pursue their postgraduate studies in Oman; and
6. Providing a facility to attract postgraduate students from GCC and other countries.
    

Program Expected Outcomes:

The Department of Tourism strives to ensure the quality and competence of its graduates, by completing the program graduates should be able to:

1. Apply scientific methods to conduct research and prepare written studies that efficiently address tourism and hospitality related issues.
2. Communicate effectively in regard with research conducted on tourism and hospitality issues in both written and oral contexts.
3. Demonstrate knowledge and expertise of the key theories and principles of tourism and hospitality.
4. Show ability in critical analysis, creativity and innovation.
    

Program Structure:

Students may select between two study options in accordance with the SQU Postgraduate Academic Regulations 2008.

"The Courses and Thesis option":

A bi-lingual track where to accomplish the degree requirements, students must complete 24 credit hours (18 credit hours in English / 6 credit hours in Arabic), in addition to writing and successfully defending a thesis in either Arabic or English language.

"The Thesis only option":

A mono-lingual option where thesis should be prepared and presented in English only.

For meeting this track requirements, student must write and successfully defend thesis in English.

Program Duration:
In accordance with Sultan Qaboos University postgraduate academic regulations, the Master of Arts in Tourism Program duration is two years (4 semesters) for full-time students or three years (6 semesters) for part-time students.

Program Admission:

Students will be accepted on a competitive basis depending on the candidate's  academic qualifications and merits and English language abilities, as well as on the interview result, and finally the number of available seats.

Acceptance is according to SQU postgraduate regulations.